Since this post is about fashion, let me start by answering the question that I am sure will be on your mind upon seeing my name. No, I am not related to The Beau. However, I love dandyism as a whole, and I took this name in tribute. I am also working to have his book, Male and Female Costume, published online freely, but that's for another post and time. At any rate, I am forty-one and am passionate about antique menswear, Regency as a scholarly pursuit, and Edwardian for daily wear. Naturally, I am constantly researching and trying to expand upon my knowledge. I am totally blind, so I must rely on descriptions rather than images.

I am the type who would like to wear a three-piece suit and accessories everywhere I go. I've decided that for my first one, I should get a lounge suit, since I can wear it almost anywhere during the day, provided it's not a formal occasion. I will eventually have morning wear, white tie, black tie, and informal evening wear, but that's for later. I have found some sites which create reproductions of men's Edwardian suits, but most use synthetic materials and/or zippers, which I refuse to wear, and none uses fabrics of the proper thickness. I found sites that make women's suits with men's specifications (no ridiculous enhancements of breasts, butt, shallow pockets, soft colours, buttons on the wrong sides of shirts, etc.) but they only make modern clothing. Ebay and Etsy occasionally have some authentic pieces, but most are too formal for daily use, even by Edwardian standards! I am also having difficulty with finding some accessories, such as proper ties and socks without elastic. My other option is to have a suit commissioned, but for that, I need to find a good tailor. The best in the world, in my opinion, is Zack Pinsent, but he's in England and I'm in America (New Jersey).

I am seeking those who share my interest in antique menswear, and perhaps some advice as to where I can find such clothing and/or accessories.

For those who are interested in my journey so far, here is my dreamwidth post containing all sorts of links related to Regency and Edwardian menswear.

dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/210…

#accessories #antiquemenswear #bespoke #clothing #dandyism #daywear #dressing #Edwardian #eveningwear #fashion #formal #historicalclothing #informal #loungesuit #masculinewomen #mensfashion #menswear #morningwear #offtherack #Regency #suits #tailors

I am seeking assistance with singing and learning music theory. This could be in the form of teaching, giving advice, or just listening to me and sharing your opinion of my progress. This is not for a career, just for my own enrichment, though after the correct amount of time has passed, I may decide to take it further and sing publicly in some form or other, perhaps in a choir or a radio play. However, my requirements are quite specific, and I do realise this will be a long process.

Requirements
1. I have no interest in modern singers, musicians, or their techniques. I am using the book You Can Sing, by Clara Novello Davies, as a basis for everything, especially my physical and vocal exercises. I am interested in the techniques of her time and that of her son, Ivor Novello, with a focus on operetta, and perhaps, choral singing.

1. The above also holds for music theory. I am aligning my knowledge and methodology with what was taught during Ivor's time. A list of all the books I am using, as well as an explanation of the knowledge I have attained so far can be found here. This includes the differences between modern and older singers.

friendica.world/display/84b6ef…

1. Please be aware that I am totally blind. I cannot use images, graphical charts, tables, musical notation, etc. Braille music does exist, but I don't know how to read it, and would need to have appropriate texts transcribed, in any case. I do, however, have perfect pitch, an excellent sense of rhythm, and a very good musical memory, so perhaps, we can work on modifications that don't truly cross the boundaries into modernity but that are still accessible.
2. If you do more than just give occasional advice, I'm sure you will want to be compensated for your work, as that's only right. Please be aware that I can only pay $25 per hour at the most, via Paypal. In that case, I can only work with you for about four hours per month, due to financial constraints, but of course, I will also study on my own. I may be able to do more, but not as a normal practice.
3. If you are a descendant of anyone who knew Clara Novello Davies , her students, or Ivor Novello, even if you yourself know nothing about singing, I would still love to hear from you if you have stories to share!

#blind #choir #choralsinging #ClaraNovelloDavies #music #musictheory #singing #theatre #theater #teacher #tutor #vocalinstruction

Georgiana Brummell

2024-11-17 03:04:52

This is something I wrote on Dreamwidth in September. I think some of you may find it interesting. I myself am beginning to study all of this, as I am fascinated by the singing methods and knowledge of the time. It is a bit difficult doing it being blind and unable to read music, but fortunately, there are ways around that. My perfect pitch and good memory for lyrics also helps.

Below, you will find various links related to theory, harmony and counterpoint, and a comparison of older and modern methods of teaching and singing. While this relates to choirs and opera, it also relates to the theatre, particularly operettas and such.

Studying Music: Part I
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/205…

My one criterion was that the methods and books used had to be from the time of Ivor Novello, preferably from his youth (born 1893). If I were to start in the early nineteenth century, which is where most of my preferred non-musical educational material is from, I would miss extremely important developments in classical music. Starting at the birth of his mother, Clara Novello Davies, in 1861, would be fine. However, since her own book, which I am using as my main text and guide, was written in 1928, I went with that of her son. In the following sections, you will find the books I am using. One thing I have not included, though it was a huge influence in Ivor's own writing style, was theatrical music, such as that found in operettas and Edwardian musical comedies. That is such a large topic for discussion that I feel it deserves its own separate post, as does Ivor's music, since it's an interesting blend of all of the above. But this is well outside the scope of traditional musical study.

In the next entry, we will delve into vocal training and why the singers of Novello's time sound so wonderful.

Studying Music: Part II
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/205…

Finally, since I mentioned the exercises, here they are, for anyone who wants to try them. Note that these are the Preliminaries and Breathlock Physicals, not the vocal exercises. But I have provided the link to her book as well, for those who may wish to go further.

Clara's Exercises
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/205…
#books #choir #ClaraNovelloDavies #counterpoint #exercises #harmony #history #IvorNovello #music #musictheory #opera #operetta #singing #studying #vocaltraining #voicetraining #theater #theatre

Hello. I joined Friendica in October of 2024, after Facebook closed their Basic Mobile site (not app). I live in New Jersey and am forty years old. Some of my interests include studying dandyism, nineteenth-century grammar, Received Pronunciation, and the Regency. I like coffees, teas, and nasal snuffs, and enjoy cooking, reading, nature and historical documentaries, and gardening. I like Baroque through Classical and a bit of early Romantic music. I love theatre (mostly English and Viennese operettas, and some Regency/Georgian plays). I prefer antique menswear and accessories. It's my dream to either buy a genuine Edwardian suit or have one commissioned. I love wit, wordplay, and dry humour without vulgarity. My parents are lesbians, and I am a huge gay rights supporter. I have been totally blind since I was two months old, due to Retinopathy of Prematurity.

I am happily childfree and am not religious. I respect those who are, as long as they don't try to convert me, or base their lives around it. The same is true of vegans. I also have no time for mind games, drama, or political correctness/sugar coating, and I hardly ever write about politics. I tend to get along better with people older than I, but I will accept friends twenty-one and over. I don't have any understanding of chronic illness, anxiety, depression, loneliness, etc. so if you need someone who could help you through those on a personal level, I'm not the one for that. I enjoy hearing about cats, cooking or gardening adventures, antiques, and interesting life stories.

For those who would like to know more about me, this is my journal. Anyone can read or comment, whether or not he is a member. Almost all entries are clean. Anything adult-oriented is always marked as such and is put behind a cut. If you're a straight or bisexual, childfree man, preferably over sixty (forty at the absolute youngest) and are single, you may be interested in my dating post, (link in the About Me post near top of page).

dandylover1.dreamwidth.org
#antiquemensware #antiques #blind #books #British #Britishliterature #BeauBrummell #cards #cats #childfree #coffee #cooking #classicalmusic #crafts #dandies #dandyism #ClaraNovelloDavies #dice #dinnerparties #documentaries #Dreamwidth #Edwardian #England #English #Eton #Facebook #Friendica #friends #friendship #gayrights #gardening #grammar #highculture #humor #humour #introduction #Latinlanguage #LordAlvanley #men #MS-DOS #nasalsnuff #nature #NewJersey #IvorNovello #oldermen #operettas #reading #ReceivedPronunciation #Regency #relationships #seniors #silverfork #singing #singles #tea #theater #theatre #Wales #Windows #writing

I can't believe I didn't post this earlier! Anyway, here is a Dreamwidth entry of mine containing all sorts of links related to dandyism, including an entire section on Beau Brummell. As you can tell, this is another one of my great passions.

dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/181…

In case you missed it, this one is devoted to fashion itself.

dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/210…

#antiquemensware #BeauBrummell #books #British #clothing #dandies #dandyism #dandyism.net #Dreamwidth #Edwardian #fashion #history #mensware #Regency #suits #Victorian

(This is a companion piece to my dating post, but here, I am strictly seeking friends. Therefore, the beginning will look similar.)
Hello. I live in New Jersey and am forty years old. Some of my interests include studying dandyism, nineteenth-century grammar, Received Pronunciation, and the Regency. I like coffees, teas, and nasal snuffs, and enjoy cooking, reading British literature, watching nature and historical documentaries, gardening, crafts, and playing cards and dice. I like Baroque through Classical and a bit of early Romantic music. I love theatre (especially Regency plays, English and Viennese operettas, and Edwardian musical comedies). I prefer antique menswear and accessories (no feminine clothing). I love wit, wordplay, and dry humour without vulgarity. I am happily childfree and am not religious. I respect those who are, as long as they don't try to convert me or base their lives around it. I also have no time for mind games, drama, or political correctness/sugar coating. I have been totally blind since I was two months old, due to Retinopathy of Prematurity.

I am seeking friends, either online or off, though offline would be ideal, so we can meet and do things together. I don't care about your sex or sexual orientation, but I would prefer friends no younger than twenty-one. I tend to get along with those who are older than I, since we usually have more in common, but it's not a requirement. I am blind, but it's not the focal point of my life. Still, it does mean that I can't drive. I really don't have any understanding of chronic illness, anxiety, depression, loneliness, etc. so if you need someone who could help you through that on a personal level, I'm not the one you're seeking. I also have no children and tend to avoid them, though I am polite when meeting them. I love cats, so if you have any, I would love to meet them or hear about them. I also enjoy hearing about cooking or gardening adventures, antiques, etc. and I love learning about interesting lives. If we do meet, I need to get to know you a bit first.

For those who would like to know more about me, this is my journal. Anyone can read or comment, whether or not he is a member.

dandylover1.dreamwidth.org

#friendship #friends #fun #men #NewJersey #women

Georgiana Brummell

2024-11-16 02:39:41

I wanted to add tags such as cards, classical music, fashion, gardening, Regency, theatre, etc. but I don't want to abuse them, because while I am seeking a man who likes these things, my post isn't really about them. Perhaps, a veteran Friendica or Fediverse user could instruct me in this.

Those who love antique fashions will enjoy this. It is a compilation of links related to Regency and Edwardian mensware. If you have any to add or wish to make any suggestions, please do so.

How Fashionable!

dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/210…

dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/210…

#antiquemensware #clothing #dapper #Edwardian #fashion #history #Regency #suits

Since this is the Fediverse, I thought it would only be appropriate that I post this. I just discovered it via Perplexity. It's a decentralised search engine, with at least seventy-three instances that agrigates results from at least seventy different search engines. I'm sure each instance uses its own, but still. I find this whole idea to be intriguing. Plus, the few I've tried are all free of clutter and work well with NVDA, from XP through 11

This is the main list of instances.

searx.space/

This is the one I chose.

baresearch.org/

#accessibility #blind #Fediverse #instances #Internet #NVDA #privacy #searchengines #SearXNG #Windows7 #WindowsXP

I just learned that Friendica, itself, has at least three different types of filters. These are content, advanced content, and language. The first two would allow me to block certain words, topics, etc. from my home timeline, while the third would allow me to collapse or delete things that aren't in languages that I understand. Unfortunately, it seems that Friendica.world has not implemented these, so I've been forced to block many people so that I don't see these things. I do undersatnd that only one or two people run this instance, but would it be possible to give users these abilities? I would rather not switch instances. Alternatively, I don't see such options available in TweeseCake. Maybe, sinceI just heard they're rewriting it, they will include such features in the new version.

#Fediverse #filters #Friendica #friendica.world #posting #Tweesecake #TweeseCake

Is there any way I can stop an entire conversation from appearing in my timeline? I see several in which I have no interest, and they are taking up time and space. Remember, screen reader users can't simply scan things quickly, see a word and move on, as sighted people can.

#Fediverse #Friendica #Tweesecake #TweeseCake

I wish to begin this by saying that nothing can replace the wonderful consideration of people adding alt text to their images. It is very much appreciated, and I thank you for doing it. But for those images without said descriptions, I found something truly useful. It's called AltBot, and it adds alt text to posts without descriptions. I just followed it a few hours ago. On TweeseCake, at least, you'll hear something like "image with no description", and when you go to the next post, you'll hear the bot's explanation of the image. If you wish to folow Altbot, it can be found at altbot@fuzzies.wtf. I don't know who created it, but I sincerely thank whoever did. If only such a lovely bot could work on all sites.

#accessibility #altbot #alttext #blind #blindness #descriptions #Fediverse #Friendica #helpful #images #kindness #tools #TweeseCake

I remarked earlier today that, since joining Friendica, I've seen more posts about programming than I have in my entire life. This made me laugh, because it's funny, and I've enjoyed hearing about people's different experiences. But I also keep seeing posts and conversations about things such as veganism, anti-capitalism, whites and racism, American politics, mental health, etc. It's beyond annoying. I didn't join the Fediverse to have my newsfeed blasted with radical politics, people's medical issues, and so on. Even on Facebook, there were the constant reminders to love and stand up for yourself and so on, which I never understood, always having loved myself and never tolerating nonsense from anyone. But there, at least, I could filter it out by either not adding such people as friends or simply defriending them. Here, I see conversations that I have no interest in, just because my friends are involved in them, or some page that I otherwise like posted about them. I can't believe there is no way to filter out things on Friendica and/or with TweeseCake. As side note, Dreamwidth is also full of people who write about all sorts of medical and mental health issues. But that least, that's a journalling site, so it makes more sense.

#Dreamwidth #Facebook #Fediverse #Friendica #politics #posting #TweeseCake

today, I heard of pinned posts. Apparently, they work in the Fediverse as they do on Dreamwidth, keeping a post at the top of you profile. Do these exist on Friendica? If so, how are they enabled, and can you pin more than one post? Can this be done via TweeseCake?

#Fediverse #Friendica #pinnedposts #posting #profile #TweeseCake

It has just come to my attention that there is only one developer of Friendica. It's a truly wonderful site, with a lot of potential, particularly for those of us coming from Facebook. It allows for extremely long posts, local posting, and you can follow and interact with people from various sites in the Fediverse. But there are a few issues regarding screen reader accessibility, and perhaps some things that I'm not aware of. I have therefore decided to create a Friendica development tag, in order to find people who are willing and able to help resolve these issues.

#accessibility #accessibilitytesting #Android #blind #blindness #Facebook #Fediverse #Friendica #FriendicaDevelopment #html #NVDA #screenreaders #Talkback #websites #Windows