The Looking Glass Opera Duster (Full Length)

$148.00

Step through the looking glass with our loving tribute to Alice in Wonderland, a whimsical celebration of storytelling, imagination, and of course — wonder. It may come as no surprise to our stargazer community that the Alice books are a huge source of inspiration for us here at Market of Stars!

This beautiful, one-of-a-kind print features rare antique flower and foliage photographs, and a captivating portrait of Alice Liddell (the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice in Wonderland), taken when Liddell grew up. The portrait was done in 1872 by influential photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, who photographed Liddell many times during her life. We chose this grown-up image of Liddell — rather than a younger one— since we are firm believers that though we all get older, we can always return to Wonderland no matter our age ;)

The moon in our design comes from a historic 1800’s photo taken by the Harvard Observatory, and the star trim (including the trim on Alice’s collar) comes from a fragment of wallpaper from the same era.

100% viscose (derived from plant fibres such as bamboo and wood). Machine wash gentle or handwash and hang to dry. Iron to finish if needed.

Kimono measurements: length 116cm, width 78 cm (across back, underarm to underarm). Model is 5’9” for reference.

“The more I wonder, the more I love.”

- Alice Walker

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

- Lewis Carroll

“Follow your inner moonlight, and don’t hide the madness.”

- Allen Ginsberg

How To Wear

+

This piece has romance and whimsy to spare, but its beautifully neutral colour palette makes it easy to create outfits around. We love playing up the gypsy-boho vibe by layering it over a long dress or tiered skirt and adding boots & lots of jewellery — but it looks fantastic over simple black basics as well. We’ll also be styling it with a little bit of a wild west flavour — think jeans, an eyelet tank, and cowboy boots. So cool and so different! Of course, when the day is done, this is also the piece we love to lounge in most, and drift off to Wonderland with a good book and a cup of tea :)

Our Muse

+

The curious heart, the storyteller. Women who follow the white rabbit.

More Inspo

+

One of the most beloved books of all time, Alice in Wonderland has never been out of print since Lewis Carroll first self-published it in 1865. Carroll originally made up the stories for the daughters of his family friends — the Liddells — on a summer boating trip in 1862. The girls begged to hear the stories again, and at last he wrote the entire tale down and gifted it to Alice Liddell for Christmas in 1864.

Though wildly and delightfully imaginative, it’s interesting to know that many aspects of Alice’s adventures were inspired by real life. For example, Carroll suffered from a rare disorder that caused hallucinations in which objects sometimes appeared larger or smaller than they were. And another fun fact — the tree that the Chesire Cat perches in was a real tree in Alice Liddell’s garden.

The Poem

+

Even in the dull hours
when our weary rooms shrink   
do not mistake it: I am still falling
fast down the rabbit hole of your eye. Falling fast
as a star.