Mermaids have been with us for thousands of years, and we’re still trying to understand them. That mystery is exactly what drew me to researching mermaids in art, fashion, and visual culture. I’m presenting on this topic at a conference next Friday. Myth, symbolism, performance…it’s all connected…

Is anyone else counting down to the Bridgerton season 4 premiere? I know the end of last season sparked some strong reactions, so I’m curious, what's your hottest Bridgerton take? Mine is that there should be a musical episode. Yes, I know it's absurd. I don't care. The heart wants what it wants.

Real question: how many months into winter before you start daydreaming about summer? For me, the answer is now. These Cozumel photos are keeping me emotionally afloat. and yes, the water really was that warm. Where’s your dream warm-weather escape?

This gown feels like something a fairy queen would commission…except it’s rooted in real fashion history. Beetle wing casings were genuinely used in historic dress, and this gown was my love letter to that strange, glittering tradition.

I may be swimming indoors for the winter, but these summer mermaid photos are keeping my spirits high! I’ll never get over how striking the red of my dragonheart tail looks against the ocean.

Finished the Belle gown properly this summer and the trim made ALL the difference. ✨ What color do YOU see this dress as: gold or orange?

🧜‍♀️ Still dreaming about my cenote adventure, and still can hardly believe I willingly woke up at 6am for it. Somehow I was fully awake by the time we arrived at 8am (evidence that cenotes are indeed magical 😂).

Flashback to the Jane Austen Festival stargazing soirée, and the moment I learned the Herschel siblings were basically the original multi-hyphenate creatives. Musicians with astronomy as their side-hustle? Mad respect.

In 2023, you may recall that I visited the SMOC exhibition in Vancouver. I was more interested in the older fashions at the time, but I now have a greater appreciation for the designer of these outfits, Dorothy Grant. Her designs are a masterclass in strength, beauty, and cultural pride.

Bringing back some Ariel photos 🧜‍♀️💖 This silicone hybrid by Haley Mermaid was my first “real” tail, and while it’s more subtle than my others, it’s perfect for Ariel. ✨

Sunset over Dallas Road 🌅✨ Always magical. But also: a reminder. “Vancouver Island” is a colonial name. These are the traditional lands of the Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth & Kwakwaka’wakw peoples. It's something I want to acknowledge not just on Truth & Reconciliation Day, but every day. 🧡

Obsessed with these photos of my 18th-century Belle gown by @ezrak.photography ✨ Now to pick the perfect Vancouver Island location for a full video. Any suggestions?

Wishing everyone at the Jane Austen Festival the most splendid time! ✨ Sad to miss it this year, but I can’t wait to live vicariously through your photos. 🕰️📸

Found a little beetle on my tail after a mermaid swim 🪲✨ Not the same kind used in Victorian gowns, but the resemblance is uncanny.

Today I officially transition from summer mermaid swims & Jane Austen balls for PhD life. 📚🧜‍♀️ Summer taught me: more rest, less perfectionism (still working on that one 😂).

Girls will be like, “I needed this”… and it’s literally just basic human rights. 🖤 I usually share whimsical content, but I can’t ignore what’s happening. As a dual citizen, watching women’s and trans rights stripped away in the U.S. has been heartbreaking. Stay safe, and don’t stop speaking up.

8 years, 1 husband, and a lot of stitches later… 🧵✨ 2016 me thought I was making Victoria’s gown from Corpse Bride (spoiler: I botched the bodice). 2024 me? Years of research + proper underpinnings = glow-up. Moral of the story: ditched the dress, kept the man. 💕

In March, I got an email I could hardly believe. A novelist read my 2020 article on Craigdarroch Castle—and used it as a major source for her gothic horror book filled with sirens + Victorian settings. 👻🧜🎩 Sometimes your tiniest projects echo louder than you think.

Not every day is gowns & glitter. Most days look more like: snoozing too long, cat distractions, coffee shop laptop time, then sewing or reading at night… with a side of project stress 😂. Once I start my PhD, life will be a different kind of busy, but hopefully more structured.

Game-changing sewing hack I picked up from Bernadette Banner: pull the thread, cut along the line = perfectly straight linen edges ✂️✨ So satisfying! Has anyone dared to try it on other fabrics? Did it work, or was it a disaster? 👀

Photo from last weekend’s Vic Ren Faire 🌿 Honestly? This costume wasn’t my best work; it was more “good enough” than “main character.” 😂 But instead of stressing, I focused on friends, laughter, and fun… and it turned into one of my favorite days!

Ever wish you could step right out of a painting? 🕰️ My top 3 tips for that “out-of-a-portrait” look: 1️⃣ Corset (instant posture upgrade) 2️⃣ Historical hair & makeup 3️⃣ Correct prints (no modern giveaways!) Which one would you try first?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: bring back 18th-century pockets!

New around here? I’m Ann: fashion historian, certified mermaid, musical theatre nerd, and connoisseur of all things whimsical. ✨ Follow for fashion history, fantasy, music, and unapologetic joy.

These stills from my beetle wing dress video look like they were pulled from a period drama, right?? 🎥✨ Shout-out to Matt for the DaVinci Resolve wizardry and to golden hour at Beacon Hill Park for always delivering.

Saw a similar reel by @alexaswinediary on Instagram and it cracked me up, so I had to make my own version. 😂

Thank you, Esther White Photography, for making me feel like the queen of the jungle during our photo shoot. It was hot and humid, but I trusted the process and WOW, did she deliver!

Some highlights from the snorkeling tour in Cozumel last month. The El Cielo sandbar totally lived up to its name: white sand, turquoise water, and stingrays drifting past every few minutes.

It’s been almost a year since our Ariel shoot at Cadboro Bay, and in classic *me* fashion… I’m only just getting around to posting the last pic in her seafoam gown.  And don’t worry, friends. There are still plenty more tail photos to come. The Ariel content is far from over 🧜‍♀️🌊

💙 Blue ribbons, golden light, and a moment borrowed from another century…

Is it impractical? Yes. Is it joyful? Absolutely. This is your reminder that dressing up just for the beauty of it is reason enough. 🪲🌸 Sometimes the more layers I wear, the freer I feel. It shouldn’t make sense, but neither does joy in a world that tries to silence it. So I wear the wings. 🪲

Ophelia-core meets mermaid energy at @casa.kabil 🌊💐 This is what happens when you have an M.A. in art history and a deep love of dramatic poses in the water. Pre-Raphaelite painting? No, just me channeling my inner tragic Victorian heroine with fins. 😌🧜‍♀️ Painting: "Ophelia" by John Everett Millais

🎀 Dearest gentle merfolk, The Bubble Ball has come and gone, but this author has finally decided to reveal the secrets behind the seams… 👗🧜‍♀️

Did you really think I was done with Regency content? 😂 Sure, I’m still swooning over the mermaid photos from Mexico… but I have so many dreamy pics from last year’s Jane Austen Festival in Bath, and I’m not about to stop now. 💃

Some dreamy snaps from @hotelcoz, where I stayed during my PADI Mermaid training! 🧜‍♀️🌴 And yes, the water really was that gorgeous. 😍

She’s beauty, she’s grace, she’s…never mind 😂

Happy Canada Day! I'm so excited to share these magical mermaid photos taken by Ashleigh Talbot of Enchanted Lens Photography to celebrate the occasion! What are your plans for the day?

Ever feel like you’ve accidentally wandered into a crossover episode between Bridgerton and H2O: Just Add Water? Because same. 👑🧜‍♀️ Meet Kit: fellow fashion history nerd and mermaid hobbyist. Who else feels like they're seeing double?

✨ If “H2O: Just Add Water” were set in Canada… 🇨🇦🧜‍♀️ 🌊 The setting: Vancouver Island 🌟 The mermaids: @sirena.songfish + @stellaaaa.del.mare + @juliet._.reid 🤫 The secret: There isn’t one. Everyone knows we’re mermaids. We’re not exactly subtle about it. 😂💅 Hiding fins in this economy? Couldn’t be us.

It’s of-FISH-ial: I’m now a PADI certified mermaid! 🧜‍♀️💙 When I was younger, I thought I was just “bad at sports.” But guess what? Mermaiding turned out to be my kind of athleticism. Moral of the story: Sometimes, you just need to approach things the whimsical way. ✨

Isn’t this the most charming little stage? 🎭✨ I stumbled across it in Royal Victoria Park in Bath, and it instantly reminded me why I love cities like Bath so much. There’s such artistry in the details—gazebos, bandstands, balconies, fountains—designed not just to function, but to delight. 💐

Tried to take a cute photo with a peacock at Beacon Hill Park… He said no. Very loudly. Repeatedly. 🦚😂 Swipe if you dare to witness the struggle. (No peacocks were harmed—just completely uninterested in collaborating.) Tell me your most chaotic animal photo moment 👇

Ivy-covered walls are at the top of my dream home wish list. Yes, I know they’re invasive. No, I will not be taking constructive feedback. 😂 Other essentials: 🏰 a turret 📚 a library 👻 at least one ghost 🌳 a tree swing 💃 and, of course, a ballroom.

Just one more sleep and then I'm off to Cozumel to fulfill a long-awaited goal of earning my PADI Mermaid and Advanced Mermaid certifications! Ready to make my mermaid-loving childhood self proud!

Me: “Why am I always so busy?” Also me: “Why yes, I can squeeze a Jane Austen ball, a Regency embroidery workshop, and PADI Mermaid certification in Mexico into ten days!” 😂

Just two more days till Victoria's Jane Austen Wit and Wisdom weekend begins! ✨📚 What will I be wearing to the embroidery workshop, you ask? Your guess is as good as mine! 😂 I'm constantly going back and forth on which gown to wear, so I guess we'll all just have to find out on Friday, won't we?

✨ Stepping back into Jane Austen’s world this weekend for JASNA Victoria’s Wit and Wisdom Ball! 💃📖 I almost made a new gown for the occasion, but in the name of sustainable fashion (and sanity), I’ll be wearing my red and gold Regency gown again. Hope to see you there!

The 1920s: the first time in over 100 years women wore bold makeup in public 💄 Pale face, smoky eyes, sloped brows, and that cupid’s bow 💋 Recreated the look—what era should I try next? 👇

Three mermaids. One chilly spring evening. Zero regrets. ❄️🧜‍♀️ Was it worth freezing our fins off? You tell me 👇

Wait… is this a photo of me not in costume?! 😱 Well, sort of. The Ariel dress and mermaid sunglasses might say otherwise. 😂🧜‍♀️ Meanwhile, @ophelia.jane_ is out here serving Audrey 2 realness with her Little Shop of Horrors mermaid top. Audrey 2 x 2 = Audrey 4? Possibly. Probably. 💚🪴