221b_recs | Entries tagged with content: clothing

Title: The Presbury Letters
Author: Katie Forsythe
Pairing: Holmes/Watson
Length: 17k
Rating: PG (or PG-13? I mean, it's WWI. Proceed accordingly.)
Warnings: WWI is brutally awful. None of the descriptions of violence and its aftermath are graphic, but... WWI is brutally awful
Verse: ACD canon
Author's summary: Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes, and John Watson battle to survive the Great War.
Reccer's comments: I love this fic with a great love. Lines and scenes from it stick with me. I am an absolute sucker for good WWI and post-WWI Holmesian fic, and this has what I want from such fic: emotional intensity and plausible, thoughtfully-evoked historical context. The realities of war on the home front are well-handled -- be reminded that this was the first war when Londoners knew they could be bombed -- and the prose is delightfully paced and voiced. It's all so good. Be prepared to have a lot of feelings about Mycroft and the Holmes brothers' relationship.

The Presbury Letters

rachelindeed

Title: Sherlock BBC Skull Bandana
Artist: annaobscurial
Pairing: Gen
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Reccer's comments: Happy Halloween, everyone! Here's a piece of art both beautiful and creepy, as Sherlock embraces elegant simplicity in his costuming choice. Memento mori.

venusinthenight

Title: бонус (Bonus)
Author:

gardnerhill
Pairing: None
Length: 396 words
Rating: Gen
Warnings: None apply
Verse: My Dearly Beloved Detective
Author's summary: Freedom can reside in a simple change of clothes.

Reccer's comments: My Dearly Beloved Detective has a female Holmes (Shirley) and a female Watson (Jane) -- one of only a tiny handful of Holmesian 'verses with this configuration. This focuses on Jane, and how she practices at presenting more traditionally male, along with musings on male presentation as protection in sexist Edwardian London.

swissmarg

Title: The Napoleon
Author: darcylindbergh
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 24,859 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: None
Verse: BBC
Author's summary: Halloween, 1989: John and Sherlock both have big plans for the night, but some serial killers have the worst possible timing.

Reccer's comments: I went into this thinking, okay, a fun little Halloween story. Then BAM! i got hit hard in the feels. First off there's the case, which is a fabulous tongue-in-cheek romp through the 80s that leaves bodies galore in its wake. Then there's all the fun of dressing up for Halloween in sexy, subtext-laden costumes. But finally (most importantly), of course, there are John and Sherlock pining desperately for each other until they finally get a clue, and it’s at that point that the fic takes off from being a good-natured dashabout and becomes something of real substance and beauty. This is one of those stories that you think is just going to be a quick distraction, but ends up sneaking into your heart and settling there.

rachelindeed.livejournal.com

Title: The Shawl of Sherlock Holmes
Author:

luchia13
Pairing: Gen
Length: 2,000 words
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: John's a Weaver, capable of channeling the abstract into fabric. After meeting Sherlock, his abilities are put to the test more than ever.

Reccer's comments: This is a beautiful and haunting magical realism fic that always carries the feeling of October for me. It's about a special kind of witchcraft woven with thread and intention, and the way John tries to heal and protect with sometimes reckless abandon. I love the way the story cleverly plays with details of the BBC series, like Sherlock's scarf and John's endless jumpers. Written in 2011 before the second series aired, it diverges quickly from what has since become canon, but it maintains a perfect, understated grasp of the main characters and the depth of their concern for each other. I love this fic for its prose, its imagination, and its delightful mixture of melancholy and warmth.

dioscureantwins.livejournal.com

Title: Toplock Talent Search
Author:

anarfea
Pairing: Sherlock/John, Sherlock/Irene, Sherlock/Jim/Molly
Length: approx. 25,000 words
Rating: explicit
Warnings: top!Sherlock (the reason the fic exists)
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Author's summary: “It’s frankly alarming,” said the Sherlock in the fishnet top, “watching you simper and fawn and make puppy eyes over John like a … sad, gay baby.”
Sherlock’s mouth fell open. “I am not a sad gay baby!”
“Yes, you are,” said Irene.
“Well, what is he, then?” sputtered Sherlock. “Splaying his legs open so everyone can see his cock through those trousers. Sitting there leering at the rest of us like some sort of superior … Dark fuck prince.”

Currently a WIP. Last updated July 2015. There should be one more chapter according to the author. However, as chapter three to five are pretty much stand alone's you can really go ahead and read!

Reccer's comments: This fic is proof of the human mind’s remarkable talent to turn something vile into something hilarious. Written in response to the vagaries imposed upon last year’s 221B con by a this fic has the show’s characters discuss fanfic, gender politics, sexual roles, ship wars, and fandom, as they search for the perfect incarnation of Toplock.

The author masterfully plays with tropes and head!canons as exploited in the series by Moffat and Gatiss, by fanfic writers (the author included) and readers and shows that the pen, especially when wielded with a humour that manages to cast everyone in a satirical light, truly is the strongest weapon ever invented.

The fic heads off with lots of clever banter flying around the living room. Anthea presides and has a hard time keeping the various characters in their respective incarnations in check. We get to meet DarkFuckPrince!Sherlock, GayBaby!Sherlock, JustTransport!Sherlock, Angry!John (well, he doesn’t get laid, obviously), Saint!John and BAMF!John, Virgin!Sherlock and all these incarnations, traipsing around 221B’s living room together, are totally IC. As are Irene, Mycroft, Anthea, Mrs Hudson, Jim and Molly and even Sebastian Moran. Because no fic featuring Jim is complete without a truly creepy Moran in the background. Fie Moftiss.

Once Anthea has waved her magic wand and decided upon the various pairings we follow those to the rooms allotted them for yet more talk, debate, argument, conference, exchange, review, conversation,consideration, dialogue, consultation, seminar, discourse, deliberation,symposium, colloquy, confabulation not to mention examination, investigation, analysis, scrutiny and dissection that will have you screaming with laughter and chuckling over so much cleverness. Then in each chapter the whole delicious concoction gets topped off with some scorchingly-hot sex, with Sherlock topping of course. Yes, even GayBaby!Virgin!Sherlock gets to do the topping.

What really blew me away in this fic however is the encounter in chapter four, between JustTranpost!Sherlock and a beautifully brave and tender Irene. Even if you don’t read the rest of the fic, read this chapter at least for the wonderful insight into their relationship. You won’t regret it.

chapbook.livejournal.com

Title: Untitled Watson and Holmes
Artist: Fyodor Pavlov
Pairing: Holmes/Watson
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Verse: Books

Author's summary: These old marrieds commissioned by zforzelma just in time for our Queer Reading of the Sherlock Holmes Canon panel at FlameCon! I’ll also have prints of this piece, so swing by my table before or after the panel!

Reccer's comments: Holmes and Watson, aristocratically beautiful, share a handsome loveseat in 221B. Holmes smokes while Watson reads, cozy on a long night, the bare trees contrasting with the warmth and affection inside the flat. Holmes's carmine dressing gown and cravat are a striking contrast to his Beloved's gown and honey-blonde hair. In fact, the dominant colors associated with Watson harmonize with the background (apart from the window), suggesting that he is home and hearth for Sherlock Holmes.

chapbook.livejournal.com

Title: Untitled Sherlock and John - Sherlock Special (possible spoiler)
Artist:] BluebellofBakerStreet
Pairing: Gen
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: “Favourite AU? John, what does that even mean?”

“Just go with it, Sherlock. And don’t ruffle your hair.”

“And why is there still no signal on my mobile?”

Reccer's comments: For those who don't want any information about the Special, I am putting this behind a cut:

The costumes and poses of Sherlock and John are inspired by a manip of photos taken during the most recent Setlock. Both men are wearing costumes seen in Setlock images, which means they are wearing clothing that places them in the 1890s (the writers have recently emphasized that the year the Special is set in, 1895, is quite important). Bluebell here is playing with the AU nature of the Special (Late Victorian AU of a show that is a 21st-century AU of stories set in the Late Victorian and Edwardian periods), implying that the boys are 21st-century men in costume (for a case? John has a special kink?). John is certainly having fun (and is looking dashing)! In case anyone is confused, I'll add that although we know most or all of it is set in the past, no one knows yet how the Special will be framed.

I had been a bit worried that the costuming for the Special might be horribly inauthentic, because my cranky Inner (and Outer) Historian finds it hard to watch film and TV set in the past with clothing that little resembles the clothing people actually wore. Thankfully, it looks like they wanted a more authentic look! John's wearing a ditto suit (all three pieces use the same fabric, the jacket is a sack coat), whereas most of Sherlock's green suit is hidden behind the famous greatcoat and deerstalker hat. The rendering of both men's faces is wonderful: a study in contrasts (confusion and maybe the start of a sulk vs. John enjoying it all)

verdant_fire

Title: Transparent
Author: emungere
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 1828 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: N/A
Verse: BBC
Author's summary: For a kink meme prompt: "Girl!Sherlock doesn't believe in wearing bras. IT'S FUCKING DISTRACTING."

Reccer's comments: Femlock is a tricky thing to do well, but emungere pulls it off in spades here. This Sherlock is decidedly female but still fundamentally and recognizably Sherlock, and John is just as devoted and infatuated as ever. This is in-character, quite funny, and very hot, all in under 2000 words.

ficklepig.livejournal.com

Title: Dégustation
Author: daasgrrl
Pairing: Mycroft Holmes/Hannibal Lecter
Length: 7799
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Minor character death
Verse: Sherlock (BBC) x Hannibal (NBC)

Author's summary: Hannibal meets up with an old friend for dinner. Amongst other things.

Reccer's comments: What do you know, it's the end of October already! Themed recs all around!

Mycroft uses Hannibal professionally, and Hannibal takes Mycroft apart for pleasure. Well, not that way, though one always has reason to worry. Worrying is half the fun in this unnerving game between complex and dark characters who might be underestimating each other.

Tags include painplay, edgeplay, implied cannibalism (there are also implied incestuous feelings). The author skirts around some very dark material without plunging right over the edge. Well, maybe a little dangling - it wouldn't be a crossover with Hannibal without archly revolting references to unsavory savories: "Before I set foot in here again, everything must be tidied away, do you understand? Including any … smells."

The pacing is languid but not frustrating. Hannibal and Mycroft both have secrets, and while the author gives us Hannibal's point of view, they don't give everything away at once - both characters' motives remain enticingly opaque. There's plenty of character development through conversation (and Hannibal's interior reflections), plenty of sensual pleasures, and plenty of spot-on imagery and turns of phrase.

Mycroft sighs as Hannibal’s fingers dig in, loosening his tight flesh, and Hannibal is irresistibly reminded of the way Japanese farmers massage their prize Wagyu cattle for the slaughter. He knows well how very tender that portion would be, just beneath the shoulder blade.

Read the follow-up, "Displacement," for more crossover cleverness and a couple of creepy twists. The action and implications get darker, though, be warned.

dioscureantwins.livejournal.com

Title: GQ There’s also a version on tumblr but hey, I prefer LJ
Artist:

daasgrrl
Pairing: none
Rating: gen
Warnings: none
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Reccer's comments: Do I really need to recommend this? Let’s admit, if this hefty magazine appeared in the racks at your very own newsstand you’d immediately dig up the cash to acquire it, wouldn’t you?
It seems the most dangerous man in London has agreed to give an in-depth interview about… everything but himself, I assume. And, seeing as the minor Government official harbours a craving for cake beneath that trim suit we would really like to know which London patisserie serves the best gateaux and petit fours, and what that workout schedule for the busiest schedule looks like, for it appears to be a pretty effective one, judging by the flat front of the waistcoat.
Sadly, the magazine doesn’t exist. But this wonderful cover does. Every time I look at it I feel a chuckle rising in my throat. Never mind that Mycroft obviously does not approve.

chapbook.livejournal.com

Title: His Lord's Colors and Flight to Greyhurst
Artist: khorazir
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Both are inspired by Antietamfall's brilliant 14th century AU Song of the Dauntless Knight. I devoured this story for the setting and the good research (first time an author describes the gait of a palfrey correctly), and the way the Sherlock characters fit into the medieval setting. ~~Also an excuse to draw the boys on horseback, and medieval armour and stuff :D.~~

Reccer's comments: I've paired these two fanfic illustrations because they are for the same fic and because I adore both. "His Lord's Colors" is framed in a striking way to show off the importance of John's seemingly subtle gesture, caressing the favor given to him. Onlookers think it is from a high-born lady-love, but some of you might guess that someone else lent him this precious item. The pencilwork in this is fantastic! Khorazir beautifully brings out the light striking John's armor and the reflection of the colors of the tunic he wears into the joust.

The "Flight to Greyhurst" depicts Sherlock and John's escape from their enemies on the back of a destrier [a type of war horse] to Mycroft's estate. John has been injured, so Sherlock steadies him as they ride. The horse, its accoutrements, and the mens' clothing are all lovingly detailed. Again the framing feels cinematic, implying the dynamic motion of the horse, as well as capturing John's complete trust in Sherlock and Sherlock's protectiveness.

chapbook.livejournal.com

Title: Stumbleine
Author: wiggleofjudas
Pairing: Molly/Richard Fox [James Moriarty]
Length: 1,552
Rating: M for violence
Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Canonical Character Death
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: A re-telling of Mr. Fox/The Robber Bridegroom in the key of BBC Sherlock.

Reccer's comments: No S3 Spoilers
Death-Tender Molly Hooper shines in these seven 221Bs set in the fairytale-inspired 'verse The Snow Queen. This part of the series can be understood without having read the previous installments, but I do urge you to enjoy them to obtain a fuller view of this gorgeous, terrifying, yet intensely human world.

It can be difficult to do Molly justice, to either make her ineffective and uninteresting, or to swing wildly to an opposite extreme in an effort to "fix" her perceived faults, thereby obliterating the traits that make Molly an engaging character. But in masterful hands, that balance between awkwardness and a core of understated strength is maintained, as Molly reacts to what she finds in her fiancé's ancestral home:

Molly’s skin prickles panic-hot and goes numb, numb. She can’t take her eyes from the hand (her age; more elegant).

If I have to, she thinks, her mind a bloody, beating thing recalling those last, hardest lessons at the death-tender’s cabin: I will. If.

Richard buries the blade in the table and storms up the stairs, lips all disgust. Doesn’t see her.

Never, Molly thinks, saw her.

Before she leaves: her work. She hasn’t time for the science of it (though how she would like to, how good it would feel to find the whats and hows and how-manys, to make a record), but the ritual: that, yes, she can do.

She starts at the table. Lays the hand with the body, rummages in the pouch at her waist, clinks through vials ’til she finds what she wants: distillations of ivy, aloe, yew. Three drops on the forehead, smudged once with her thumb; rites she mouths quiet as she can; relief when she feels the soul rest, release.

On to the next. Again. Until, when she whispers the words that let her hear what’s held back, there is peace.

Throughout the story she will do what must be done (and more), quietly, competently, shunning the easy path.

The prose is spare and poetic in its approach to rhythm and pacing. This adds to the otherworldly character of the 'verse, which has the folk ballad's economy and darkness. Best read in a well-lit room with a valiant tomcat or steadfast terrier by your side.

brighteyed-jill.livejournal.com

Title: 6 Pairs of Pants Sherlock Ruined (and one he didn’t)
Artist: Reapersun
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: it’s the six month anniversary of red pants monday!! thanks so much guys for making this all so weird and awesome!!!
Reccer's comments: If you're not familiar with Red Pants Monday, here’s all you need to know: it’s a glorious excuse to draw John in red y-front pants. This is a collection of six steamy Sherlock/John drawings and one silly one. I especially like the one at Bart’s, where you can just make out an about-to-be-terribly-embarrassed Molly in the doorway. Reapersun’s style is just beautiful, and captures this couple’s danger-loving side.

cryptic-answers.livejournal.com

Title: Fa Subito
Author:

kim47
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 6670
Rating: NC-17
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: John wears a suit. Sherlock finds it extremely distracting.
A/N: There was a prompt, okay. The OP wanted shameless suit!porn, crippling UST and frantic, half-dressed shagging. I went for the trifecta, and I tried my best. Title is an Italian expression meaning, as far as I can make out, "do it right away." It's from the song It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera), because I was listening to the Michael Buble version when I first read the prompt and it seemed wonderfully appropriate :)
Reccer's comments: This is a terrific "first time" fic with distracted!Sherlock, well-dressed!John and interrupting!Mycroft. The author's incredible attention to detail makes it all so visual right from the beginning, and the reader can picture everything that goes on. And much does, in fact, go on. Sweet and hot.

swissmarg

Title: The Halloween Party
Author:

XistentialAngst
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 19,044 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Sherlock and John attend a Halloween party on the trail of a vampire killer -- a man who's been seducing his victims and taking all their blood. Sexy costumes, bad puns, hideous danger, frantic sex in hidden places and some Halloween-flavored fluff are all on hand to "treat" you. Boo.

Reccer's comments: As my last rec for the month, have this jolly Halloween romp. A casefic that has fun with itself without getting cracky, the story adroitly entwines Sherlock and John's investigation with the rapidly changing landscape of their relationship. All of the costumes are fantastically appropriate (including Mycroft's), and I'm having a really hard time not revealing them so I can rave about them, but I think it's better to let you 'see' them for yourselves.

( Excerpt contains (hidden) spoilers for one of the costumes... )

The humour is irreverently indulgent, the fight scenes fast and hard, the case cleverly resolved, and the smut is hot while achieving a very satisfying emotional depth. In a nutshell: everything the author promises in their summary, and then some.

chapbook.livejournal.com

Title: Resurrection Tumblr DA
Artist: naturalshocks
Pairing: Gen
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Artist's summary: Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes in BBC's Sherlock.
Graphite pencils in Moleskine sketchbook. Texture added in PS.
Used a screencap from 2x02 The Hounds of Baskerville as a reference. I wanted to use the bee with a cap of him looking down, but I couldn't find any good screencaps because the dude is proud as a peacock in every shot, lol. I may reuse this idea in the future.

Reccer's comments: I love pencilwork, and here naturalshocks shows off her ability to create contrasting textures in this medium. Sherlock's coat has the look of wool and is set off nicely against the comparative smoothness and lightness of his skin and his dark, curly hair.

What makes this portrait stand out for me is the inclusion of a bee, placed along the bottom of Sherlock's image. Sherlock, a young man, very much of the city in his stylish coat, is paired with the fascination of his retirement years, an insect that is associated strongly with rural life. Moreover, the honey that bees produce was/is associated with death and funerary rites in both ancient and living cultures; so, whether intentional or not, the bee could be interpreted as a Momento Mori, a reminder of Sherlock's mortality. Of course, Sherlock Holmes is both mortal and immortal: a human being who dies, but also a fictional character so compelling that his fans have resurrected him over and over again in the past century.

tanpopo03.livejournal.com

Title: Love Affair
Author:

ingridmatthews
Pairing: Holmes/Watson
Length: ~1,700
Rating: NC 17
Warnings: -
Verse: Ritchie films
Author's summary: Based on the promt: Holmes sees Watson in his old uniform and uncovers a whole new kink he had no idea even existed for him.
Reccer's comments: Uniform kink! I love how this 'new' side of Watson totally overwhelms Holmes and how he literally can't keep his hands and eyes off of him. Watson (even if unknowingly) having this kind of power over Holmes is just really hot imo.
Holmes' ultimately doomed attempts to hide his new fascination from Watson (and Mrs. Hudson's crush) made me grin through most of the fic though, and give it a very happy, fluffy feel. Hot NC 17 fluff!

irisbleufic.livejournal.com

Titles: A Soldier's Life Is Terribly Hard & Evening Dress
Author:

gayalondiel
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 5,400 words between the two of them.
Rating: NC-17 on both, and how.
Warnings: None, unless playful uniform/evening dress kink bothers you!
Verse: Sherlock (BBC)
Author's Summaries: Sherlock, John, a nice day and locale in London once infamous for trysts of a certain variety. Smut with a hint of military kink. / In [the previous piece], the boys discovered that they have a mutual, um, fondness for one another in formal dress. When Mycroft requests help with a case in a stately home the inevitable occurs.

Reccer's Comments: You've probably noticed that

gayalondiel is getting a lot of good press around here recently from me and from others. For those of you who are regular readers of her work, you'll already know there are a number of excellent reasons for this. In this case, her flair for accurate military details and experiences is combined with heretofore undiscovered talent for unbelievably hot uniform and formal-wear smut. The second piece in particular is, to quote one commenter, positively incendiary. No disagreements there!

unovis.livejournal.com

Hi!
Just a few words on our tags and tagging your recs.

Tags are useful search tools for grouping the recs by categories: by pairing, genre, content, and sources for the stories or other fanworks.

We ask that reccers attach tags that are relevant to the works they rec. You don't have to add everything that applies-- for example, not a character tag for everyone who might appear in the story, or every theme or content. But if Molly has a significant cameo, say, that you think people searching for her might appreciate, then by all means list her in a tag. Likewise if you think this is the addiction story people should read, then use the content: addiction tag.

The required aspects to tag are pairing (if it applies), relationship genre (i.e., gen, slash, or het*), and verse (the source: ACD books, Sherlock BBC, Granada, etc.).

The easiest place to see all of the tags available is in this list of tags.

Tagging is enabled only for the author of the post and the mods. Only the mods can add new tags. We have a beginning list up now, anticipating likely categories and characters. We'll add more as recs are made, if characters and pairings, for example, aren't covered already. You can request a new tag to be added by commenting here or by contacting one of the mods. Keep in mind, again, that we'll be adding character tags as additional characters appear in recs.

Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have been abbreviated as SH and JW in pairings and some other places (e.g., content: sick jw). Since this recs comm is open to all versions of Sherlock Holmes, it seemed the simplest way to identify the characters. Lestrade, Gregson, and Dimmock are listed as "inspector" following ACD book canon, and Moriarty is listed only once by his (their) surname alone. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is abbreviated throughout as ACD.

*We won't add a category for "slash-if-you-squint" or similar invitations for the reader to see subtext in a story. If the author hasn't labeled her work as slash, then it's genre: gen or genre: friendship.

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221B Recs

A Sherlock Holmes Recs Community

Entries tagged with content: clothing

Fic rec: The Presbury Letters

Art Rec: Skull Bandana

Fic Rec: бонус (Bonus)

Fic Rec: The Napoleon

Fic Rec: The Shawl of Sherlock Holmes

Fic Rec: Toplock Talent Search

Art Rec: Untitled Watson and Holmes

Art Rec: Untitled Sherlock and John (Possible Spoiler)

fic rec: Transparent

Fic Rec: Dégustation

Art Rec: GQ

Art Rec: "His Lord's Colors" and "Flight to Greyhurst"

Fic Rec: Stumbleine

Art Rec: 6 Pairs of Pants Sherlock Ruined (and one he didn't)

Fic Rec: Fa Subito

Fic Rec: The Halloween Party

Art Rec: Resurrection

Fic Rec: Love Affair

Fic Rec: The Uniform Dualogy (NC-17, gayalondiel)

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November 2018

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