For the bulk of human history, even in the most advanced, cosmopolitan cities (such as London), streets were rough and downright filthy. Typically unpaved, mud was inevitable and thick. Garbage and human waste were commonly tossed from windows onto the street below, and imagine the quantity of horse droppings that...
This wonderful fashion print from Ackermann’s Repository of Arts for October 1816 depicts a woman in a white and pink ball dress with a white shawl, gloves, and a headdress. The dress is pink with a white translucent over-layer with white detailing around the neckline and hem as well as...
Continuing the theme of my blog on hat making – Millinery: A History of Headwear and the Profession – today I shall talk about the various styles of headwear worn by women during the Regency. First, before getting to the specifics and pretty photos, I shall try to shed some...
For a while, during my exploring craft stage, I delved into the world of making hats and bonnets. Despite never being a huge fan of sewing, I discovered I was fairly good at it. I even opened an Etsy store and sold nearly all my stock! I ended up experimenting...
In the eighteenth century, children’s clothing underwent a gradual evolution from constricting garments patterned after those worn by adults to loose fitting dresses similar to those worn by women the standard apparel for both sexes. Along with this philosophy of freedom, the practice of swaddling infants tightly became a thing...
Fashion plates showed women and dressmakers what fashionable society was wearing in London and Paris. In 1812, a neoclassical look with tubular silhouette, empire waist, and open neckline reigned for London’s evening events. This evening dress from the September 1812 volume of Ackermann’s Repository of Arts publication features sleeves that...
“If people turn to look at you on the street, you are not well dressed.” The above quote is attributed to George Bryan “Beau” Brummell, and he wasn’t being ironic. Brummell was the trendsetter and undisputed master of the perfect tailoring and simplicity of understated style which became a hallmark...
In April of 2019, I gave a speech for the members of the Louisville Romance Writers. The topic was Fashion for the Regency Era Woman. This is a subject I adore, as is evidenced by the money I’ve spent over the years on costumes. LOL! It also involves research into...
Stocking, hose, sock… These are just a few terms for the many types of leg coverings that are woven or knitted of cloth, silk, wool, and cotton to provide both warmth and modesty. The styles, lengths, materials, weaves, etc. would change over the centuries, usually in response to garment fashion. Perhaps...
I have recently discovered a fabulous YouTube channel: Weird History. The hundreds of uploaded videos cover a vast array of historical topics, places, events, and people. Most of the videos are relatively short but still manage to do a great job of covering the facts. I particularly love the brief...
This fashion plate from September 1816 depicts a woman standing with hands folded looking off to the side in a long white floral dress. V-neckline trimmed with ruffles with a small pink flower in the center of the bust and empire waistline. Short cap sleeves trimmed entirely in ruffles. Long...
At last, the final post covering the ton of photos during my tour of the “Dressing Downton” exhibition at Cheekwood Mansion in Nashville a few weeks ago. It was a phenomenal experience. The previous posts explain a bit more about the exhibit (links below) and have a bunch of photos...
For today I have the fourth post covering the wealth of photos I snagged when visiting the “Dressing Downton” exhibition at Cheekwood Mansion in Nashville a few weeks ago. It was a phenomenal experience. The prior three posts explain a bit more about the exhibit (links below) so without further...
Here is the third blog post of images from the outstanding exhibit of select costumes from the BBC TV series Downton Abbey®. I thought I would take a moment to encourage everyone to watch the show if you haven’t already. The costumes, obviously, are fantastic and almost enough of a reason to...
Time for more images from my awesome experience at the “Dressing Downton” exhibit at Cheekwood Mansion in Nashville. Here are the links to all the blogs on “Dressing Downton” — “Dressing Downton” ~ Part One “Dressing Downton” ~ Part Two “Dressing Downton” ~ Part Three “Dressing Downton” ~ Part Four...
