The 1950s was the final decade with fairly prescribed clothing. Once 1960 hit things got a lot less complicated as far as women’s clothing was concerned, and it got there quickly. But looking back, fashion really held onto things during that decade. 1950s accessories were expected, were vast in their variety, and required for completing [...]
Last week I wrote about what I believe is the unrecognized fashion gem of the 1950s: the housedress. I find it so interesting that women placed so much emphasis on having new, pressed, stylish dresses to wear around the house and for errands each day, yet we often leave it out when discussing the fashion [...]
If you look for information online about the fashions of the 1950s, you will be bombarded with blog posts and photographs about Dior’s iconic “New Look” and black and white images from high fashion magazines. What is harder to locate is information about what I consider to be a jewel of fashion history: clothing worn [...]
Revolutionary War fashion was a bit of an outlier when it comes to Western fashion trends. We see styles embraced during this time that are really only seen during the years shortly before the war. When the war ended in 1783, there was a rapid move to adopt French fashions and also to invite more [...]
Last weekend I picked up the April copy of Real Simple. The theme for the issue is naturally, spring cleaning. It got me thinking about how this tradition has been around for so long and wondering how much I could find in Victorian household manuals on the topic. I am also striving to use more [...]
How many pieces of detachable neckwear do you own? Easy answer, right? Well, in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, both women and men may have owned as much neckwear as we own earrings or hats today. In an era where clothing was largely handmade and held onto for years, neckwear was a great way to [...]
When I met with Murdoch Mysteries costume designer Joanna Syrokomla earlier this year, I asked her about her favorite women from history and she mentioned Emilie Flöge, particularly for her fashion sense. Always curious about trendsetters from the early 1900s, I read up on Flöge and quickly became a fan. She was an early female [...]
I think that I could look at old copies of The Farmer’s Wife Magazine all day long. They are an idyllic time capsule of the past, and of a yearning on behalf of so many Americans to hold onto a way of life that was slowly becoming obsolete. It is also fascinating to see the [...]
Happy Easter, everyone! All of us at Recollections hope that you have a beautiful weekend and we thank you for being readers and customers! Easter is a pretty holiday, isn’t it? Pastels, baby animals, painted eggs, and chocolate, what’s not to love? While a lot of the mainstays of the holiday have stayed firm through [...]