A brief history of hat boxes

By | March 19th, 2023|Categories: Accessories, Edwardian Fashion, Fashion, Fashion history, Hats, Regency Era, Victorian Fashions|

There is something about hat boxes that adds such a nice touch to a room or a feeling of sophistication to a scene. While they may not elicit as much excitement as vintage hats themselves, they are elegant reminders of a time past. A time of daily formality and attention to detail. A time when [...]

Let's talk about Victorian cameos!

By | February 18th, 2023|Categories: Accessories, Victorian Era, Victorian fashion, Victorian Fashions|

A brooch is the perfect finishing touch to any Victorian dress or ensemble. I know I have regretted not having one more than once when dressing for a 19th-century-themed event! We have some great options here at Recollections, my favorite is the fairy cameo below.  Vintage Fairy Brooch The cameo style is a very distinctive [...]

The mysterious world of poison rings

By | October 29th, 2022|Categories: Accessories, Victorian Era|Tags: |

Tis the season to be spooky! I have always considered poison rings to be a dark and mysterious item from the past though have never been able to learn much about them. Well, I know now that they have fairly ancient roots that extend to the present day, something that we don’t see very often [...]

Private purses: women's tie-on pockets

By | August 27th, 2022|Categories: Accessories, Fashion, Regency Era, Underpinnings, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions, Women's History|

One thing I love about my Recollections dresses is the deep pockets hidden in the pleats and folds. They are absolutely perfect for carrying my iPhone and lipstick. The pockets are one of the subtle modern conveniences that make Recollections so great. While they are great examples of 19th-century clothing, in truth, dresses from that [...]

Keep your poodle skirt dry: 1950s rainwear

By | August 18th, 2022|Categories: 1950s Fashions, 1950s fun, Accessories|

As I am typing this a huge storm is making its way through Denver. It is a joy to be sitting in front of a large open window enjoying it from my dry third-floor apartment. The cool air coming in is very welcome after the heatwave that we have experienced along with much of the [...]

Hair combs: practical and pretty

By | April 22nd, 2022|Categories: Accessories, Fashion, Victorian Era|Tags: , , |

A practical and pretty accessory that isn’t as utilized today as it was in the 19th and early 20th centuries is the decorative hair comb. This dainty little device was once seen as an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe, and many antique examples remain today. In fact, while visiting the Molly Brown House Museum [...]

Paisley: the history I never knew was a history

By | March 31st, 2022|Categories: Accessories, Fashion, Regency Era, Textiles, Victorian Era|Tags: , , |

Paisley prints are among the most popular here at Recollections, and certainly around the world and through time. The pattern is so popular that it is easy to take it for granted as just sort of always been around without putting much thought into how it became so ubiquitous. At least, that is how I [...]

Easter Bonnets: A Pastel History

By | March 10th, 2022|Categories: 1950s Fashions, Accessories, Fashion, Hats, Holidays, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|

Well - each time I think I have gone down my favorite rabbit hole researching a blog post for Recollections I quickly find myself tearing myself out of another one. I have planned to do a post this week on Easter bonnets for about a year now, and when I began, it sure was hard [...]

Victorian parasols: dainty and demure

By | March 7th, 2022|Categories: Accessories, Fashion, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions|

I love parasols. They are dainty, delicate, and automatically find you feeling demure when using one. While still in use today, they very much peaked in popularity in the Victorian era, when they were seen as status symbols, indications of a sense of style, and yet another flirting tool. I have been looking forward to [...]