Mary Quant: British Fashion Influencer

By | April 19th, 2023|Categories: Fashion history, Women's History|Tags: , |

England lost one of its most notable fashion designers this month with the passing of Mary Quant, the Swinging 60s creator who is often credited for popularizing mini skirts, hot pants, and clothing whimsy. I am a big fan of both mini skirts (I bought two this weekend!) and 1960s fashions so began to read [...]

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 [...]

February History News Roundup

By | February 27th, 2023|Categories: Fashion history, History News|

What does deep love from a distance really look like? Or living inside one of the time’s most famous operas? All that and more in February’s history round-up.  What history news would you like us to make sure to cover here or in new blog posts? If you have an idea or fun news story [...]

Glamour escapism: 1930s fashion

By | August 31st, 2022|Categories: Fashion, Fashion history, Style Guides, Women's History|Tags: , |

1920s fashion was all about art and pushing the envelope. The 1950s was a return to the home and the idea of the feminine ideal. In between was glamour. High fashion of the 1930s and 1940s offered a chance for the public to forget about the ever-increasing problems of the outside world and simply put, [...]

Can you spot the pelisse?

By | August 7th, 2022|Categories: Fashion history, Regency Era|

Is it a dress? Is it a jacket? Regency outerwear has long been an interest of mine. It is elegant and quite deceptive! What often looks like a lovely early 19th-century coat is more often than not, a form-fitting jacket referred to as a “pelisse.”  It has been top of my list to write about [...]

Four classic fashion icons and the history of the ponytail

By | July 28th, 2022|Categories: 1950s Fashions, 1950s fun, Fashion history|Tags: |

I have always associated ponytails with summer. I had my hair done every day growing up and my mom tended to put me in ponytails more often than not during the warmer months (or shall I say, hotter, as I am from Arizona). As someone who is well-versed in 19th-century fashion, I am aware that [...]

Victorians and plaid

By | June 30th, 2022|Categories: Fashion history, Textiles, Victorian culture, Victorian Era, Victorian fashion, Victorian Fashions|

It is an example of one of those things you don’t notice until someone points it out to you, and then you see it everywhere. Recollections recently suggested that a post on Victorians and plaid may make for a fun read. I had never really thought about it before, but when I started looking for [...]