Bonnets through history: can you tell them apart?

By | July 25th, 2021|Categories: Accessories, American West, Edwardian Era, Edwardian Fashion, Fashion, Hats, Old West, Pioneer Dress, Regency Era, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions, Women's History|Tags: , , , , |

Last summer I had quite a fun time exploring how the straw hat went from an accessory used mostly by laborers to a shabby chic accessory still enjoyed today. I discovered that bonnets have a similar history, although they started out being used to protect hair while working, were extremely chic for a century or [...]

Victorian and Edwardian Neckwear

By | April 13th, 2021|Categories: Accessories, Edwardian Era, Edwardian Fashion, Fashion, Pioneer Dress, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions|

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 [...]

The Farmer’s Wife magazine: elevating the rural woman

By | April 3rd, 2021|Categories: 1920s fashion, American West, History of the home, Old West, Pioneer Dress, Women's History|Tags: , , , |

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 [...]

Recollections is the Best of the West!

By | January 20th, 2021|Categories: American West, Old West, Pioneer Dress, Recollections, Victorian Fashions|Tags: , , , , , , |

Recollections is excited to be selected by True West Magazine as one of their 2021 Best of the West award winners. We have been chosen once again as the Best Western Clothing Maker. The awards are chosen by a survey of readers and people in the “Western” world, so it is a great honor to [...]

6 Fun Facts About Laura Ingalls Wilder

By | July 29th, 2020|Categories: Old West, Pioneer Dress, Women's History|Tags: , |

I know that there are a lot of Laura Ingalls Wilder or Little House on the Prairie fans in the Recollections community. I am a fan myself and reading the books as a child is one reason I am so interested in women’s history still today. As I was writing my post about holidays on [...]

Pioneer Clothing: Accessories Women Wore on the Frontier

By | February 18th, 2020|Categories: Accessories, American West, Old West, Pioneer Dress, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , |

I recently wrote a post on how women in the American frontier dressed as they settled into new lives in the West. I looked at how they adapted their clothing to accommodate their new household responsibilities, how they clung to the fashions of the day and those they were used to and considered feminine, and [...]

Pioneer Clothing: What Women Wore in the Western Frontier

By | February 4th, 2020|Categories: American West, Fashion, Old West, Pioneer Dress, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions, Women's History|Tags: , , |

As many of our readers, I enjoy spending my free time dreaming about owning Victorian gowns and wishing that I could spend more time in the layers, colors, ribbons, and elegance that come to mind when I think of the era. I am also a true woman of the Southwest - an Arizona native and [...]

5 history podcasts to help you get your fix now: Part 2

By | January 5th, 2020|Categories: Civil War, Old West, Pioneer Dress, Women's History|Tags: , , , |

Welcome back to another list of history podcasts! If you haven’t checked it out already, head over to my first list to see what I recommend for all of your listening needs. If you are even the slightest bit like me, you will soon find that you won’t have enough time to listen to all [...]

The Covered Wagon: shaper of American history

By | November 4th, 2017|Categories: Old West, Pioneer Dress, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , |

From the horse carts of the ancient Celts, the carriages of the ancient Chinese, and the chariots of the Mesopotamians, humans have been using animals and wheeled vehicles as transportation for millennia. It was the mode of transportation responsible for shaping American history. Without the covered wagon westward expansion would have been much harder. From [...]