La Belle Époque comes from French and means 'Beautiful Era.' In the United Kingdom and the United States, it overlaps the late Victorian and the Edwardian Era. In the United States, it is known as the Gilded Age. It was only in looking back in retrospect that both time periods gained their names. Here is [...]
What a joy it is to live, work, and play in our little slice of northern Michigan. Presque Isle County is a four-season wonderland. Yes, it gets very cold and snowy during winter, but that makes summer all the more glorious! As we close out the summer of 2016 , we'd like to share a little [...]
What did dressing during the Victorian era look like? It was a lot more involved than making sure you had a corset and the right style of dress for the occasion! It also involved a LOT of layers and a LOT of time to make sure that you got each one just right. Here's a [...]
So, you're thinking about what to be for Halloween, too? Which character do you want to be? Who do you want to create? Looking for inspiration? Here are some ideas. Downton Abbey – Take your pick of fashions between 1912 and 1925 and your favorite character and 'voila!' Downton Abbey lives again. This masterpiece continues [...]
Updated August 2024. There still may be a bit of summer left on the calendar, but soon the leaves will be changing color and autumn will be in the air. When that happens, all of our thoughts will turn to... Halloween! Here are some interesting tidbits about one of our favorite holidays. Halloween's origins can [...]
The tea gown is the epitome of the charm of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Originally meant as a pretty, fashionable, and comfortable garment to wear at home, it grew into a fashion staple that is still loved today. An 1883 article on hygienic dress describes how indispensable the garment had become. [...]
Princess Ka'iulani was the final heir to the Hawaiian throne, the niece of the last Queen of Hawaii Lili'uokalani. If that wasn’t fascinating enough, she was a strong, intelligent young woman who fought for her people and their culture. She lived a life of both intrigue and tragedy. Her story often gets overlooked due to [...]
Dress Reform - Beyond the Bloomer Although the bloomer dress did not take off as a fashion in the mid-19th century, dress reform didn't go away. Women were still seeking social and political equality. The invention of the hoop skirt wasn't going to change that. Women still participated in sports, and fashion continued to evolve [...]
The Seeds of Dress Reform are Sown When settlers came to what is now the United States, it wasn't unusual to see Native American women wearing leggings under their skirts. European women were not immune to their functionality. Some women started wearing a version of pants under their skirts during the French Revolution. This combination was [...]