by Donna Klein Nature – the World's First Dyes Before the advent of synthetic dye compounds such as those made from aniline, fabric color came solely from nature; plants, animals, and minerals. Humans have been using dyes to color fabric for more than 2,600 years; the earliest recorded use coming from China. Dyes [...]
by Donna Klein The Seeds of Couture Charles Frederick Worth was born in 1825 in Bourne, England. He was the youngest of five children born to William and Ann Worth and only one of two children (he and his brother) who survived to adulthood. His father abandoned the family by the time Charles [...]
by Donna Klein Redfern - from John to Charles Three years before John Redfern's death in 1895, his sons took over the the company and changed the name to Redfern Ltd. This seamless transition allowed the fashion house to move forward, mostly through the creative thinking of his son, Charles Poynter Redfern (1853 [...]
by Donna Klein Doucet - a Name in Fashion for Three Generations Jacques Doucet may not be a household name anymore, but he was once one of the most prosperous and well-respected fashion designers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Doucet name had been associated with lingerie and fine linen in Paris [...]
by Donna Klein It's January once again, bringing with it a plethora of diet and exercise ads. They're everywhere! Health is at the top of many New Year's resolutions. Following through on those resolutions is another story completely, however. I know I'm guilty of it. Are you? I've been working with my doctor [...]
by Donna Klein The other day I was talking with a friend of mine who is a nurse and the subject of Florence Nightingale came up. I thought I would write a post about her, but as I was doing my research, I became fascinated by Mary Seacole. She truly embodied the pioneer spirit; she [...]
by Donna Klein Menlo Park and the Light Bulb As a young girl growing up in New Jersey, history was interesting but mainly taken for granted. We were surrounded by historical markers for everything, including many that inferred 'George Washington slept here.' My father's brother and his family lived in Edison and for [...]
By Donna Klein Long before Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton, there was Evelyn Nesbit, who is considered to be America's first super model. But, how did she attain this status and that of sex-goddess? Evelyn Nesbit's Meteoric Rise to Celebrity and Stardom Her story begins in Philadelphia. She was discovered at the age [...]
by Donna Klein Early Attempts at Creating a Sewing Machine One of the greatest inventions of the Victorian era is the sewing machine, but its roots run all the way back to the 18th century. After more than 20,000 years of hand sewing, and nearly 300 years after the advent of the first [...]