Have luxury, will travel. 19th-century dressing cases

By | October 2nd, 2022|Categories: Regency Era, Victorian Era|

I am a big fan of cute, little things. In my various research for Recollections, I have often stumbled upon dressing cases and thought they would make a fun topic for a post. As I have just returned from one vacation and am starting to plan my next one (I’m headed back to Tombstone for [...]

19th century spicy trinkets: Nutmeg graters

By | September 25th, 2022|Categories: History of the home, Regency Era, Trinkets, Victorian Era|Tags: , |

About a month ago I covered the cute history of the tie-on pocket. Part of my research involved reading articles documenting the various items that 18th and 19th-century women would carry with them day-to-day. Items of a predictable nature included keys, money, and gloves. Not-so-predictable items on my list were pincushions and nutmeg graters. "Why [...]

Jean Beraud : Documenting the Belle Epoque

By | September 19th, 2022|Categories: Edwardian Era|Tags: , , |

The work of Jean Beraud was recently brought to my attention by a member of the Recollections team and I am so glad that it was! For the past several days I have been scouring the internet to find examples of his late Victorian and Belle Epoque paintings and enjoying every minute. His art is [...]

The stories behind five of Queen Elizabeth II's most famous looks

By | September 16th, 2022|Categories: Women's History|

I have followed the British royals since I was a young girl. I was, of course, saddened to learn of the passing of Queen Elizabeth last week. It was inspiring to watch her long reign and dedication to her role and to her country. The late Queen put a lot of thought into her clothing [...]

Will you wear white after Labor Day this year?

By | September 3rd, 2022|Categories: Fashion|

Happy Labor Day weekend! We hope that everyone has a great time celebrating and easing into the last part of the year. If you are celebrating, are you wearing white? Or, will you be wearing any white to your upcoming fall celebrations? “No white after Labor Day” is a rule that most people are familiar [...]

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, [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]