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Purple, please. Colors in the Victorian era

By | September 15th, 2023|Categories: Fashion, Victorian fashion, Victorian Fashions|

“Purple is the most retiring of all rich colors; it is composed of red and blue, but it is not their medium color, being heavier in its effect than the latter. Purple is symbolical of dignity, state, and regal power; it is color frequently adopted for mourning, and is expressive of gravity, sorrow, and sadness.”-Color [...]

All about August

By | August 5th, 2023|Categories: Victorian Era|

Happy August! This time of year just flies by so fast. It’s probably because of all of the extra activity and leaving the house so much. I always like to make sure that I take advantage as the winter sure finds me keeping the company of my apartment so much more.  August is the time [...]

1950s fashion: summer dresses

By | July 18th, 2023|Categories: 1950s Fashions, 1950s fun, Fashion history|Tags: , |

There is nothing like a summer BBQ or a warm night out on the town. A few weeks ago I explored how Victorian women altered their clothing to make their long-sleeved dresses and multiple layers more tolerable during the season. While the dresses I shared were stunning, it did make me thankful that we have [...]

A jolly Victorian July

By | July 9th, 2023|Categories: Victorian Era|

July means that summer is officially here in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a month full of warmth and celebration, and those Victorians knew how to enjoy it. As we have already explored this year, July was part of the Victorian social season. The formal events of the set season were combined with similar social [...]

Victorian summer dresses

By | June 28th, 2023|Categories: Fashion history, Victorian culture, Victorian Era, Victorian fashion, Victorian Fashions|Tags: , |

Summer is here! It is a great time for freshening one’s wardrobe, with so many opportunities to be seen and to get creative. This year I am enjoying pairing my light sundresses and skirts with the cowboy boots and Western-style accessories I have been collecting over the past couple of years. I enjoy the fact [...]

Green with Envy: colors in the Victorian Era

By | June 17th, 2023|Categories: Fashion history, Victorian Era, Victorian fashion, Victorian Fashions|

“It is not the material worn, but the judicious choice of colors, which indicates the true lady.” ~Color in Dress, 1841 Victorians were nothing if not prescriptive. They were (in general) also very concerned with aesthetics and beauty. The overlap of the two created an emphasis on the “rules” of female dress, including discussions about the [...]

The multiple meanings of “corsage”

By | June 2nd, 2023|Categories: Edwardian Era, Victorian culture, Victorian Era|Tags: |

Today, most of us automatically think of high school dances when we hear the word “corsage.” Myself, I am envious when I see the photos and firmly believe that more of us should be given opportunities to wear flowers around our wrists!  But I digress… While we may picture prom dresses and photos on the [...]

Celebrating spring with the maypole

By | April 26th, 2023|Categories: Holidays, Victorian culture, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|

How are you celebrating the arrival of spring? I will be spending a few days in the mountains next week, both as a farewell to the long winter we have had in Denver and also for my birthday which lands on May 3rd. I will be following in a long tradition of venturing out into [...]

All About April

By | April 6th, 2023|Categories: Easter, Holidays|Tags: , |

Robin Williams said that “spring is nature’s way of saying ‘let’s party!'” I’ve always thought that was quite a cute way of looking at it, and even more so this year after having been through such a long winter here in Denver. And even though it snowed all day long yesterday, it is meant to [...]

March History News Roundup

By | April 1st, 2023|Categories: History News|

March was a fun month for women’s history research and human interest stories! It was a challenge to pull my top picks and also to stop myself from spending all day in bed reading each day after discovering the latest each morning. I hope that this will provide some fun weekend reading for you. There [...]

Fun facts about February

By | February 5th, 2023|Categories: Women's History|Tags: , , |

Welcome to February dear readers! It’s a chilly month here in the US, so why not cuddle up with conversation starters to keep you going even when you’re stuck inside? Some famous people from history were born this month, and some famous people found themselves beheaded as well.  Grab your hot chocolate and let’s learn [...]

2022 Christmas – New Year Photo Contest

By | January 22nd, 2023|Categories: Christmas, Contests and Games, Uncategorized|

Thank you to all of our wonderful customers who entered the Christmas - New Year 2022 Photo Contest. The panel of judges made up of members of the Recollections crew thought these first 5 photos best captured the spirit of the holidays! The runners-up follow. Visit us at recollections.biz – we design and manufacture history-inspired [...]