Art deco fashion: dresses and gowns

By | December 4th, 2021|Categories: 1920s fashion, Edwardian Era, Fashion, Roaring 20s|Tags: , , , , |

The 1910 and early 1920s is one of my favorite periods of fashion history. It fascinates me that women’s fashion took such a drastic turn from the strict silhouette looks of the Victorian era to long, loose, sleek lines. I love the creativity of the era. And naturally, I LOVE anything art deco. Yet still, [...]

Madge Syers: breaking the ice on women’s figure skating

By | November 29th, 2021|Categories: Women's History|Tags: , , |

I love studying the beginning of women and sport, especially as it relates to advancements and social change that took place in the Victorian era. Last week I was preparing to give a presentation on women and the bicycle craze of the 1890s and as the temperatures were dropping each day I started thinking about [...]

Ellen Demorest: Victorian fashion icon

By | November 27th, 2021|Categories: Civil War, Fashion, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions, Women's History|

Because I know so many of our customers love costuming, I have wanted to write a post on the early history of sewing patterns for a while now. Little did I know that the printed pattern industry can be traced back to the innovations of a forward-thinking activist who stood at the top of a [...]

Elegance at home: Victorian wrappers

By | November 21st, 2021|Categories: Fashion, Underpinnings, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions, Women's History|Tags: , |

I have had a lot of fun exploring nightclothes from the past for the blog this year. And as always, I am a true lover of all things Victorian. As such, the topic of Victorian wrappers has been on my mind for some time.  I love that they mimic the shape of the popular dress [...]

A very, merry 1950s Thanksgiving

By | November 21st, 2021|Categories: 1950s Fashions, 1950s fun, Entertainment, History of the home, Holidays|Tags: , |

The 1950s was a fun time for holiday celebrations. The post-war glee was still at a high level and there was an emphasis on domestic life that made for parties and get-togethers that were more festive and creative than they had been in the past. Thanksgiving in the 1950s was an especially great opportunity for [...]

The surprising history of hot chocolate

By | November 11th, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Entertainment, Holidays|Tags: , |

I enjoyed learning about the history of ice skating last week and spent many evenings thinking about what it must have been like to enjoy a night of outdoor skating during the Victorian era. What kept coming to mind were images of bundled-up Victorians enjoying porcelain cups of hot chocolate at some point during their [...]

What's in your reticule?

By | November 4th, 2021|Categories: Accessories, Edwardian Era, Edwardian Fashion, Fashion|Tags: , , , , , |

Can you imagine going from function to function with just a small pouch for your things? In the Edwardian era, that is exactly what women did, and they made sure to make a statement even with a tiny bag attached to their wrist. Handbags, reticules, and pouches weren’t as prominent in the Victorian era as [...]

The romance of the ice: Victorian ice skating

By | October 31st, 2021|Categories: Victorian culture, Victorian Era|Tags: , , |

Flirting in the Victorian era was a very involved affair. Rather than the very direct ways that we might express our interest in someone today, looking for romance in the 19th century was about looking for one of the few socially-appropriate ways to engage with the opposite sex and then behaving even more carefully. I [...]

Victorian nightcaps

By | October 28th, 2021|Categories: 1920s fashion, Accessories, Edwardian Era, Edwardian Fashion, Fashion, Underpinnings, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions|

I recently wrote a blog post on Victorian nightgowns and found them so fun to look at. I love the idea that so much thought and care was put into garments that wouldn’t be admired by many people. And of course, there is the simple fact that so much of what women wore in the [...]