Edwardian Era Roundup

By | August 31st, 2021|Categories: Edwardian Era, Edwardian Fashion|

We love the Edwardian era! There is something so enchanting about the aesthetic of the time. Perhaps it is the combination of sweeping hairstyles, flowing skirts, and tiny florals. It is a fun time to study as so many things were changing for women yet much of their clothing remained in the traditional styles that [...]

Making sure local war heroes are remembered

By | August 29th, 2021|Categories: Civil War|Tags: , |

Are there any Civil War heroes laid to rest in your town? Are they being remembered with properly marked graves? We recently heard from a customer who was preparing for a dedication of three graves for Union soldiers in her town of New Baltimore and just had to learn more. What we uncovered is a [...]

Camille Clifford: Gibson Girl

By | August 26th, 2021|Categories: 1920s fashion, Edwardian Era, Edwardian Fashion, Entertainment, Fashion, Women's History|

After studying the S-curve silhouette a few weeks back, I started thinking about the real women behind the iconic Gibson Girl. Although the Gibson Girl was an illustration, artist Charles Gibson did use real models, and she was meant to portray Gibson’s idea of how a woman should not only look but behave. His own [...]

Tina Fiorda: Hannah Swensen Mysteries costume designer

By | August 22nd, 2021|Categories: Customer's Fashions, Entertainment, Fashion, Recollections, Regency Era|

The Hannah Swensen Mysteries is a Hallmark film series about a baker who solves mysteries when she isn’t mixing up sweets. With the help of her detective fiance, the two fight for justice in their small town, with a few messes along the way. The series is a Hallmark fan favorite, and it has just [...]

Achieving the Gibson Girl S-silhouette: it's all about the padding

By | August 17th, 2021|Categories: Edwardian Era, Edwardian Fashion, Fashion, Women's History|Tags: , , , |

If there is one thing that visually defines the Edwardian era it is the Gibson Girl and that short-lived but highly distinguishable S-silhouette. The look was a far cry from the silhouette of the Victorian era: a skirt expanding at the waist with a very fitted bodice. Rather than being defined from a front view, [...]

Bessie Coleman: a female daredevil to remember

By | August 12th, 2021|Categories: Edwardian Era, Women's History|

Bessie Coleman has a remarkable story and one that should be as well known as that of any other pioneering woman from the early 1900s. As we are exploring the Edwardian era this month I jumped at the chance to feature her on the blog and do my own part to make she is remembered.  [...]

What would you keep on your chatelaine?

By | August 7th, 2021|Categories: Accessories, Fashion, Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , , |

The time has come! I have been wanting to dive into the history of the chatelaine and this week I got the chance. And you know what? I often get excited about the posts I write for Recollections, and this one had me clapping my hands in joy a few times. Not only are the [...]

The truth about the Edwardian Hobble Skirt

By | August 4th, 2021|Categories: Downton Abbey, Edwardian Era, Edwardian Fashion, Fashion, Women's History|

The beginning of the 20th century was an exciting one for fashion. During the 1800s women’s clothing had some interesting “outliers” such as Regency fashions, but overall the standards of what was acceptable remained within a small window. The Edwardian era would completely change that forever. We see an artistic desire for experimentation with clothing [...]

The charming history of Christmas in July and what the future holds

By | July 28th, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Holidays|

It has been another great Christmas in July here at Recollections! I loved sharing more tips on creating a great Mrs. Claus costume and loved that I got to share something brand new with you; Frank Baum’s Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. I thought that it might be fun to end the month with [...]