A very Vintage Thanksgiving to you!

By | November 19th, 2023|Categories: Holidays, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized|

Happy Thanksgiving!  I so enjoy seeing how people from the past celebrated holidays. It is something we have enjoyed covering on the blog over the years (I will link to a bunch of Thanksgiving history posts below). Vintage Thanksgiving magazine covers are a great way to see how society has changed. For instance, these days [...]

Fainting couches: fact or fiction?

By | November 13th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|

I love history myths, especially those related to fashion. For instance, I have done extensive research on both misconceptions around the idea that the bicycle craze led to the emergence of women wearing pants (or “bloomers”) and the many myths about the use of corsets in the 19th century. In my study into the history [...]

Seeing red: colors in the Victorian era

By | November 3rd, 2023|Categories: Colors in the Victorian era, Fashion, Fashion history, Victorian Era, Victorian fashion, Victorian Fashions|Tags: , , |

Red is one of the most striking colors and one of the colors found most in nature. It is especially ingrained in humans with it being the third color that babies recognize. Throughout history, it has also been considered the most alluring, with it showing up as a symbol of sensuality in ancient times and [...]

October history news

By | October 31st, 2023|Categories: History News, Victorian Era|

October sure was a great month for history news! I have been looking forward to sharing this roundup for multiple weeks now. A few of my favorites:  -The match safe - a Victorian trinket I had never heard of until now.  -Lois Bell’s passion for fashion -A traveling museum of spooky Victorian artifacts -Female artists [...]

The history of cottagecore

By | October 26th, 2023|Categories: Fashion, Fashion history|

Cottagecore has been one of the biggest trends in “aesthetics” in the past few years and it doesn’t look like it will be a short-lived craze. The interest in the look for both home design and fashion is growing. The look emphasizes history, simplicity, and nature. Recollections is happy to now be offering clothing based [...]

A Victorian interest in apples

By | October 19th, 2023|Categories: History of the home, Victorian culture, Victorian Era|Tags: , |

While they are available now year-round, apples are technically a seasonal fruit for fall. That is probably why so many warm dishes were made with them during the Victorian era. Apples in the Victorian era were a very popular and common ingredient, even served as a dessert dish on their own. There was also a [...]

A short history of thrift stores: from Charles Dickens to today

By | October 14th, 2023|Categories: Fashion history|

A lot of people head to thrift stores to get ideas for Halloween or add just the right unique touch to their costumes. Our customers enjoy thrift stores and antique shops because they provide a fun treasure hunt to discover pieces from the past that one may never even think to look for. The history [...]

The History of Jack-O-Lanterns

By | October 10th, 2023|Categories: Halloween, Holidays|Tags: |

The time is here again! There is a nip in the air and black and orange abound. Creativity is flowing - Halloween is here. Before long, a large number of people reading this will be carving pumpkins. I hope to do the same. But as many of you, I don’t know much about the history [...]

A short history of lockets

By | October 8th, 2023|Categories: Accessories, Trinkets, Victorian fashion|

Nothing says sweet, old-fashioned romance like a heart-shaped locket on a chain. It is a lovely tradition, saying so much about the person wearing it. But where did the history of lockets begin? Some say it is all due to queens, but I think there is a bit more to it, as I often do.  [...]