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 [...]

The women of the 2024 quarters

By | August 3rd, 2023|Categories: History News, Women's History|

A couple of weeks ago the U.S. Mint announced that in 2024 it will be releasing five new quarters featuring five new American women. I don’t know about you, but I am excited to start a collection of women’s history coins. To add to the excitement I thought it would be fun to take a [...]

July History News Roundup

By | July 30th, 2023|Categories: History News|

History news and new research doesn’t stop for summer! July was full of really neat stories that I am excited to share with you!  Some highlights:  Five new quarters announced for 2024 – featuring five different American women. Forgotten Victorian slang The surprising history of pink lemonade Enjoy this month’s conversation starters!  Smithsonian Magazine: See the Face [...]

A brief history of a brief trend: paper dresses

By | July 27th, 2023|Categories: 1960s, Fashion history|Tags: , |

Our clothing at Recollections is built to last, and we love hearing from customers about how our pieces last for so many history-inspired adventures. People appreciate quality and the “slow fashion” movement continues to thrive. In the 1960s, things were a little different. Paper dresses, meant to be worn an average of three times became [...]

Women's clothing and sporting in the Victorian era

By | July 22nd, 2023|Categories: Fashion history, Victorian culture, Victorian Era, Victorian fashion, Victorian Fashions, Women's History|

If pickleball were trending in the Victorian era rather than today there would have been a very prescribed outfit for playing it. Instead, we ladies throw on whatever is clean and comfortable and then head to the park. Sporting and outdoor leisure for females was a new concept in the 1800s, and etiquette experts scrambled [...]

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 look at birthstones

By | July 13th, 2023|Categories: Trinkets|

What is your birthstone? Have you ever wondered why? I have been learning more about each month as research for this blog and have been interested in diving more into the history of how each month was assigned its stone. December, for instance, is turquoise, which is simply odd to me. I set out to find [...]

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 [...]

Fussy tussie-mussie: Victorian bouquet holders

By | June 30th, 2023|Categories: Accessories, Fashion history, Regency Era, Victorian Era, Victorian fashion|

A few weeks ago I did a post on the history of the corsage. While researching, I came across references to the most delightful accessory 18th and 19th-century women used to carry small bouquets with them. Sometimes called a tussie-mussie and sometimes simply a “bouquet holder,” it is a trinket that I hadn’t given much [...]