Clothing colors looked a lot different in the Victorian era. For women, for instance, a “little black dress” would have referred to a no-frills mourning gown. Strict rules, some unspoken and some quite explicit, governed what colors went together, and in what ways. Over the next few months, I will be taking a look at [...]
Happy Mother’s Day to our sweet readers and customers! What are you doing to celebrate? Are any of you attending a Mother’s Day brunch? If you are, you are taking part in a tradition that goes back many decades. I know this partially because about a year ago I stumbled upon a delightful assortment of [...]
A couple of weeks ago I have the privilege to learn more about 1960s fashion designer Mary Quant and the legacy she left when she left when she passed last month. Over the course of my research, I was reminded of what a dynamic decade the 1960s were for fashion. It had so many unique [...]
April was a great month for history news and research! I have compiled my favorite stories from sources near and far and hope that it will make for fun weekend reading. A few highlights: A comprehensive Beatrix Potter exhibition in NashvilleThe castle that marked the beginning of Catherine Howard’s downfallA guide to the Restoration I [...]
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 [...]
I love to study trinkets from time. Some of my recent ideas have come from research I did last year for a post on women’s tie-on pockets. Among the many items that were commonly carried in the deep, under-the-skirt pockets of the 19th century were thimbles. It struck me that women would be ready to [...]
England lost one of its most notable fashion designers this month with the passing of Mary Quant, the Swinging 60s creator who is often credited for popularizing mini skirts, hot pants, and clothing whimsy. I am a big fan of both mini skirts (I bought two this weekend!) and 1960s fashions so began to read [...]
April 16th is Fly a Kite Day, and the sunny weather here in Denver is inviting me to celebrate. I wanted to share the excitement over spring with our readers and it immediately dawned on me that there must have been some smart inventors in the 19th century who used kites in various ways. New [...]
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 [...]