American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
Pompadour French Court Shoes, 12.5 Years Later
Our Pompadour 18th Century Shoes are an American Duchess classic! With their custom, curvy Louis heel, easy-to-use tabbed latchet closure, and period accurate white rand, these babies are a tried-and-true...
It's Hot: Let's Look At Some Bathing Suits
Hello lovelies- mid-August is upon us. It feels like pretty much everywhere, it's hot, hot, hot. And until the relief of fall comes, it will, presumably, continue to be hot....
Pink Popularity in the 18th Century
If you're anything like us, you have probably been really into the moment the color pink is having in fashion this summer, thanks to a certain iconic doll. It's been...
Fit for a Queen Collection Pre-Order
Hear ye, hear ye, our June pre-order has started! We are thrilled to present the Fit for a Queen collection, which combines 18th century and Regency silhouettes with fantasy and...
Mules in Art: Part Deaux
Nearly ten years ago (omg), we published a blog post featuring mules in 18th century art for the first release of Antoinette Mules. Now that spring has arrived, Fêtes Galantes...
In Bloom: Bata Shoe Museum x American Duchess Collaboration Collection Pre-Order
We are so excited to announce an extra-special collaboration collection for pre-order: the In Bloom collection, designed in collaboration with the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada! This collaboration collection...
Fabrics for the 18th Century and Beyond
Robe a la Francaise, 1770, LACMA M.2007.211 - beautiful and expensive printed cotton One of the top questions I get from budding 18th century costumers is "what fabric should I...
The February 2021 Collection is Here - {Pre-Order Open!}
Time for the first collection of 2021!This year, the big plan is to do a pre-order every single month through August (yowza!). Our February collection got off to a bit...
How to Dress 18th Century - 1770 - 1780 Robe a la Polonaise {Video}
Howdy! I've been trying to make videos for getting dressed in different decades of the 18th century, since this is quite a visual subject and video is a natural tool...
What Is a "Hedgehog" Hairstyle *Really*?
A lady sporting the hedgehog hairstyle - 1775-78. Gallerie des Modes, MFA.org 44.1344 It is a truth universally acknowledged that all 18th century historic costumers, when we first start, quickly...
Cake or Death - Marie Antoinette
I have a new video for you today, the first in a series! I'm quite proud of this, even though it's...weird, and possibly off-color. I hope you enjoy it!
Ikea Costuming 101 - Making Historical Gowns with Duvet Covers, Curtains, and Sheets
The Italian Gown from "The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking" was made with one LJUSÖGA Queen size duvet cover from Ikea. Accurate printed cottons are very difficult to...