American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
V91: Edwardian Showgirls
It's another busy day for me - I'm off to the Auto Museum again to play a ditzy maid in my 1920s bathingsuit. I'll give you a number of cool...
V89: Fashion Face-Off - Hats of the 1780s and 1910s
As we all know, history repeats itself, and fashion especially. Nothing is ever "new" on the runway (well, maybe if it's a suit made out of bubble wrap, etc.), and...
V86: Marie Antoinette in Prison
Being sick is like feeling close to death, sometimes. That is me, today, and I'm in a morbid mood, hence my blog post. These are depictions of Marie Antoinette in...
V81: Vintage Early 1930s Sporty "Nurse" Shoes
I've been lurking around eBay, looking for vintage shoes. I've fed my addiction recently with 3 pairs, all former shop displays from the 1930s. These are my faves. If only...
V80: Petersham vs. Grosgrain Ribbon
What is the difference between Petersham and Grosgrain ribbon? Both ribbons are ribbed and have a matte finish, but there is one really big difference, the edge finish. Grosgrain ribbon...
V77: Green Shoes Throughout History
1720-50; The Met Today I'm giving my presentation on hats, but my heart belongs to shoes. :-) It's Saint Patrick's Day, so how about celebrating with a look at green...
V75: The True Origin of "Mad as a Hatter"
Here's a random bit of trivia for you to pull out at your next Mad Men cocktail party... The Mad Hatter, illustration by John Tenniel , 1865 Where Does the...
V73: A Brief History of Feathers-on-Hats
via I've been researching hats lately, and came across some fascinating information concerning feathers. We all know the iconic mega-feathered hats of the Edwardian era. The Edwardians were particularly enamored...
V70: Red Shoes Throughout History
Museum of London: Mules, 1651 Okay, so maybe I'm a little obsessive about red shoes, lol. Here are some red shoes throughout history... The Met - ver y eraly 18th...
V67: The Red Shoes, The Pretty Red Shoes
On Facebook, Pamela charged me with finding portraits, fashion plates, and extant examples of red 18th century shoes, and I went a little bonkers and hunted down all sorts of...
V63: Georgian Miniature Portraits
Mrs Oakeley, by John Smart, 1780s Happy Saturday! Here are a few 18th century miniatures, a lovely little (literally) art form that began life in the 16th century, and was...
V62: The Hairstylings of Madame de Pompadour, by Legros de Rumigny
Lovely reader Ceselha, of the blog "My Stubby Fingers..." pointed me to two books on ladies' hairstyling, from 1768, entitled " L'Art de la Coeffure des Dames Francoises," and a...