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Simplicity Pattern Catalog, August 1940

Simplicity Pattern Catalog, August 1940

Simplicity Pattern Catalog, August 1940 About a month ago I acquired my first vintage counter book - you know, the big pattern catalogs we go and flip through at the...
Lauren Stowell
What The Heck Is This 18th Century Dress?

What The Heck Is This 18th Century Dress?

I keep a Pinterest Board called "Historical Costuming Weirdness," wherein I pin all the things I find that don't match up nicely with what we think we know about historical...
Lauren Stowell
Regency Foxed Slippers - Inspo

Regency Foxed Slippers - Inspo

The Met, c. 1805-10 As we near the end of 2016 and look towards 2017, it's time to think about new historic shoe styles. Yaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!!! Whenever I start musing on...
Lauren Stowell

Finding Inspiration in the 1790s with Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun

Self Portrait by Vigee-Lebrun, 1791 Those of you who have been following for awhile will know I'm not a huge fan of, well, anything with an empire waist. I just...
American Duchess
The Great China Adventure, Or, How Jet-Lag is Evil

The Great China Adventure, Or, How Jet-Lag is Evil

Hello Lovelies! Abby here - sort of... Jet lag is evil & mean. But I'm here in body, even if that means my circadian rhythms are still totally bananas and...
American Duchess
1830s Corset Inspiration & Research

1830s Corset Inspiration & Research

Hello Lovelies - So I'm plugging away on my 1830s corset, and all seems to be going to plan...which is good seeing as how when I picked up my needle...
American Duchess
The Original 1916 - 1921 Party Dress

The Original 1916 - 1921 Party Dress

Well, this is a topic I can genuinely say I haven't blogged about before. It's amazing what send us down what rabbit holes. Metal thread embroidery with couched metal. These...
American Duchess

The Problem with "Always" and "Never" in Historical Costuming

Dress - 1864-67 - cotton - The Met < soapbox > Every once in awhile some new statements will pop up in this community that make me balk. These statements...
American Duchess
Artifact: Paragon Home Shoe Button Kit

Artifact: Paragon Home Shoe Button Kit

In my journey of studying and recreating old-fashioned footwear, I get to geek out on old technologies re-discovered. I just love the how and why of things: the effect an...
American Duchess

The Historical Costumer's Holiday Book List

I don't know about you, but about 90% of what's on my Christmas list this year is books on historical costuming. We in the community are lucky to have so...
American Duchess

Studying Up on Tudor Footwear

Mary Rose Shoes - via Tudor shoes are old. They're about as old as we get for extant shoes, with the exception of a very few Medieval examples. It's quite...
American Duchess
The Versatile 18th Century Market Hat

The Versatile 18th Century Market Hat

On my trip to Colonial Williamsburg this week, I decided to be bold and attempt to underpack. The idea of wearing a different or new dress every day is a...
American Duchess