American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
Butterick 18th C. Stays - In Progress "Glamour"
For all the corset and bodies I've made, the 18th c. version, called "stays," is new to me. I picked up a Butterick (B4484) pattern some years ago and have...
The Top 5 18th c. Costume Blogs On the Web
The time has come for the first official "Duchess Awards" to be given out for five of the best costume blogs around, covering 18th century costuming. These sites, updated and...
I'm NOT Crazy! - Examples of Incredible Feather Gowns
Holy Mackerel! Look what I found wandering the interwebs! This is an Yves Saint Laurent gown made of pheasant and vulture (vulture!?) feathers. It's GORGEOUS!! I don't have access to...
Hair of Great Enormity - a Practical How-To...
Get ready ladies. This is the post you've all been waiting for! A step-by-step guide to creating 18th c. monster hair from a long synthetic wig.So by now you've got...
1795 Open Robe: The Sheety Toile
The time has come to create the pattern for the 1795 Open Robe! I printed out my scan of the Janet Arnold "Patterns of Fashion" robe and was pleased to...
A Great Place For 18th c. Hats...
While recently perusing the love Duchess of Devonshire blog, I ran across a link for a site selling period straw hats, both men's and women's, called "Just Two Tailors." I...
The Amazing CraftHat Pt.1 - shaping
Ever wander through the fun-filled aisles of the craft store and notice the straw hats? They come in many sizes, from large sun hats to miniature doll's hats. The kicker,...
18th Century Wig-stravaganza Pt.1
Hooray, my wigs have finally come and are in my clutches! After ripping open the box and hastily pulling my two wigs out of their packages, I stuffed the first...
Wig Ransom
My wigs arrived today! Unfortunately they are being held hostage in the apartment complex office. I will likely pick them up tomorrow evening, in exchange for the ridiculous amount of...
GREAT Hats of the Late 18th c. ... [what are they and where do I get them?]
...That's "GREAT" as in Great Dane, Great Blue Herron, and the Great Wall of China. With mountains of hair exploding from the tops of ladies' heads throughout the 18th century,...
Cross-Over Necklines - 1795
Here's an awesome page choc full o' information on Regency everything, from which all these pics today have come. People nowadays tend to think in terms of decade and/or sometimes...
I Can See Your [Regency] Underwear...
As noted in a previous entry, undergarments are quite possibly the single most important part of your costume. They provide the foundation upon which your dress will be built, and...