American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
An 1833-ish Dickens Fair Gown!
#goals I have had an inexplicable love affair with the early 1830s for many years now, but it's never been satiated....until NOW! This year, our Gigot Girl Gang™ is headed...
The American Duchess Historical Holiday Gift Guide 2018
Happy Holidays! Welcome to our big mega huge list of holiday gifts for the historical costumers in your life (or yourself!). This year we have lots and lots of goodies...
Historical Reproduction Winter Boots For You
It's that time of year when the weather goes cold and you're wanting a nice pair of boots to slog around in...historically, of course. Ladies of the past had a...
American Duchess Weekend SALE!
It's that wonderful time of year when things go on sale, like, everywhere. EVERYWHERE! This year we have these goodies for you.... Dunmore 18th Century Shoes in Black Wool with...
Vlog: The 1830s Bustle!
Howdy! We're deep, deep down the #1830s rabbit hole, working diligently on our gowns with much haste in preparation for our trip to Dickens Fair in San Francisco on December...
Book Review: The Workwoman's Guide by A Lady, 1838
Hey there you lovely costuming creatures, you! As many of you know, Lauren and I are currently up to our eyeballs in all things 1830s. Yep, we're both busy ladies...
Podcast Episode 24: Abby & Lauren's Top 5 Costuming Books
Hey Everyone! We're back with a new quick little episode of the podcast, where Lauren and I chat about our top 5 costuming books. While it's difficult to pick favorites,...
1790 Redingote Inspiration and Percolation
Redingote, c. 1790, LACMA M2009.120 Friends, I haven't wanted to sew for awhile. Burn-out is a real thing, especially failing miserably on the last two 18th century gowns I tried...
Podcast Episode 23: Cheyney McKnight on African Hair and Headwraps
Hi Everyone! Abby here with another episode of Fashion History with American Duchess. This episode has been long overdue, and we're so incredibly excited to share it with you! Last...
Spring2019 - A New Pattern for Simplicity - 1790s Gown and Open Robe!
Ann Frankland Lewis - 1794. LACMA I'm excited to officially announce that we've developed another new historical dress pattern for Simplicity! Since first partnering with Simplicity several years ago I've...
Episode 22: Part 2 with Jenny Tiramani from the School of Historical Dress
Hi Again! Abby here, fulfilling my promise from last week that we were going to release the second part of our conversation with the incredible Jenny Tiramani. This week's episode...
The "En Fourreau" Myth
NOPE In our modern world there is much of the past that has been obscured. Looking through the lens of time, especially when you have to peer through the film...