Is it really July again? Yes, yes it is, and that can only mean one thing…the yearly American Duchess Bastille Day Sale! From July 8-14, lots of American Duchess favorites will be…
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Concerning Historical Heels
Nearly 12 years ago (!), we published a blog post called “What Kind of Heel is That? A Quick Guide to Historical Shoe Heels”. Well, with the passage of time and our…
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Carnival, Carnaval, Carnevale
This is a bit of a tough time of year. The festivities of the harvest and winter holidays have come to an end. The new year has come and gone. For many,…
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A Little History of Mary/Marlowe Elizabethan & Jacobean Shoes
Anyone who has ventured down the Renaissance Rabbit Hole has at some point run into The Shoe Problem™. What the heck did the Tudors, Elizabethans, and Stuarts wear upon their feet? And…
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A “Versailles” Historical-ish Cosplay
I’m just going to admit it: I flippin’ *loved* the Canal+ show “Versailles.” Loved it. Binged it. Binged it again. When it comes to historical costumes in television shows and movies, I…
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Let’s Make Some Men’s Shoes
…for real. A couple years back we made a stab at developing a men’s historic footwear collection. We did a pump, a latchet shoe, and a boot all from around the 1780s-1810s.…
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My 2020 Costuming Year in Review
This has indeed been a weird, challenging, rough year. I think I’ve left my house, like, 20 times max for 10 months. During this time I feel I sewed very little, but…
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The 1630 Thang – Finishing the Bodies
Dayum she looks good! 1630 Dutch formal basque bodice with ribbon points. It’s been a few weeks since I started the yellow and black bumblebee-lobster bodice/bodies/smooth-covered stays for my 1630 ensemble, and…
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The 1630s Dutch Thang – Badonk-a-donk, Petticoat, and Starting the Bodies
Just playing around with pinning things on my dress form Now into the making up! I’ve been stitching on my big 1630 project and quite enjoying the process. There’s enough weirdness here…
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The 1630 Dutch *Thang* – Beginnings
A still from “Tulip Fever” (2017) – outstanding costuming by Michael O’Connor. As so often happens, after a no-sew period of downtime and feeling phlegmatic about costuming, I was struck by a…
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A 1630s Dutch Mistress
A still from “Tulip Fever,” a beautiful film with some very very historically accurate 1630s costuming. Oh boy, am I torn on Costume College Gala plans for 2019. I really want to…
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What to Do When Someone Else is Making the Same Dress As You…
(….or has made the same dress…) Do it anyway! I’ve recently been eyeballing the 1660 bodice from the V&A, remembering how much I love the 1660s and that I’ve only made one…
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Tulip Fever – Hello, Early 17th Century
Holliday Granger as Marie in “Tulip Fever.” Lauren here – This past weekend, we went to see “Tulip Fever,” a film set in 1630s Amsterdam. Though the movie suffers from mixed reviews,…
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Podcast Episode 9: Early 17th Century Women’s Dress with Samantha McCarty
Hello Lovelies! Abby here! On this week’s episode of Fashion History with American Duchess, I got to sit down with Samantha McCarty (Couture Courtesan) and chat with her about her other topic…
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Podcast Episode 3: All About the Louis Exclusive c. 1660-1720
Hi All! For this week’s episode, Abby & Lauren sit down and chat about the newest Exclusive offering from American Duchess – The Louis (Pre-Order open until May 19th! $295) Our Louis…
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EXCLUSIVE! “Louis” Velveteen & Embroidered Baroque Shoes
OK, I know, it’s taken us half a year to get the new Exclusives going, but now that we’re here…. Meet “Louis,” the new velveteen, leather, and silver embroidered shoes now available…
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17th Century Inspiration Strikes Again!
I have only made one 17th century gown and I loved it. It was polyester satin and featured spray-painted lace, but I adored that gown. Somebody else is adoring it now, and…
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“Virginia” Renaissance Shoes GIVEAWAY!
Today’s the day, my darling dears – “Virginia,” our new Renaissance shoe, has opened for pre-order, which also means it’s giveaway time! Here’s the lo-down on Virginia: All-leather construction: upper, lining, sole…
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How One Fugly Loafer Became the Gorgeous “Virginia” Renaissance Shoe
The development story of our new “Virginia” Renaissance shoes is rather a long one (but I’ll keep it short, with lots of pictures, promise!). We’ve been working on the design since March,…
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A Quick Look At Late Elizabethan/Early Jacobean Shoes
Today we kick off a series on European footwear at the end of Elizabeth I’s reign, and beginning of James I’s, culminating on Friday with the pre-order release of our latest early-period…
