Our In Bloom collaboration collection with the Bata Shoe Museum is so special to us. First of all, it’s simply thrilling to be collaborating with the museum, which is an institution near…
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In Bloom: Bata Shoe Museum x American Duchess Collaboration Collection Pre-Order
We are so excited to announce an extra-special collaboration collection for pre-order: the In Bloom collection, designed in collaboration with the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada! This collaboration collection was inspired…
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Art Nouveau Shoes and Accessories
Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about springtime that always puts me into an Art Nouveau-phase. Sort of like a Nouveau perennial plant. Each spring, I start dreaming about all things…
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Pre-Raphaelite Paintings and Aesthetic Dress: Fantasy, Self-Expression, and Tea Gowns
Lately, the Arts and Crafts movement and Pre-Raphaelite movement seem to be having a moment. IKEA recently released a collection of William Morris-inspired prints for some of their home textiles, and apparently…
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The Fascinating Lives of Buttonhooks
As you will hear us shouting from the rooftops any time we release a button boot, buttonhooks are an utterly indispensable accessory for anyone who dons Victorian/Edwardian footwear with functional buttons. This…
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A Little History of Victorian/Edwardian Cloth-Top Button Boots
We’ll have Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island too! Isn’t it lovely to have cloth-top button boots! Built on the same last and heel as the uber-popular Tavistock all-leather boots, the lighter…
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Cute As a Button! Pre-Order Open
As autumn unfolds we have a whole bunch of glorious designs for you, but not all of them are ready at the same time, so we’re doing some “mini collections” throughout this…
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One Boot to Rule Them All
With the new Larkspur Wool and Leather Boots, we claim a rather long time period for accuracy, 1810s – 1930s. This bold statement demands evidence, so I’m here to provide it. The…
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On Cycling Costumes: Pants, Skirts, and Boots
Though some parts of the northern hemisphere may still feel as hot as summer, there’s no denying it- autumn is on its way! Therefore, we have boots on the mind. Our Adventure…
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“Prism” by American Duchess – August 2022 Pre-Order is Open!
The new “Prism” collection is now ready! This collection is all about colors, presenting several new colorways in AD classics, along with a new design in two different heel heights. Before we…
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We’re Sports People Now: A Brief History of Victorian/Edwardian Tennis Shoes
Are you a fan of our Kedwardian Sporting Oxfords? This lovely style is a reproduction Victorian/Edwardian sporting shoe! This shoe is the ancestor of our modern sneakers. We were primarily inspired by…
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A Little History of Arsenic Green
There is no doubt that green is one of the more alluring, interesting, and complex colors of fashion through the ages. There are many myths around various greens and their toxicities, but…
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Heck Yeah, Witch Shoes
This month we’re all about unexpectedly ‘modern’ designs in historical fashion. The May ’22 “Avant-Garde” collection explores bold colors and geometric shapes in 1930s/40s shoes, and also an older trend, the late…
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Bold Moves – The “Avant Garde” Vintage Shoe Collection with Karolina Zebrowska
Today is quite an exciting day. We’re proud to introduce a new capsule collection in collaboration with Karolina Zebrowksa! The story of this collection is rather amusing. In 2020, Karolina posted a…
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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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The February 2021 Collection is Here – {Pre-Order Open!}
Time for the first collection of 2021! This year, the big plan is to do a pre-order every single month through August (yowza!). Our February collection got off to a bit of…
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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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UPDATE: The Scandalous Tango Boots!
Around the time of the turn of the 20th century, a new dance craze swept the Western world. The dance was risque and immensely popular, first introduced to Paris by the sons…
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Belle Epoque Wardrobe – 1890s Linen Cycling Jacket
The finish 1890s linen cycling jacket Like many of us during this lovely pandemic, I’ve been UFO-busting for the past several months. I’ve picked up and finished so many projects – two…
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Sewing Patterns for Turn of the 20th Century Historybounders
My version of Simplicity EA258101 with alterations, paired with a split skirt from Historical Emporium I’ve been on a wardrobe-building bender lately (er, when am I ever *not* wardrobe building?) and usually in…