My sacque jacket from the back, with the beautiful hanging pleats Last I updated about this jacket, we’d just set the shoulder straps and I had a bit of finishing to do…
-
-
18th Century Hairstyles for Long Hair
Jenny’s long hair was plenty to go over the ski slope hair cushion. Nearly as often as we receive questions about doing 18th century hairstyles for short hair, we see the question…
-
Bastille Day Sale!
It’s time for our annual mid-Summer Bastille Day Sale! We have looooooots of lovely historical shoes on sale this year: Theda Edwardian Oxfords – $145 ($165) Vienna Victorian Congress Boots – $160…
-
18th Century Hairstyles for Short Hair
Nicole’s chin-length bob was perfect, if not even a little too long, for the early 1780s crape’d hairstyle once supplemented with a few hair pieces at the back… One of the most…
-
The Isabella Mactavish Fraser Project – Prep Work!
Working on our mockup dress in wool flannel, carefully studying photos of the original 1785 Isabella gown. Today Abby and I are in Scotland! We’ve come halfway across the world to work…
-
#ADBeauty – 18th Century Hats, Caps, Bonnets, and Accessories
Jasmine wearing her Therese hood, a very simple early 1780s accessory It is my belief that one can never have too many 18th century accessories. Hats and caps are essential to getting…
-
#ADBeauty – 8 Authentic 18th Century Hairstyles!
Big Hair? Yes you can! Possibly the post you’ve been truly waiting for, today I’m going to give you some previews of the hairstyles in our next book “The American Duchess Guide…
-
Resplendent in 1835 – A Photoshoot
Nicole Rudolph in her c. 1835 ensemble. OK, so it’s pretty obvious I’m obsessed with the 1830s now (though I will never stop loving the 18th century deeply). I’ve made two gowns…
-
#ADBeauty – 18th Century Cosmetics and Hair Care Products
Cynthia applied 18th century rouge in The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Beauty. “The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Beauty” is a how-to book broken into what could be considered…
-
#SewingIsHard – 1830s Bodice Video
It’s time for another episode of #SewingIsHard ! This time we’re covering 1830s bodices, with some behind-the-scenes tips, tricks, and discoveries to help you in your own 1830s project. Enjoy! Next up…
-
Introducing “The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Beauty”
We’re official one month away from the release of our second book, “The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Beauty” ! This time last year we were sewing, styling, and photographing with…
-
LacedNYC – A New York Party to Remember
The Bathtub Ginnys perform at LacedNYC Once upon a time, Abby and I went to New York to meet up with our favorite people – Cynthia of Redthreaded and Dandy Wellington –…
-
Should You Always Wear a Bum Pad for 18th Century Dress?
The split bum, perfect for 1776 – 1790s, worn with polonaise and Italian gowns. This is particularly effective for gowns with the skirts pulled up. From the American Duchess Guide. Ah, bum…
-
A Little History of … Hamilton / Schuyler 18th Century Shoes
New American Duchess “Hamilton” / “Schuyler” 18th Century Shoes for men and women. Next in our line up of new men’s (+ women’s) styles are the beautiful “Hamilton” (mens) / “Schuyler” (womens)…
-
Meet our New Theatrical Footwear Line!
American Duchess Spring/Summer 2019 Theatrical Line We are trying lots of new things this year in shoe-company-land. For years we have (rather unexpectedly) supplied historical footwear to the opera, ballet, and theater,…
-
A Little History of…Albert / Bertie Regency Pumps
Zack Pinsent for American Duchess This season we’re very excited to launch our new men’s styles….which are also women’s styles! One of our most basic and versatile styles is the Albert /…
-
Pre-Order is Open at American Duchess
Pre-Order is OPEN at AmericanDuchess.com April 18 – May 10 Wow, where do we even start! There is so much new stuff this season! You won’t want to miss these! Men’s and…
-
How to Scale Up Gridded Sewing Patterns with Adobe Photoshop
If you’ve been into historical costuming for any amount of time, you will be familiar with many a book featuring gridded (or scaled) sewing patterns. The Tudor Tailor, Patterns of Fashion (all…
-
SALE! It’s Spring Cleaning Time!
Woo! It’s our annual Spring Cleaning Sale! We have many beautiful styles coming into bloom for you this season. Check out these deals… Amelie – $75 ($120) – These beautiful satin Edwardian…
-
#SewingIsHard – 1830s Skirts!
Hi lovelies! It’s time for a new video all about the magical world of 1830s skirts. If you’re working on an 1830s gown, be it for day or evening, we’ve got some…