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 –…
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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…
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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)…
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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,…
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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 /…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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#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…
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The Annual 2019 Sewing Slump – My Tips for Self-Care in Sewing
The Letter, Pietro Longhi, 1746 It’s that time of year! It seems right about this time, on an annual basis, I go into a dreadful sewing slump. I’m not motivated to even…
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American Duchess on Patreon
Hi Lovelies! I have some big news – we are now on Patreon! Patreon is a way to support creators with small monthly contributions that help us make more and better content.…
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My 1830s Bonnet
In the quest to be ever huger in our 1830s attire, the Gigot Girl Gang™ chose a variety of headgear to top off each of our ensembles. Maggie used bonnet shapes from…
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Holiday Shipping Dates
Just a quick “PSA” post – these are the last days to place USA orders for delivery by December 25th: www.AmericanDuchess.com
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My Ghosts of Dickens Fairs Past
This year will be my first visit to Dickens Fair in San Francisco in many years, and I’m *excited.* I’ve been to Dickens many times, and even worked it as a member…
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1833 Plaid Dress – Sleeves!
Museum of FIT – go big or go home! The best part about early 1830s gowns, in my opinion, is the sleeves, of course! Big, huge, mega gigot sleeves are the primary…
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1833 Plaid Dickens Dress – Progress!
Abby and I think these gowns look rather like 1950s evening gowns before the sleeves go on and ruin everything! More 1830s goodness! All the other Gigot Girl Gang members were working…
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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 to Dickens…
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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 to recommend…
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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 broad assortment…
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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 Fleur Buckles…