It’s August, which means Gatsby. It’s one of my favorite events, a delightfully relaxed little picnic at the Pope Mansion in South Lake Tahoe. This year my dad came. He’s all into…
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Belle Curves: Improving A Modern Cloche Hat
We all have them lurking in our closets, those cloche hats we’ve been collecting for years. You may have one, you may have three, or if you’re like me, you may have…
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Costume College 2014: Part The One
So as you all know, I spent the long weekend in L.A., attending Costume College, which was, is, and shall forever be *fabulous* Between the smartphone and the 10 lb Nikon, I…
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What to Wear to Costume College 2014
This year I didn’t kill myself with insanity-sewing for Costume College. I realized I had more than enough costumes to choose from, and way too much in my work schedule, so I…
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My First 1830s Dress – Complete!
I managed to finish something! It feels so good, considering the *pile* of started, half-finished, nearly-finished, and will-never-be-finished costume bits & bobs I have cluttering up my desk and all over my…
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Options for 1830s Headgear
This coming weekend is the first time I’ll take the red 1830s dress out for a spin (assuming I :::cough::: finish it :::cough:::), and while I had grand plans to create a…
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More On The New “Pemberley” Regency Shoes…
Though I gave a short introduction to the new Pemberley Regency Shoes last Friday, I thought they could use a little more “show and tell,” to update you all on what’s new…
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Bastille Day Sale Starts Today!
We’ve got lots of different kinds of specials this year, like… Free buckles or 18th c. stockings when you purchase any 18th century shoes Kensington, Highbury, 23Skidoos, and Gibsons on sale Imperfects…
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“Wearing History: 150 Years of Nevada Fashion” Opens Friday!
Here’s one for the ladies local to Reno (or surrounding areas)… The Great Basin Costume Society is mounting its first costume exhibition during both Reno’s famous Artown month, and this year’s Nevada…
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Adventures in the 1830s – For Real This Time
The Met, 1835 I’ve been wanting to make an 1830s dress for a long time now, but haven’t actually, y’know, done it. Until now. I can’t really account for how the sewing…
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Dinner at The Parlor Again, Now With Added Vintage
From left: Monica, Chrissy, Curtis, Maggie, Sam, Kathy, and me. To round out my trip to visit friends in the Bay Area this weekend, we all made an effort to look elegantly…
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Dinner At The Parlor
This weekend, I took an impromptu trip to the Bay Area to see beloved friends. And then there was food, wine, and Cards Against Humanity. The official vintage-costume-party is actually tomorrow night…
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Vintage 1950s Suits
Everyone seems to have a different idea of 1950s fashion, from poodle skirts to shirtwaist frocks, giant petticoats to wiggle dresses. The lovely part is that there were *all* these styles and…
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How To Make Your Own Pair of Couture Pompadour 18th Century Shoes
Last week, I showed you several pairs of custom-made shoes I designed for Whoopi Goldberg. I was so flattered by the comments – thank you! – and also a little frustrated that…
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About Whoopi Goldberg’s Custom Made Shoes
A few months ago, I was asked by Whoopi Goldberg to design some custom shoes. She asked me to make “four pair as rich looking and feeling as you can with your…
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Opinions Please: Fur, Plastic, and Sheepskin
Albany Institute, 1875-85 Darlings, how do we feel about fur? How do we feel about faux fur? And how do we feel about sheepskin? The reason I ask is because I’ve been…
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Introducing “Savoy” Edwardian Shoes – Pre-Order Now Open!
I’m so happy to finally *properly* introduce you to “Savoy,” the fully-beaded, multi-strapped Edwardian stunners inspired directly by antiques in collections like The Met, The V & A, and Shoe Icons. Here…
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The First Reno Tweed Ride
A couple weekends ago, a group of 15 intrepid, tweed-clad cyclists gathered in Idylwild Park in Reno, and endeavored to ride their noble mechanical steeds through downtown, to the University of Nevada,…
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Bright-Ass Yellow 18th Century English Gowns
I’ve been obsessed with bright yellow 18th century (and Regency) gowns for awhile now, and yet I still don’t have one. The marigold hue is swoon-worthy, but also intimidating, but now it’s…
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Buyer’s Guide to 18th Century Cotton Floral Prints
One question I receive a lot is, “where do I find appropriate 18th century floral prints?” I realize that it’s taken *years* to source these out, so to save you time (and…