From soft pale pinks to shocking pink that really packs a punch (Schiaparelli, anyone?), the versatility of the color pink has been utilized by fashion designers for centuries. For today’s blog post,…
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All About Anna May Wong
Have you heard of Anna May Wong? Anna May is widely considered to be the first major Chinese-American film star, and she is the namesake of our new Anna May Mary Jane…
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A Little History of Shocking Pink
For the first time in American Duchess history, we’ve created shoes in several very strong pinks, all drawn from and inspired by a late 1930s “Surrealist” palette. As with many things in…
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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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Finished Vintage Dress UFO #2 – Simplicity 3280
Simplicity 3280 1939 dress in rayon faille Two weekends, two finished vintage dress UFOs, and I have to say it feels *great* to pick up old projects and finish them! I hate…
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Finished Vintage Dress UFO #1 – Simplicity 8248
Simplicity 8248 1930s day dress with alterations. Reader, I must admit I am *terrible* at finishing UFOs – “unfinished objects.” I have two sewing mindsets: I want something quick, easy, and satisfying…
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Review: Vecona Vintage Three-Piece Ladies’ Suits
Sporting the Vecona Vintage “Viktoria” three-piece suit in grey wool blend, in Portugal. Anyone who follows my personal Instagram page (@lauren_stowell) will know I’m a *big fan* of menswear, particularly three-piece suits.…
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Pattern Review: Decades of Styles #3011 1930s Stardust Skirt
Hey Everyone! Abby here, and today I want to share with you a very quick pattern review for Decades of Style’s #3011 1930s Stardust Skirt.* Before I get into the review –…
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Vintage Capsule Wardrobes
May 1940. Marie Claire. Though the term “capsule wardrobe” wasn’t coined until the 1970s, the idea stretches much further back. The general purpose of such a collection is to have a wardrobe…
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I’m Going “Durrells” For the Summer
Or forever. Fans Addicts of British television will be familiar with the wonderful series “The Durrells” (or “The Durrells in Corfu” if you’re here in the US where for some reason we…
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The Vintage Makeup Review – with Lauren & Abby
Whether you’ve gone fully down the vintage style rabbit hole of everyday dress or you need a faceplan for an impending costume party, today we’re going to share with you our discoveries…
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A Very Vintage Trip to the UK
Hi! I’m Lauren – remember me? I’ve been away for awhile on a much-needed vacation to the UK. Hooray! Vacay! It was a wonderful, restful and also stimulating trip. We did many…
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Oh Snap – A 1930s Photoshoot
A couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to shoot with a stunning woman, Rachel, who transformed from a hip, modern gal into a statuesque Joan Crawford movie star. Love these shoes.…
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Simplicity 8248 1930s Dress – Results and Review
Simplicity 8248 – 1930s Dress – made in rayon-like cotton. Ever since Simplicity released two new 1930s patterns last Fall I have been just dying to make one up. The timing seemed…
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Butterick Pattern Catalog, 1937 – A Few Faves
Butterick, 1937 Some time ago I went on a bit of a bender looking for original sewing pattern counter books. One of the counter books I had the good fortune to snag…
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Royal Vintage – Deco Darling Collection Now on Pre-Order!
Hello Darlings! We are super excited to announce that our sister company Royal Vintage has released the newest collection line for Pre-Order (Delivery in early June)! It’s named Deco Darling and it is…
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My Last Project of 2016
1930s-inspired hooded wool bomber jacket. It feels like I haven’t sewn much this year. I certainly have lapsed on the blogging, which I greatly apologize for! Everything we’ve been stitching up since…
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How to Wear Vintage Menswear Without Looking Like a Man
Marlene Dietrich – famous for many things, one of which was rocking this look For centuries, women have been working elements of masculine dress into their wardrobes. Clear back to the 16th…
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Wearing History “Smooth Sailing” Blouse Review
Wearing History “Smooth Sailing” blouse made from the excellent printed pattern, worn with the ready-to-wear “Smooth Sailing” jeans. The pattern also contains piece for these pants. Late last year I made my…
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My 1930s Christmas Gown – Done!
Gosh, I wasn’t expecting to be done with so much time to spare. I forget that vintage sewing takes so much less time than historical sewing, even with working out the pattern…