How to be a Boss at Research Part 3: Rules of Engagement – Primary Sources Alright, kids, we’re here. Part 3 of what appears to be a very long series about researching…
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How to be a Boss at Research – Part 2
How to be a Boss at Research Part 2: Where to find those pesky primary sources from (mostly) the comfort of your own home! (For Review: Part 1) Hey Ya’ll! Abby here…
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Dating the Green 1820s Dress
Hey Everyone! Abby here- So last week I posted about the awesome green dress my mom found in a little antique store in my hometown, and when I shared the photos here…
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How to Be a Boss at Research – Part 1
How to be a Boss at Research Part 1: Intro, Different Types of Sources Hey Ya’ll! Abby here, and today I want to start a conversation with you about something that’s really…
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Research: We See What We Want to See; We See What We Know
Dress research is one of the great pleasures of the historical costuming hobby, and it’s also a necessity. We all start off along this interest in old clothes knowing nothing, then slowly…
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Simplicity Pattern Catalog, August 1940
Simplicity Pattern Catalog, August 1940 About a month ago I acquired my first vintage counter book – you know, the big pattern catalogs we go and flip through at the fabric stores.…
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What The Heck Is This 18th Century Dress?
I keep a Pinterest Board called “Historical Costuming Weirdness,” wherein I pin all the things I find that don’t match up nicely with what we think we know about historical dress *right…
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Regency Foxed Slippers – Inspo
The Met, c. 1805-10 As we near the end of 2016 and look towards 2017, it’s time to think about new historic shoe styles. Yaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!!! Whenever I start musing on new styles,…
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Finding Inspiration in the 1790s with Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun
Self Portrait by Vigee-Lebrun, 1791 Those of you who have been following for awhile will know I’m not a huge fan of, well, anything with an empire waist. I just can’t seem…
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The Great China Adventure, Or, How Jet-Lag is Evil
Hello Lovelies! Abby here – sort of… Jet lag is evil & mean. But I’m here in body, even if that means my circadian rhythms are still totally bananas and I now…
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1830s Corset Inspiration & Research
Hello Lovelies – So I’m plugging away on my 1830s corset, and all seems to be going to plan…which is good seeing as how when I picked up my needle and thread…
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The Original 1916 – 1921 Party Dress
Well, this is a topic I can genuinely say I haven’t blogged about before. It’s amazing what send us down what rabbit holes. Metal thread embroidery with couched metal. These are all…
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The Problem with “Always” and “Never” in Historical Costuming
Dress – 1864-67 – cotton – The Met < soapbox > Every once in awhile some new statements will pop up in this community that make me balk. These statements usually come…
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Artifact: Paragon Home Shoe Button Kit
In my journey of studying and recreating old-fashioned footwear, I get to geek out on old technologies re-discovered. I just love the how and why of things: the effect an innovation in…
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The Historical Costumer’s Holiday Book List
I don’t know about you, but about 90% of what’s on my Christmas list this year is books on historical costuming. We in the community are lucky to have so many excellent…
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Studying Up on Tudor Footwear
Mary Rose Shoes – via Tudor shoes are old. They’re about as old as we get for extant shoes, with the exception of a very few Medieval examples. It’s quite extraordinary, really,…
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The Versatile 18th Century Market Hat
On my trip to Colonial Williamsburg this week, I decided to be bold and attempt to underpack. The idea of wearing a different or new dress every day is a modern one,…
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I. Miller & Sons – Shoes for Movie Stars, Chorus Girls, and You.
There are a few names in the history of footwear that conjure up instant praise and awe. You may know a few – Pietro Yantorny, Roger Vivier, and I. Miller. Differing from…
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English Gowns of the 18th Century
I’ve had my sewing confidence rattled lately by the utter failure of my Robe a la Turque, so I’m sorely in need of some hand-holding through a project. Enter the Larkin &…
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Early Victorian Slippers (to Get Excited About)
Women’s slippers, c. 1850 – LACMA Today’s post is all about slippers worn c. 1820s – 1850s (so a little pre-Victorian). Surprisingly ladies shoes remained fairly unchanged during this time. Shoes were…