I was so pleased to be asked to speak at the History Symposium this past month! It was a fantastic experience, and I strongly recommend that readers check out the rest of their offerings -- there are years' worth of presentations on all sorts of topics relating to the early nineteenth century, particularly the War … Continue reading “Much Depends on the Proper Display of the Contour”: Corsetry in the Early Nineteenth Century
Category: 1790s
Tableau Général de Goût, no. 2 pl. 3
16 Vendémiaire an 7 (7 October 1798) YOUNG WOMAN ON A PROMENADE Blonde wig à la Naiad. The triumph that wigs have carried over natural hair will last a long time: it is more ornamental than hair. Our elegant women have cut their hair as if they have taken the veil, a strange coiffure, and one … Continue reading Tableau Général de Goût, no. 2 pl. 3
Tableau Général de Goût, no. 1 pl. 2
YOUNG PERSON IN MORNING DRESS Blonde wig à la Flore. The fashion of hair worn flat and cut à la Titus begins to pass. Now the hair is curled. Wigs that imitate this coiffure have been subjected to hooks, at least for the part of the hair which goes around the face. The top of the wig … Continue reading Tableau Général de Goût, no. 1 pl. 2
Tableau Général de Goût, no. 1 pl. 1
1 Vendemier, an 7 (22 Sept. 1798) TWO WOMEN DRESSED A LA ROMAINE. No. 1 Hair braided and arranged in a spiral, enclosed in a net of red wool. This coiffure imitates the antique, and goes with their dress. It is not rare, though it is ridiculous, to see undress caps, velvet hats, cornettes of … Continue reading Tableau Général de Goût, no. 1 pl. 1
Transitional Stays Pattern
Hello, strangers! I'm back to post again about those underbust stays from the pre-Regency, in preparation for the Short Stays Sew-Along. I saw these, as the label suggests, at Historic Cherry Hill in Albany, NY. (I don't believe there was any definite provenance, but the house was owned by the Van Rensselaers and most if … Continue reading Transitional Stays Pattern
Mimic of Modes 