The history of white wedding dresses is a popular topic, and a few related narratives have built up in both popular and academic writing: Queen Victoria was the first to wear a white gown for her wedding in 1840, and women began to copy her, creating a tradition. Queen Victoria was not the first to … Continue reading Before Victoria: the White Wedding Dress in the 18th and Early 19th Centuries (Part I)
Category: 18th century
Petticoat (and Stomacher) Situations
The Facebook discussion on my last blog post was really helpful - it made me realize that I should have been much more explicit about what I was discussing regarding timeframe and class level, and I plan to update the other post to reflect that in a bit. But I also thought it would be worthwhile … Continue reading Petticoat (and Stomacher) Situations
Some (Unasked-For) Advice
So, there's a stylistic issue that's started to stand out to me in 18th century costuming. And you can feel free to disregard this post if you want to; I'm not the reenactment police. The issue is: stomachers and petticoats that match each other while contrasting with the gown. Outlander here serves as a great example, … Continue reading Some (Unasked-For) Advice
Magasin des Modes, 2e Cahier, Plate III
November 30, 1786 ENGLISH FASHIONS. May young people not follow the fashion of the cramped and stiff attitude of the young Englishman shown in this Plate; may they feel that this young man lacks the liberty, the ease which makes grace, that the French possess more than any other Nation, and which must be recherchée at least … Continue reading Magasin des Modes, 2e Cahier, Plate III
Stay-Dating
My latest project is a proposal for a book written specifically to help out costume designers and writers of historical fiction - a fashion history manual for 1700-1940 that focuses on visuals and on how the clothing works. The first chapter, on the early 18th century (1700-1739), is my sample, and it's making me realize … Continue reading Stay-Dating
Mimic of Modes 