The Ceinture à la Victime References in French fashion to the Revolution's victims are not exactly unknown - in fact, they've achieved an almost mythological status. They seem to be thought of as a flash-in-the-pan pertaining only to the Directoire era (1795-1799) and its uncertainty, but in actuality, they lost the connection to the guillotine and … Continue reading Lesser-Known Regency Accessories (HSM #7.2)
Category: 19th century
Knitted Garters (HSM #7.1)
This is the first time I've actually made something that fits into the Historical Sew Monthly - it's more of an accident, so I'm still going to do a text post on two lesser-known Regency accessories. But it's an accomplishment I'm proud of! This past weekend was my friend Julie's bridal shower, and for a … Continue reading Knitted Garters (HSM #7.1)
Older Women and Fashion
There's a cliché that, historically, an eligible maiden would have been very fashionable, a married woman with children would fall behind the times, and an older matron would cling to the styles of years past. This has always bothered me, in part because it seems like an over-correlation to modern attitudes: teenagers and twenty-somethings today … Continue reading Older Women and Fashion
War & Peace; or, What Happened During the Napoleonic Wars? (HSM #4)
The idea that English and French dress diverged because communications were disturbed due to the conflict between the two countries is very common. In actual fact, the fashion of this period did see lines drawn along national lines, but not out of necessity. Let's start at the beginning. Was there a distinct difference between English … Continue reading War & Peace; or, What Happened During the Napoleonic Wars? (HSM #4)
Pride and Prejudice 1995: The Little Things
I did threaten to write about the Ehle/Firth Pride and Prejudice, and since I'm in a writing mood without a topic I decided to make good. Regency adaptations tend to go for an overall accurate look, interpreting age and income within the confines of realistic silhouettes and colors, and so they avoid the scrutiny and … Continue reading Pride and Prejudice 1995: The Little Things
Mimic of Modes 