It proved impossible to scan the 1834 Godey's Lady's Book I bought on eBay - the text is small and the paper isn't in good condition, so it comes out all blurry. So I typed up the fashion text, and as there aren't any fashion plates, I thought I'd over-analyze each little bit of description … Continue reading Godey's London Fashions for May, 1834: Ball Dress
Category: 19th century
Chemise, ca. 1840
I'm pretty impressed with myself for how quickly this one came together, by my standards. I took this pattern from a chemise at the Chapman Historical Museum. The original was made of a very fine linen, so worn it was kind of shiny; mine is a cheap muslin. I did sew it by hand, however, … Continue reading Chemise, ca. 1840
A Successful Day
Today I went down to Hudson to have lunch with a school friend (that sounds very 1930s-English, doesn't it?), and after we ate we went around to a few of the antique shops! As I'd already bought four antique fashion magazines on eBay this morning - three were from the 1920s, so it counts as … Continue reading A Successful Day
Portrait: Euphemia White Van Rensselaer
My next portrait costume analysis is of Euphemia White Van Rensselaer, by George P. A. Healy. 1842; MMA 23.102 Euphemia was the third daughter and eighth child of Stephen Van Rensselaer III and his second wife, Cornelia Paterson Van Rensselaer (the daughter of a former governor of New Jersey). The Van Rensselaers were the premier … Continue reading Portrait: Euphemia White Van Rensselaer
Portrait: Princesse de Broglie, by Ingres
Ages back, I did a poll on what sort of posts I ought to do, and while costume drama reviews came out as the most popular (and ... I've since done one), portrait costume analyses proved to be the second most popular choice. Ive never gotten around to writing any, partly because I get anxious … Continue reading Portrait: Princesse de Broglie, by Ingres
Mimic of Modes 