In my previous post on the caraco, I discovered that all of the French fashion plates labeled caraco in the Boston MFA depicted short jackets. However, more research was needed, as French and English terms do not always or often line up. This time, I decided to look at English sources. Walker's Hibernian Magazine, 1787 … Continue reading The Caraco, Pt II
Category: mythbusters
The Writer's Guide to Costume: "Flapper"
Originally, this post was going to address 1920s fashion as well, but I think that will wait until later. There is enough to discuss in just the meaning of the term! My issue is with the tendency of people to ascribe the term "flapper" mainly to the 1920s (perhaps mentioning that it was used before … Continue reading The Writer's Guide to Costume: "Flapper"
"Everything You Know About Corsets is False"
I just found this fashion history article via Tumblr, by Lisa Hix on Collectors Weekly. In it, she interviews Valerie Steele, director of the Museum at FIT, on the subject of the corset. The main points: women did not tight-lace down to thirteen inch waists, corsets did not permanently deform the body and cause life-threatening … Continue reading "Everything You Know About Corsets is False"
Fashion History Mythbusters: the Language of the Fan
In the vein of the Fashion Historian and the Undressing the Fashionable Myth Symposium (I was a little shocked that mine came up as the first hit, is it a personalized search result?), I'd like to take a look at the concept of "the language of fans". It's very easy to find websites talking about … Continue reading Fashion History Mythbusters: the Language of the Fan
Mimic of Modes 