From The London Magazine, vol. 43, 1774: I think this may be the earliest reference to the polonaise I've seen yet.
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The Place of Fabrics: Miscellaneous!
I was able to find a great many different terms for different types of fabric, far too many to create a post for each one - especially as many only come up in legal/accounting contexts, rather than descriptive ones. So I decided to make a post for all of the fabrics that I mainly found … Continue reading The Place of Fabrics: Miscellaneous!
The Place of Fabrics: Silk
Everyone is aware that silk is a fine fabric. However, I believe that it was worn by a slightly broader section of society than it is generally represented as. Lady's maids received cast-off clothes from their mistresses, and even other servants and the lower middle classes could afford second-hand silk clothing. Women could be scorned … Continue reading The Place of Fabrics: Silk
Stomachers
I've noticed for a while that even movies with generally well-made costumes have a tendency to consider stomachers worn only with formal clothing. John Adams, for example, shows Abigail ca. 1775 in a plain gown with an anachronistic center front closure for working around the farm, but in France (ca. 1785) in a fancy silk … Continue reading Stomachers
A Little More on the Polonaise
I am so fascinated by that new style of dress from the end of the 1770s. I was just looking for quotes on the stomacher - trying to see if there was anything said about poorer women's - when I came across this lovely quote in the Gentleman's Intelligencer: I find it noteworthy that the … Continue reading A Little More on the Polonaise
Mimic of Modes 