All things you ever wanted to know about the history of fashion!
Butterick has released some gorgeous (and pretty darn authentic) new patterns by Nancy Farris-Thee this season! While Simplicity seems to have had the upper hand on market for the past few years, it looks like Butterick might be giving them…
Wow! Check out this image from the Museum of the Confederacy. Notice the wife is wearing short sleeves! This ambrotype challenges the commonly held myth that only young and unmarried girls wore short sleeves during the mid 19th century! Read…
This past week I attended The Costume Society of America’s National Symposium in Atlanta! To support the organization, I made this mid 19th century reproduction lady’s dress as a donation item for their silent auction. This gown in inspired…
Look at this lovely 1860s era swiss waist! Isn’t it gorgeous! Now look a little closer! See those shoulder straps? Those are ELASTIC! Yes my friends! They did indeed use elastic in the mid 19th century! Images courtesy Ebay.
Looking for a career in Costume? I stumbled upon this site the other day. There’s multiple job postings across the nation. All levels- from costumed character positions, summer internships at Colonial Williamsburg’s dressmaker’s shop, and full design positions! Go to:…
This past weekend, I visited the local used bookstore. I always cruise through the fashion section to see if they have any books on historical clothing or textiles. This particular bookstore used to have a section dedicated exclusively to historical…
I recently responded to an inquiry from a college graduate who is interested in pursuing a career in historic costume and fashion history. She asked me several great questions about careers in historical costume. I thought I would share our…
Attention Historic Seamstresses! I am really excited to announce I have begun working with an American fabric distributor who carries an extensive line of high quality reproduction cotton prints! I am going to do my best to be competitive on pricing. Many…