Bonnets – A Fitting Start By: lana/Lily Sometimes they inspire a new dress design, sometimes they are the finishing touch, and sometimes they are the pièce de résistance of an ensemble. No matter where they are in the design process a Bonnet can be a work of art! These small but mighty creations are miniature Read More...
Tag: Civil War
1861 & Dressed for a Party
Ahh.. you can just imagine Melanie’s birthday party ball right before the men go off to fight where the young ladies are dressed in their ruffled gowns trying to capture the attention of some young officer. Read More...
Seamlines of 1860s Fashions
As I browse through the myriad of fashions in my Godey’s Lady’s Books from the 1860s, I take note that underneath all the ruffles, rows of velvet bands, trim panels, fringe and other various items, the shape of the dresses themselves stays relatively the same. Honestly, if you study any mainstream fashion you’ll notice the Read More...
Not Your Grandma’s Nightgown
Don’t think for a minute that Victorian undies are frumpy. I’m talking about late Victorian chemises here. They’re not some long, plain gown with no trim, a conservative cut and b-o-r-i-n-g. I hope your frillies make you feel confident. They should because that’s where your time travel begins – when you first throw that chemise Read More...
Mid-Victorian Sheer Dresses
In the 1860s women made one-piece dresses in sheer fabrics for warmer weather. In the north, the popular fabric was barège, a thin gauze fabric made from wool or a wool blended with silk or cotton. In the southern climates, sheer solid or printed cottons were fashionable. Read More...