When a Muslin Dress Just Isn’t Enough
by Jean Martin, First published for the January/February 2013 issue of Finery For most Regency events and balls, most of us costumers can get away with not wearing period-correct outerwear since we will most likely be indoors, or outdoors during the summer. However, if you want to wear a Regency costume this winter, or at an outdoor event such as […]
Bits About Busks
by Cynthia Barnes, First published for the November/December 2012 issue of Finery The busk of the 1580s and 1590s is not simply a piece of wood, but comprises the stay, covering case and the points which secure it. We thought it would be fun to recreate one as it might have looked in Queen Elizabeth I’s time. No original late […]
The Mauve Decade
by Judith Hollenberger Dunlap. Originally published for the November/December 2012 issue of Finery. Mauve was the first color of aniline dye discovered by William Henry Perkins as he searched for an artificial way to make quinine. The aniline dyes he developed in the latter half of the 19th century opened up fashion to an array of new colors, but mauve […]
25 Ways to Trim an Early Victorian Bonnet
by Jennifer Rosbrugh, First published for the September/October 2012 issue of Finery Flipping through a stack of (digital) fashion plates, I was enthralled by so many ideas for how to decorate an Early Victorian Bonnet. I was doing trim research a couple years ago to complete my poke bonnet for Costume College 2010 and fell in love even more with […]
Petticoats as Outerwear?
by Catherine Scholar, First published for the September/October 2012 issue of Finery No, I’m not talking about the 1980s trend of wearing vintage Victorian petticoats as streetwear. Nor do I mean the 1990s slip-dress fad. I’m talking about skirts, circa 18th century. You see, before about 1800, any kind of free-standing skirt (not attached to a bodice) was referred to […]
Book Review: Icon’s of Men’s Style by Josh Sims
by George McQuary, First published for the September/October 2012 issue of Finery Since Beau Brummel, peacockery in men’s clothing has been shunned, innovation foresworn. The only changes in men’s clothing are in functional adaptations for industry, sports and military, which then slowly cross over into men’s fashion. Take aviator glasses. Created to solve a certain set of industrial problems (pilot […]
Cavaliers and Rakes: Fashions of the Courts of Charles I and Charles II
by Gailynne Bouret, First published for the JulyAugust/ 2012 issue of Finery Two periods in the Seventeenth century marked a departure from the old into the new: that of Charles I (1600-1649), the era of the Cavalier; and that of his son, Charles II (1630-1685), the Restoration. The fashions of these two eras reflect the personalities of each monarch. One […]
Book Reviews: Vintage Hairstyling and Retro Makeup by Lauren Rennells
by George McQuary, First published for the July/August 2012 issue of Finery Lauren Rennells’ book Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques, 2nd Edition can be used in two ways: First, as a look book. Take it to your favorite hair stylist, point at a picture, and say “Make my hair do this for tonight”. Or you can take the […]
Short Gowns: the Revolutionary T-Tunic
by Cynthia Howell, First published for the July/August 2012 issue of Finery Puzzling about what to wear to the Revolutionary Picnic? Are you uninspired by the gowns in your closet? Are you looking for an interesting project to use up a few spare yards of fabric? Would you like to be fashionable and functional? Look no further than the short […]
Pattern Review: The One Hour Dress
by Carol Wood, First published for the May/June 2012 issue of Finery So, you want to get dolled up for the the Gatsby Picnic or Fiddles and Roses? Maybe you just want a pretty little somethin’ somethin’ to slip on for a special occasion? The clock is ticking, so you think, “Golly, there’s that pattern for the One Hour Dress […]