Finery Blog

Meet Your Board: Kathe Gust, Membership Secretary

Why costuming?  What brought you here? I started seriously costuming in college for the SCA because my sweetie was pretty deeply involved in it. Part of my undergraduate degree was theater and I did costume design and construction instead of on-stage work.  Then we moved and I stopped.  Lord of the Rings got me back into it because Phil looked […]

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Past Board Member: Christina DeAngelo, Events Coordinator

Why costuming?  What brought you here? My grandma taught me to sew practically as soon as I could reach the pedal. I’ve always needed to be making something, and have had many creative hobbies over the years. In college, I attended my first historical dress ball, and from there I was hooked. Down the rabbit hole I went! What’s your […]

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Past Board Member: Catherine Scholar, Finery Editor

Why costuming?  What brought you here? I have loved historical fiction from childhood.  I remember reading the “Little House” books, the “Betsy-Tacy” series, “Anne of Green Gables”… and wanting those clothes so badly.  I grew up in the 70s with a super practical mother and there were a lot of flared pants, tunics and polyester in my wardrobe.  It just […]

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Past Board Member: Perian Cohen, Secretary

Why costuming?  What brought you here? My mom was always making me elaborate costumes when I was a kid, but I really started sewing when I needed plus-sized, cheap clubwear. College student life doesn’t allow for extravagant purchases of corsets and flowing skirts. Eventually, I started blending clubwear and history to make 18th & 19th century goth clothing. Then I […]

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Past Board Member: Frances Lopez, Secretary

Why costuming? What brought you here? I got involved in costuming through theater and a general love of being fabulous. I have been on stage pretty regularly since I was 7. When I got into my teens I started taking a real interest in characterization through costuming, and was fortunate enough to get to explore that more in college. From […]

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Past Board Member: Cynthia Howell, Treasurer

Why costuming?  What brought you here? My mother likes to tease me that I never out grew playing dress up, and honestly she’s not wrong. I love the opportunity to flounce around in a gorgeous frock. When I was little I would spend a part of the summer visiting my grandmother in Iowa. Grandma Shirley saved my mom’s ‘Ginny’ dolls […]

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Dior: The Day the Hem Stood Out

by Frankie Lopez. Published June 29, 2018, as a Facebook note. Post World War II, Europe and America were still reeling from devastation. Cars, clothes, rubber, and other consumables continued to be monitored and rationed. On either side of the Atlantic, wearing clothing that squandered fabric was considered unpatriotic and wasteful. Fashion was of secondary concern, and the style at […]

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It Costs WHAT?!

by Catherine Scholar. Published on February 11, 2018, as a Facebook note. The board is sometimes asked why our events and workshops are “so expensive.” How can we possibly justify charging $50 for a workshop, or $10 for a picnic in a public park? Why does it cost more to go to an event at a restaurant than to go […]

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PSA: Lamp Shade Prevention

by Frankie Lopez. Published November 3, 2017 as a Facebook note. This little article will cover three of the most common mistakes for Victorian skirts, and some quick fixes. Before you get discouraged … I have done all of these. Every. Single. One. You are in good company. With that… let’s fix that skirt problem! Lamp Shade Effect: The Lamp […]

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You’re So Fancy: How To Pull Together a Victorian Fancy Dress Outfit From Your Closet

by Catherine Scholar. Published as a Facebook note on September 26, 2017. Do you want to attend our Halloween Tea, but are afraid you’ll have nothing to wear? Do you look at amazingly detailed pictures of 19th century couture costumes and lament that you have no time to sew right now? Does the idea of making not just a Victorian […]

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