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 […]
Sheer Delight: Sheer Dresses of the Crinoline Era
by Bridget Bradley-Scaife. Published in the January/February 2015 issue of Finery. During warm weather, thin dresses made of light weight sheer fabric were worn by ladies in the mid 19th century. Known to us today as “sheer dresses,” they are most often characterized by a low body lining which shows the sheer fabric to full advantage. Research indicates that women […]
Keeping Your Cool: Mid-Victorian Sheer Dresses
by Elizabeth Urbach, First published for the May/June 2012 issue of Finery Mid-Victorian daytime fashion was not all about heavy, opaque fabrics; warm weather allowed for light dresses of semi-transparent fabric like barege and muslin, trimmed with embroidery, ribbons and lace for a cool, floating visual effect. These gowns, called sheer dresses or “clear muslin dresses” were especially popular at […]
Skirting Issues
by Catherine Scholar, First published for the November/December 2010 issue of Finery The most visibly striking part of mid-19th century women’s dress is the wide, crinoline-supported skirt. Seriously, what little girl hasn’t dreamed of waltzing around a ballroom like Cinderella in a big, poofy dress? Skirts of this period (1830-1865, although the hoop didn’t come in until 1857) aren’t difficult […]
Instant Zouaves!
by Liz Martin, First published for the November/December 2009 issue of Finery The Dickens Fair costume shop walks a fine line, balancing historical and theatrical needs while accommodating the skills of their volunteers. Following is a condensed workshop on modifying a modern women’s jacket into a mid-nineteenth century Zouave style. Women’s Zouave jackets were a variation of the bolero jacket […]
Dressing a Lady for Dickens Fair
by Sally Norton, First published for the November/December 2007 issue of Finery Many practical Victorian ladies had two separate bodices for many of their gowns. Both bodices would be made out of material that matched the skirt. This is the perfect solution for those of us wishing to attend an elegant tea and a Victorian ball. One bodice will have […]
Dickens on a Shoestring (and an Ice Skate!)
by Trystan Bass, First published for the January/February 2004 issue of Finery In 1857, Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives formed a partnership which created hugely popular prints for American middle-class homes through the 1880s. Many famous prints showed charming winter scenes, such as that of ice skaters in New York’s Central Park. Contemporary with Charles Dickens, the work of […]
