Call Me Demelza Poldark
By Jane Xavier Dougherty The second I saw Robin Ellis as Ross Poldark galloping along the dramatic Cornish coastline, back in 1975, I admit to being entranced by Poldark. Set in the late 18th to early 19th centuries, Winston Graham’s novels of Cornwall came to life on the TV screen with all the drama and sweeping romance my teenage brain […]
Interview with Officially-Licensed Mucha Jeweler Kelly Morgen
By Jean MartinGBACG Finery Editor How did you start making jewelry? What was your inspiration in starting out? I originally fell in love with jewelry making while I was studying abroad in Florence, Italy during my junior year in college. I immediately realized that this was it: here was exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my […]
Regency / Napoleonic Court Gown and Train at Costume College 2017
By Fresh Frippery Editor’s Note: This article is republished with permission from Vivien Lee of Fresh Frippery. I received my photos from the official Costume College photographer Andrew Schmidt so I can show you my complete Regency/Napoleonic court gown and train ensemble!* *A note about terminology: Technically, English Regency court gowns were a really odd silhouette where you had the high waist […]
How I made my Goddess Hera Costume
By Sabrina L. NelsonGBACG Member ResearchI’m from the “historically approximate” school of costume design. This means that while I will do a lot of research to make something look as period as possible, I don’t follow all the rules because I want to add more personal touches, and I love shine and glitz. So I Googled “Greek robe” and discovered […]
Accessories for the Regency Gentleman
by Chris Bertani, First published for the September/October 2013 issue of Finery The English Regency is a long period of time. Although technically it only covers the years when the future George IV ruled as a proxy for his father (from 1811 to 1820), the Regency period is often considered to encompass the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars as well […]
Mourning Custom and Ritual
by Sally Norton, First published for the September/October 2007 issue of Finery Victorian mourning customs seem strange to us now, but they grew out of centuries of social ritual. Formal mourning was observed in England for royalty and nobles in Medieval times. As with other practices, those who could afford to copied the upper crust. The 19th century brought together […]
The Allure of Black
by Sally Norton, First published for the November/December 2006 issue of Finery Whitby Jet became extremely popular for jewelry in the 19th century. While some black jewelry was meant to be worn during mourning, black jewelry was fashionable as well, and worn for its beauty. The most prized jet is from Whitby, England where it has been washing up on […]
