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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Underneath the Romance: 1830s Skirt Supports
by Catherine Scholar, First published for the September/October 2008 issue of Finery The fashionable silhouette of the 1830s included a bell or dome shaped skirt, which was supported by multiple starched white cotton petticoats. This simple garment is difficult to research, as there isn’t much helpful information available, and few extant garments. In The History of Underclothes, authors Willet and […]
