Victorian Seasonal Traveling Ensembles
Article and Photos by Niz Hadid Editor’s note: Niz has a sewing side business called House of Tinkers. I recently completed and sent a collection of dresses for a YouTube channel “Black Girl in a Big Dress.” The idea I had was basically supplying everything you would need for a season traveling abroad during the Victorian era. Some of the […]
Men’s Cheat List for Costuming as a Patron at Dickens Fair
By Christopher EricksonGBACG Member-at-Large Here are a few tips and tricks that I picked up from starting out by costuming out of my closet that works great for men’s wear. Most men should either have most of these items in their closet or be able to find these items at thrift stores or online. Men’s shirt: A plain white […]
$50 No-Sew Dickens Era Challenge Part 2: Elevating the Look
Ok now for part two of my $50 store bought, no-sew challenge… taking the look to the next level with decorations, accessories, and if you want, period undergarments.
$50 No-Sew Dickens Era Challenge Part 1: The Base Ensemble
Hold on to your bonnets for a 2 part blog post on my $50 No-Sew Dickens Ensemble! Showing that you don’t have to sew or spend much to look fabulous at Dickens!
Clothes Make the (Victorian) Man
by Rydell Downward. Updated from the original publication in the September/October 2010 issue of Finery. The Victorian era spans the years 1837-1901. Fashions changed continually and drastically over that period, so there isn’t any one “Victorian” style, but there were consistent principles throughout the era. The ideal men’s silhouette was highly structured, stylized and unnatural to the modern eye; it […]
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 […]
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 […]
Pleasure and Beauty in La Belle Epoque
by Sally Norton. Published in the September/October 2016 issue of Finery. In the late 19th century Paris was a large, urbane city, but the neighborhood of Montmartre retained a village atmosphere; festivities and artists mixed, with pleasure and beauty as their values. In 1886, Edouard Marchand conceived a new entertainment for the Follies Bergere, the music hall revue. On 6 […]
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 […]
Steampunk Transformation
How I went from a historic costumer to a Steampunk and loved it by Kory Dean Doyle, First published in the July/August 2014 issue of Finery It has been said there are as many definitions of Steampunk as there are people who call themselves Steampunks. There are those who will tell you what it is and it isn’t as if […]
