Wicked Stepmother's Treasures from her Castle
In these pages are contained some
of my mind's bizarre wanderings.
You will find I am:
a seamstress,
a fiber artist,
I study medicinal herbs
and am an avid clothing historian.
All this and much more- welcome to my castle.
of my mind's bizarre wanderings.
You will find I am:
a seamstress,
a fiber artist,
I study medicinal herbs
and am an avid clothing historian.
All this and much more- welcome to my castle.
No Lady of LeisureClothing for the Victorian and Edwardian Working Woman
"Fashion Writers may talk of silks and satins as if they were the everyday wear of all women- but, in reality, the dress in which the husband and children see the wife and mother, at least six days out of seven, is a print, and the silk, if it exists at all, is only taken out of its folds for occasions, and is quickly restored when the motive for the unwonted display has ceased to exist."- Demorest 1884
As we search the internet and "fashion history" books we find that they are full of the wondrous rich velvets, sumptuous silks, and delicate laces. But what was the "fashion" for the thousands of women who were the wife and mother, the pioneer woman, or the "working woman"?
Using clues from fashion magazines on "everyday" dress, period photos, and Marna Jean's personal collection of 19th century working clothing, we will examine and discuss what the differences were between those fashion plates and reality, how paper patterns and dressmaker's systems helped bring fashion to the working class, what types of fabrics were in use, exceptions to the "rules" in construction, and some of the shortcuts made to "working class" clothing.
PDF file- 80 pages Lots of full color images.
"Fashion Writers may talk of silks and satins as if they were the everyday wear of all women- but, in reality, the dress in which the husband and children see the wife and mother, at least six days out of seven, is a print, and the silk, if it exists at all, is only taken out of its folds for occasions, and is quickly restored when the motive for the unwonted display has ceased to exist."- Demorest 1884
As we search the internet and "fashion history" books we find that they are full of the wondrous rich velvets, sumptuous silks, and delicate laces. But what was the "fashion" for the thousands of women who were the wife and mother, the pioneer woman, or the "working woman"?
Using clues from fashion magazines on "everyday" dress, period photos, and Marna Jean's personal collection of 19th century working clothing, we will examine and discuss what the differences were between those fashion plates and reality, how paper patterns and dressmaker's systems helped bring fashion to the working class, what types of fabrics were in use, exceptions to the "rules" in construction, and some of the shortcuts made to "working class" clothing.
PDF file- 80 pages Lots of full color images.