A Most Beguiling Accomplishment

@mimicofmodes / mimicofmodes.tumblr.com

What it says on the tin. Also see me on BlueSky as @mimicofmodes.com, and at my off-Tumblr blog, also mimicofmodes.com, which has a lot more original content. All of the captions in my posts are my own work, unless otherwise noted. So please reblog, don't repost.

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While in reality it was a minority of New England women who woven these attic finds, New England historians made the most of it on their accounts of American history.

Thus, decades of stirring rhetoric have energized the myth of the archetypal pioneer woman garbed in her own humble cloth with sufficient electricity to captivate imaginations to this day. So when a docent reverently recalls for us that printed cotton was expensive, it probably clinches a preceding observation that homespun was the only option of that sturdy pioneer who is assumed to have deliberately chosen a nobly ascetic lifestyle of total isolation and unremitting and unrewarded hard labor.

Wearable Prints 1760-1860, Susan Greene, p. 68

#19th century #18th century #historical fashion #fashion history #history myths #history #textiles

Reblogged

chemung-valley-curator

The Six-Day Ladies’ Bicycle Race by Erin Doane, Curator

Starting on August 28, 1900, Eldridge Park hosted “the greatest and most novel athletic event ever conceived” – a six-day-long ladies’ bicycle race. The management of the park contracted with promoter J.L. Keller to bring six professional lady cyclists in for the event. A special “saucer-shape” board track was constructed on the plot of land between the statue of American Girl and the deer reserve. The oblong wooden track was 86 feet wide by 154 feet long. The sides on the straightaway portions were banked at 22 degrees while the ends were set at a 45 degrees. Sixteen laps around the track equaled a mile. Seating for 8,000 people was also constructed around the track. (READ MORE)

#1900s #20th century #sportswear #day dress

Hello, may I ask what you know about trains in women's fashions during the late 1890s-1910s, and if it may help, specifically those worn by American women. Such as rules on when they do and do not wear them, when they carry them or let them drag on the ground, and criticisms of them.

Asking because during the early part of America's occupation in the Philippines, one of the reasons the teachers complained about one of the traditional clothes ( the baro't saya/traje de mestiza) and tried to encourage and replace them with what were considered back then as "western clothes" among the girl students was the trains that were part of the ensemble and many of the primary sources those criticism come from and change was during the 1900s-1910s.

Trains went in and out of fashion during those decades! We start at 1890 coming out of the second bustle era (which was a time with trainage), and by about 1895, the standard skirt is untrained. I feel like I only see trains in the mid-1890s in extremely formal contexts, like on wedding dresses. But by the end of the decade, we see a shift from structured bodices and skirts to materials and silhouettes that reflect art nouveau, with the bloused front of the bodice echoed in a trained skirt. And then ... again we move toward full sleeves and wide-hemmed, untrained skirts. In the 1910s, I do find fashion plates with trains, but they're pretty much done in streetwear, in large part because the early 1910s have a pretty narrow skirt that's kind of silly to put a train on, and then in the mid- and late 1910s they moved back to the A-line silhouette with walking-length skirt (as in the mid-1890s and late 1900s). During all of this time, trains would literally trail on the ground/floor, only picked up if absolutely necessary.

There's a LOT of talk about trains being unhygienic. This was a talking point of the era following the discovery of bacteria in which people were extremely (and understandably!) focused on the dangers lurking in everyday life and the need to clean things up. MOTHERS ARE DRAGGING THEIR SKIRTS IN POISON AND BRINGING IT IN TO INFECT THEIR BABIES!!! Some modern people have taken this a little too much at face value, which is frustrating, but it's true that it was frequently said at the time.

I would suspect that baro't saya was a victim of this. The "civilizing mission" relied on picking out customs that fit into paradigms of ignorance or cruelty, and traditional dress having a train falls into the former category from the perspective of the early twentieth century.

Reblogged mythologicalmango

https://ko-fi.com/s/1b6eba1f2c

Vogue Paris Original 1098 (1950) PDF Size 16 Designer: Schiaparelli Short fitted jacket with rounded hips. Single button closing at neckline, double button at waistline. Shaped slot pockets. Long and above elbow length kimono sleeves. Slim two piece skirt, open at hem at left side. Collarless tuck in blouse. Open plunging neckline or buttoned over lapels. Cap sleeves. The file is a pdf scan of the original pattern.

#1950s #20th century #day dress

Got some bites on inventory, so let's go!

The question of why inventory is important is pretty simple. As with food service and retail, you need to know what you have. But it's a little different, because in retail, that's the product you're selling and you need to know if you should restock or if there's been loss -- in museums, you're not counting a mass of something but checking for specific individual objects. You need to know that you have all of the artifacts, and that they're in the locations where your database says they're kept. (The latter is why I dropped everything and did a full inventory of this section of the collection: apparently a volunteer had fully reorganized all 40-odd shelves of caps and hats and bonnets but wasn't able to come back and make the location changes in the database, so nothing was where it was supposed to be.)

Lazy Inventory is when you print off a list of all the objects and their locations, go to those locations, look for those specific objects, and either check off that they're there or note that they aren't, and mark all of the missing items as such when you put this all into the database. This is best reserved for when you know everything is shipshape already, maybe because you haven't moved anything in that section since the last time you inventoried.

Good Inventory is when you take a list of everything in the area, but instead of looking for items on the list, you systematically go through the area and check off what's supposed to be there + is there and note down what else you find there. Why is this better? Because if someone rearranged two shelves, say, and sorted everything on them so that 50% stayed in place and 50% switched shelves, in Lazy Inventory half of the items will end up labeled "missing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯" in the database. Good Inventory takes more time, but generally leads to you being able to just update all of those locations in the database, and therefore being able to actually find them when someone asks to see them.

At my last job, it was clear that people had been doing Lazy Inventory for a long time, as we came across a lot of pieces marked "missing" that were just on a different shelf, usually because someone had (correctly) put them with like objects in passing without updating the database. It was understandable, because the old New York State Historical Association collection is enormous and the collections department was never given enough time to work on it properly, even before I was there. But it also led to disorder that was a problem every time NYSHA objects were required to be involved in an exhibition. Having a clean database with correct locations and actually catalogued objects is extremely important.

Which brings me to my last point: doing inventory can be an excellent time to catalogue: add descriptions of objects, dates, measurements, photos. "But aren't objects catalogued when they're donated?" Eughhhh ... yes, typically, these days. But a lot of collections had their computer databases created long after the bulk of the collection itself came together. Typically, pre-computer databases were card catalogues, and often these cards (which have all the info you'd find in a database, including a photo) still exist! But when the time came to digitize, a lot of museums seem to have started with the accession ledgers instead, which contain much shorter descriptions, no contextual info apart from the donor's name and address, and no photos. You might call adding this info Thorough Inventory. It will make you feel so good about your inventorying and, even better, any area you Thorough Inventory can probably get a Lazy Inventory the next time you sweep through.

#museums #i was going to put this in as a reblog to the post with the video of the caps #but decided it should stand alone as it's kind of long

Reblogged notyourblogkeeper

thingsfromthedirt

pastel rainbow bodice (ca. 1890s)

Not to be a downer but it makes me so sad that this was sold by a vintage dealer because unless we're really, really lucky, it's just disappearing into someone's private collection and none of us will ever see it dressed properly and put on display or in an online database.

#Do we think this coloring is original??? I've never seen a vintage piece with this sort of soft tie-dye-esque coloring

Yes. It would be impossible to dye it like this without at least fucking up the lining (maybe impossible to do period) unless you unpicked every seam and remade it, which hasn't happened here.

Reblogged

frostedmagnolias

Day Dress

around 1845

made of iridescent blue-brown silk damask with a check pattern

Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

This is FASCINATING! The silk appears to be woven in the style of overshot coverlets, which were/are patterned with repeating, symmetrical squares and rectangles. Coverlets were made of plain white cotton and wool dyed in primary colors, with the patterning coming about by bringing one or the other forward; in this case, it seems like either the same thing is happening with purple and black silk threads, or maybe it's just an imitation of the overshot style done as a damask, with plain and twill weaves looking like different colors in the light. I'd love to see it in person and figure it out.

But the real reason this is fascinating is because overshot coverlets are a folk style. They're what rural weavers were making on barn looms to sell locally, or even just to use themselves. They have nothing to do with the extremely professionalized world of the silk industry. I've seen quilts that are made to look like overshot coverlets (like this one), which makes sense, because they're coming from sort of the same direction, but I don't think I've ever seen a dress silk like it.

This is beautiful and fascinating to think about as a handweaver. I wish I could see the fabric up close 😭

What I see from zooming in is some blocks that are clearly twill, and some that look more like traditional overshot. The twill areas are banded, which means that the variation is not an illusion due to angle or lighting. My suspicion is that it’s primarily overshot because the ground fabric has the iridescent quality I associate with shot silk (which I don’t think is easy to achieve on damask), and I’m inclined towards the simplest explanation and weaving structure necessary to achieve the desired form.

The twill areas also look like they contain the same dark purple as the other blocks but a lighter yellow/gold than the overall ground fabric. This makes me think that the warp is yellow, the ground weft is purple, and the pattern weft is purple. The ground fabric is therefore a 50/50 optical mix of yellow warp and purple weft which tracks with what I’m seeing, whereas if it were damask I would expect it to favor either the warp or the weft color more. But weavers also love to create optical illusions, so I could be getting heartily fucked with by a weaver from 180 years ago.

Let's see if I can post my instagram reel here ...

[Video ID: A pan up a shelving unit full of white cotton caps, plus a few shelves of quilted bonnets at the top. Then two shots across shelves of caps. Text over the footage reads "Finishing up my headwear inventory!"]

This was from yesterday. Does anyone want to hear me ramble on about what museum inventory is like, why it's important, the best way to do it, and, most importantly, what I think a lot of people do wrong?

#historical fashion #fashion history #19th century #museums #headwear #headgear #victorian #regency

Reblogged fashionsfromthepast

history-of-fashion

1909 Carroll's Shop assistants, Quay, City

(National Library of Ireland)

I know I'm always like, "oh, I love this," about everything (I recently went out to a small historical society and they asked what I wanted to see and I said tbh you can show me anything, I always see something amazing in it), but I do love this! In 1909, the empire waistline and princess line were just starting to be seen in fashion, and here it's mostly not seen at all, except on the seated woman in the middle. Her skirt seems to have a raised waistline with much less blousing in the bodice. The woman next to the man to her right also seems to be more streamlined, as does the second woman from the right standing, but the rest really show the silhouette of 1908, a bloused bodice with very full upper sleeves.

Women's hairstyles were also changing. The stereotypical Edwardian pompadour, swept up at the front over the forehead, developed a central part and then came significantly back in to a more restrained volume. The same women I pointed out as more streamlined in dress also are the farthest along this timeline as well, plus several others (it can be easier to change your hairstyle than your wardrobe).

The woman kneeling farthest to the right, next to the boy, has these long sausage curls over her shoulders. These were never really part of fashion around the turn of the century, but were sort of symbolic of youth and beauty; you'll see them on Miss America contestants in the 1920s. I'm wondering if she works the skin creams counter and is projecting a "stepped out of the Pears soap ad" appearance.

#1900s #edwardian #20th century #day dress #work dress

Reblogged fashionsfromthepast

thingsfromthedirt

pastel rainbow bodice (ca. 1890s)

Not to be a downer but it makes me so sad that this was sold by a vintage dealer because unless we're really, really lucky, it's just disappearing into someone's private collection and none of us will ever see it dressed properly and put on display or in an online database.

#1890s #evening dress #19th century #victorian #like we're very lucky to have these photos #but what we could have had if it had gone to a museum ...#i would have loved to pattern it

Reblogged carpe-mamilia

you know what? i've got another bone to pick. today's peeve: digital reconstruction of historic dress.

i can't figure out what this prouvé dress image comes from--for all I know it IS some AI retouching thing--but it could 100% be uncredited work from an academic digital reconstruction project.

as a dress historian and someone who does, to certain extents, reproduce historic dress, i have NEVER seen a digital reconstruction project (as of 2026) that I think actually advances knowledge or supports public understanding. the technology simply isn't there--and it's paired with a lack of serious sewing/textiles knowledge, specifically of the historical variety, in its technicians (ex. for Clo3D).

This has become more common in recent years with digital projects meant to resuscitate unwearable historic clothing and show it in movement, etc. Common arguments in support:

We can't get that fabric anymore to make a physical reconstruction
Digital work is much faster than physical, especially mockup/pattern/fit tests
Virtual products can be disseminated to a global audience

Ex. Empress Shōken's evening ensemble;

and the Refashioning the Renaissance doublet project that the School of Historical Dress--who are excellent when it comes to physical reconstructions--advised on:

Etc.

So! You know what can also be disseminated digitally to a global audience? Photographs and videos of physical reconstructions! (Ex. the entire BBC A Stitch in Time series.)

You know what does not behave or look like actual fabric? Digital fabric! Ever.

You know something really crucial to many items of historic clothing that separates it from modern clothing? It is often meant to shape the body--meaning that 'draping' or 'fitting' it digitally to a natural-body-shaped avatar (or, as I have seen, one with a modern bra/shapewear silhouette) is pointless.

Check out the difference between the physical and digital reconstructions of the RtR project:

There are worse and more recent examples to point to as well, but I'm not feeling mean enough to drag them out right now.

In addition to physical reconstruction, you know what a really good and more reliable method of showing, say, the hidden guts of a garment is? Illustration. Really good, loving line drawings of the type that Janet Arnold and Nancy Bradfield specialized in.

Patterns of Fashion 2 (1972) / Costume in Detail (1968)

I'm not saying that physical reconstruction and traditional illustration methods are perfect. But in my relatively well-informed opinion, digital reconstruction is nowhere near the point where it is actually useful in any capacity and I would appreciate if people stopped acting like it is.

The technology and its attending parts (pre-loaded fabrics, textures, avatar bodies, etc) are designed for modern clothing, and imo they aren't even very good at representing that realistically. They absolutely cannot be ported over and used for historic clothing. This has been discussed in the field; the last conference I went to had a whole panel on the topic. But people keep trying anyway, and they continue to argue for the method's utility.

If you actually care about furthering knowledge and public understanding, put the digital tools down and funnel that money towards physical reconstruction and actual, experiential understanding of material, fit, and result. Having to rely on a worse-quality linen IRL does not actually screw up the overall effect to a serious degree, even though it might change the making experience as well as wear patterns and strength of the ensemble. Using modern linens still provides useful information to researchers ("If this fabric doesn't do the right thing, what would the historical version have needed to look/act like in order to accomplish that?") and certainly gives a better and more realistic visual experience for audiences.

In my humble opinion, your average historical costumer is out there in the trenches doing more important and useful work than the leading digital reconstructors.

Wow, those both look horribly plastic-y. I didn't know this was a thing, but yeah, no digital reconstruction could ever give you the "aha! so that's how that works!" moments you get with hands on sewing.

I tend to think that it comes from a combo of disdain for practical reconstruction and a deep-down understanding that reconstruction is actually really hard. They don't want to admit that there are people who have the skills to make an actual reproduction of a fragmented or falling-apart historical garment (everyone knows that people who do historical sewing are just making costumes, using cheap graded patterns, cutting corners to make the deadline, etc.) - they can't make themselves respect those skills or the people who have them, except to the extent that they will consult with them for tips. On the other hand, they have no way of doing this kind of work with fabric and thread, they can't even imagine doing the work to gain these skills. They will spend hundreds of hours doing this digitally when they could use those hours to try learning how to sew with historical methods, consulting with the very same people to learn anything not clearly documented.

#i got into such an argument with someone on r/museumpros about this #i was like hi i'm a fashion historian and this is in no way superior to just making a copy #and the other person just kept repeating the same bullshit arguments #there's no difference between a cgi version and a filmed/photographed reproduction!#museums

Reblogged fashionsfromthepast

frostedmagnolias

Day Dress

around 1845

made of iridescent blue-brown silk damask with a check pattern

Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

This is FASCINATING! The silk appears to be woven in the style of overshot coverlets, which were/are patterned with repeating, symmetrical squares and rectangles. Coverlets were made of plain white cotton and wool dyed in primary colors, with the patterning coming about by bringing one or the other forward; in this case, it seems like either the same thing is happening with purple and black silk threads, or maybe it's just an imitation of the overshot style done as a damask, with plain and twill weaves looking like different colors in the light. I'd love to see it in person and figure it out.

But the real reason this is fascinating is because overshot coverlets are a folk style. They're what rural weavers were making on barn looms to sell locally, or even just to use themselves. They have nothing to do with the extremely professionalized world of the silk industry. I've seen quilts that are made to look like overshot coverlets (like this one), which makes sense, because they're coming from sort of the same direction, but I don't think I've ever seen a dress silk like it.

#1840s #19th century #victorian #day dress #weaving

Reblogged fashionsfromthepast

erinsvintageemporium

On This Day: 5th July, 1817

Fashion plate 1659 from the Journal des Dames et des Modes, unsigned.

erinsvintageemporium.com.au

Sautoir noué en Cravate. Robe à la Vierge.

In the early 19th century, I've found that "à la Vierge" refers to the wide, medium-high neckline.

#regency #georgian #19th century #1810s #day dress

Reblogged

An 1833 fashion plate in Journal des Dames et des Modes of two men in frock coats fully geared up to hunt. One wears high leather leggings and the other heavy pantaloons with integral spats, straw hat and a belt. Both carry rifles.

Collection of Genesee Country Village & Museum, who title it 2 Men Ready to Hunt, Leather Gaiters to the Thigh.

Source: hub.catalogit.app

#i didn't even notice the watermark but went 'hey we have that plate i should find it and link it in a reblog'#1830s #gentlemen #19th century #hunting dress

Just got an abstract I submitted for a conference accepted! Yay! Now I have to write the paper, but that's a small price to pay for feeling a sense of accomplishment.

#lmk if you're going to Shippensburg

Reblogged

The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, Etc.

Volume 14, Number 80, August 1, 1822, Second Series

Walking Dress

Source: archive.org

Not exactly the same, but this brings to mind the green pelisse I just recatalogued:

Genesee Country Village & Museum, G97.062

Parts of the description that are the same:

A silk pelisse, of a beautiful pale Spanish green, made to fit the shape; long sleeve, easy, but not tight; full epaulette, confined with three bands, the lower half of each embroidered and edged with satin in the same colour. The buttons which unite the front are concealed, and are on the inside. The outside is ornamented with a new and elegant calyx trimming in satin: a broad plain rouleau of satin gives effect and finish to the bottom of the skirt. A rich worked vandyke collar falls over the plain low one of the pelisse.

(Click through on the accession number to see many more photos.)

Reblogged

Book I – Chapter I

The Marchbanks family had been a fixture of —shire since the time of Good Queen Bess, and although it had never accrued any grand honors, my

Mary Marchbanks

Chapter One of Mary Marchbanks is up!

The Marchbanks family had been a fixture of —shire since the time of Good Queen Bess, and although it had never accrued any grand honors, my great-grandfather had been granted the rank of baronet for his work as a practicing magician of some renown. Her had tutored the children of Frederick, Prince of Wales; upon the succession of George the Third, he was thus rewarded, and left off the actual practice of magic immediately, as was fitting to his station. This had the effect of raising the family slightly above the others of the neighborhood, and of allowing my mother and sisters to pay calls on the Viscount of B— when he was in residence locally, a privilege with which they were quite pleased.

#mary marchbanks