Starting in spring 2020, all our big costume events — whether Costume College, sci-fi conventions, academic conferences, dress-up balls and parties — were canceled due to the global pandemic. Travel of most any kind was prohibited as well. In a health emergency, this makes good sense as COVID-19 is spread through the air and contact
Specifically, this is a review of Patterns of Fashion 5: The Content, Cut, Construction, and Context of Bodies, Stays, Hoops, and Rumps c. 1595-1795 by Janet Arnold, Jenny Tiramani, & Luca Costigliolo with Sebastien Passot, Armelle Lucas & Johannes Pietsch, to give the full title and credit to all involved. It’s on sale exclusively from
Everyone sees the pictures online — a francaise dinner, a steampunk picnic, Costume College, a cosplay meetup, the Fête Galante, Venetian Carnevale. The idea is the same, it’s a bunch of friends in fabulous costumes having loads of fun! How can you get yourself some of that??? Sure, you can try to wrangle an invite
While many of us simply adore immersing ourselves in past times, the history, the fashions, the literature, and all the ephemera, one thing we take for granted is our modern corrective eyewear. If you’re lucky to have 20/20 vision, or still young enough that the natural degeneration of eyesight due to aging hasn’t caught up
It’s easier than you might think Have you ever dreamed of waking up in a canopied bed, throwing open the curtains to look out over rolling green hills, then dressing in your finest period costume to stroll about those hills with your best friends? Do you fantasize about candlelit dinners in wood-paneled rooms with you
Note: I’m not a doctor, and I don’t even play one on the internet. This article does not constitute actual medical advice — it’s just what I’ve done, what works for me, and what I think is a good idea. Consult with professionals so you don’t hurt yourself or make what hurts worse! It’s a
By Baroness Violet Ruthvene in the SCA This is an accompaniment to a lecture class I taught at the West Kingdom Arts & Sciences Tourney in June 2014. The goal is to help those running SCA events increase attendance by using modern public relations techniques. Ways to Promote Your SCA Event: Use all of
Odd that I was able to post more during cancer than after treatment ended … although, since then, I’ve started a new job, my cat died, and I’m now dealing with some post-treatment health problems that will keep me from sewing & costuming for a while. So yeah, never ending. Basically, my right arm (where
Are we really almost there? Yep, the last few challenges are in sight. I started this after Costume College last year & intend to wrap it up with CoCo this year, because the theme will be accessories. I’m also teaching three accessories classes at Costume College: History of Purses (from about the 10th c. to
Here’s a little bling from the accessory files for February’s challenge… Jen of Suburban Pagan made a sparkly Regency necklace in the rivière or collet style. Gorgeous! SaharaZaraMorocco of Shoes First, Then Corset shows us two renaissance girdles, both beautiful! I have an 18th-century style portrait-miniature necklace for sale. It’s a historical style, but I
You all know about Kendra’s book on 18th-century hair/wig-styling, right? You’ve signed-up for the pre-sale, right? Because it only lasts till the end of January, & if she doesn’t hit the goal, then we won’t get all the fabulous authentic historic images we need, & she’ll have to cut out something crucially important that you
Research and Theories: Linen caps and coifs are a well-known part of the Elizabethan wardrobe for women and even men. In their simplest form, plain linen caps were worn at all levels of society, often as a protective layer between the hair and a hat or even as a nightcap. Many women’s embroidered coifs survive
Or as I tend to think of it: Fancy Man Bags! Because the discerning Elizabethan gent needed a sassy little purse to carry his hankie or a few coins in. Women seemed to hide pockets & such in their voluminous skirts, while the men showed off their goods, ehem, with highly decorated purses that were
One of my favorite styles of 16th-century headgear is the tall crowned hat. It was first worn by men starting around the 1570s mostly in England, the Low Countries, & Spain. Women soon adopted the style, particularly when worn with high-necked doublet-style bodices. This fashion was hugely popular, which lead to criticism by the early
Ok, so I failed on December’s challenges — blame cancer & trying to get my life back together after chemo. Blah blah blah, sick of excuses & sick of being sick! But that’s mostly behind me now, so onward & upward. We’ll take a month off from accessorizing & start the new year with all