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American Duchess: Feathers, Finery & Frippery of the 18th Century
americanduchess.blogspot.com
34
Articles, dress diaries, research, and tutorials about costume of the 18th century.
#38531 in All

V150: A "Tudor Tailor" Kirtle in Progress

So it became apparent that a glorious new Elizabethan noble ensemble just wasnt going to happen this year, so its back to my good ole trusty red jacket Ive worn for the past two years. I do love this...

14 h ago

V149: Taking Stock of Stockings

Those of you who follow me on Facebook will know Ive been asking around about stockings. What material, what color you like, etc. Some more questions are to come, but first, lets look at some gorgeou...

1 day ago

V148: Vote For the Winner of the Poly-Pompadour Contest!

So its Sunday on a holiday weekend - I hope youre all either out doing awesome costume stuff, or in sewing awesome costume stuff. If youve got a minute, cast your vote in the Polyvore "Historica...

2 days ago

V147: Gowns a la Pompadour - 1740s - 1750s

Madame de Pompadour by Boucher, 1759 The 1740s and 1750s in France was the time of large, beautiful Robe a la Francaise gowns, made from stunning textiles, and decorated in all manner of beautiful la...

3 days ago

V146: Red 18th Century Petticoat with Vandyked Hem

Okay, nothing brilliant today, just wanted to share a finished mini-project with you. Last weekend I made a petticoat to go with The Revolution Dress. I found the same red silk still at the shop, a y...

4 days ago

V145: Costume Analytics: Madame de Pompadour, c. 1750

Its been a long time since Ive done a "Costume Analytics," but now is a good time to bring it back! This time well be looking at the famous Madame de Pompadours Robe a la Francaise, gushing...

5 days ago

V144: Pompadour Shoes Giveaway Winner - Gwenyver

Wow! You guys entered the Pompadour French Court Heels giveaway 335 times! ...but there could only be one winner. Selected by Random Number Generator, at Random.org, the winner is... Gwenyver! Gwenyv...

6 days ago

V143: Madame de Pompadour in "Dr. Who"

As some of you know, Madame de Pompadour made an appearance in 2006s "Doctor Who," Season 2, Episode 4, "The Girl in the Fireplace." Is it just me, or were the gowns in this produ...

22 may 12

V142: Enter the Pompadour "Historical Hottie" Contest on Polyvore

Are you a Polyvore addict? How about a contest? Show off your rococo style using the new American Duchess "Pompadour" shoes, your choice of black, white, or both. Winners will be chosen by ...

21 may 12

V141: 1865 Gown Remodel DONE!

Once upon a time I made a mid-Victorian gown that didnt really fit. So I started to remodel it, and got some of the way along, but then stopped. (How many of you know this story?) Well, Ive finally.....

20 may 12

V140: New Vintage Camera: No.2 Folding Cartridge Hawk-Eye Model B

While in Astoria, Oregon, Carolyn and I visited many an antique shop. I was delighted to find a whole case full of vintage cameras, many of them folding cartridge styles like this one. The prices wer...

19 may 12

V139: Costume Painting, Week 6 - Lance the Hunter, 1870s

Last night was the last session of costume painting at the Nevada Museum of Art. We had a great model, Lance, a hard-core re-enactor. He talked all about the little authentic bits of his attire, fasc...

18 may 12

V138: Early 18th Century Shoes

The Met, 1700-1720, the #1 inspiration image for Pompadours Ladies, here is a look at the shoes that inspired "Pompadour." I spend a lot of time studying extant footwear before we start dev...

17 may 12

V137: Pompadour Court Shoes Giveaway!

Its that time again! Its Pre-Order time for Pompadours and ivory Kensingtons, which means its GIVEAWAY time here on le blog. Cant wait to see if you win them? Order your pair HERE About the Prize: Th...

16 may 12

V136: Butchart Gardens, The Empress Hotel, and Costumery in BC

The Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens, planted 100 years ago in a quarry. The last day of my cruise with Lady Carolyn was spent in gorgeous Victoria, British Columbia. We visited Butchart Gardens, AK...

15 may 12

V135: Pompadour French Court Heels Pre-Order, and MORE

Back to work! Its time FINALLY for the Pompadour French Court Heels PRE-SALE! (big cheer!) Ive been working on this shoe for what feels like forever, getting the toe just that right amount of pointy,...

14 may 12

V134: That Vintage "New Look" Pink Dress

Okay, Im back! I have more pictures to share of Lady Carolyn and my be-costumed cruise, though. :-) We had two formal dress dinners while on board, and for the second, Carolyn wore a gorgeous reprodu...

14 may 12

V133: Astoria, Oregon, and Regency Ladies

You know whats coming ... "Im on a BOAT!" well...sortof.... Ahoy, from Astoria, Oregon! Today Carolyn and I spent a lovely afternoon strolling around this quaint little seaside town, tourin...

13 may 12

V132: "Mad Women" on a Boat - Vintage 1960s

A couple nights ago was "60s night" here on our floating hotel, so Carolyn and I dressed up in our late 50s/early 60s attire, complete with some BIGASS hair. Carolyn has magical hairstyling...

12 may 12

V131: 1912 Ladies, and Alcatraz

Our ship docked at Pier 33, San Francisco Hi again, from the Big Blue! The last two days weve been at port in San Francisco, a city Im familiar with, but oddly enough I had never been to some of its ...

10 may 12

V130: Catalina Island, 1940

First off, this... Now, got that out of the way... Im currently on a cruise with Lady Carolyn, going up the West Coast of America, into Canada. Carolyn is an "onboard speaker," and presents...

09 may 12

V129: 18th Century Reds

Imatex - red velvet jacket, bound in blue, 1780-90s. This is a must-someday-make jacket Im a sucker for red, Ill admit. My second 18th century gown was red and still love it to pieces. Here are some ...

08 may 12

V128: Interview with Laurie Tavan, "Daze of Laur" Couture

Todays interview is with a fantastic seamstress, Laurie Tavan, who creates incredible historical garments and custom corsets. Her attention to detail and skill in design and technique are second to n...

07 may 12

V127: Costumers Link Love

Here are some costume blogs Ive found recently, and really enjoy. I hope you enjoy them too!: A Lady of Fashion The Mended Soul Todays Dandy Serendipitous Stitchery The Button Basket Rococo Atelier T...

06 may 12

V126: A Colonial Williamsburg Pocket for Colonial Williamsburg

Im about to leave on a West Coast cruise for eight days and I thought Id take along some embroidery. Im not much of an embroiderer, but it interests me, and I thought it would be fitting to try my ha...

05 may 12

V125: Costume Painting, Week 4, Tudor Peasant Girl

Here is my painting from last nights historical costume painting class. We had a lovely model dressed as a Tudor peasant. The white shirt and head wrap gave me a lot of trouble, but I like how her fa...

04 may 12

V124: How to Measure Your Footsies and Find Your Correct Shoe Size

Hi all! I made a video to show you how to measure your foot and find your proper shoe size. This includes both the length and the width measurements associated with "B" width dress shoes. H...

03 may 12

V123: Instant 1930s Shirt

Back in 1930, in Hollywood, the Hays Code determined what was and was not acceptable to show in a motion picture. Things like profanity, drug trafficking, and childbirth couldnt be shown, but the Hay...

02 may 12

V122: Beginnings of a Polonaise Jacket

Gallerie des Modes, 1780. Dames a la Mode on Tumblr Ive finally settled on a design for one of my Colonial Williamsburg pieces - a polonaise jacket, inspired by a couple of the fabulous jackets in th...

01 may 12

V121: "The Unsinkables" at Gaskells Titanic Ball

As promised, here are a few photos from Gaskells Ball last Saturday, with our "Unsinkables" group of lovely-attired ladies. I had a fabulous time, and got to see so many people I miss very ...

30 apr 12

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