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[yeoldefashion]

Look... I fully respect the Bridgerton costume designers' decision to just abandon historical accuracy and do their own thing.

But I will never, EVER forgive them for not using period accurate British court fashion in the one setting ridiculous enough that they might have actually pulled it off.

[yeoldefashion]

After some research, I’ve come to the conclusion that fish tank heel 70s platform shoes probably did not exist in the 70s and were just an urban legend.

No “vintage” fishtank heel shoes have ever shown up on ebay, and I’ve looked because I really want a pair. I’ve not found any advertisement campaign for them in period magazines, I’ve never found any “period” images of someone in fish tank heel shoes. All pop culture references to fishtank shoes (like the Simpsons’ Disco Stu and I’m Gonna Git You Sucka) are dated long after the disco era. 

I am willing to concede the fact they might have existed, but if they existed at all, the absence of a national ad campaign or manufacturer may mean they were probably the work of individual small scale customizers and crafters. It may additionally, be a case where the urban legend about these shoes’ existence led to the existence of actual ones, as the stories led to a real demand.

[yeoldefashion]

I can’t believe this terrible thing is an actual 1840′s embroidered waistcoat.

[yeoldefashion]

I feel like there isn’t nearly enough appreciation for the absolutely massive jet/vulcanite jewelry of the 1870s.

Photograph taken by J. H. Noverre in Toronto, Canada, circa 1870.

[yeoldefashion]

From an unidentified photo album I own, circa 1907.

[yeoldefashion]

I feel like everyone is talking about reviving the flapper aesthetic for the 20s, when there is clearly only one “twenties” fashion that needs to be brought back...

1820s Hair Sculpture

[yeoldefashion]

Hi, I am currently publishing a book that would contain multiple images that you posted on your site, and my publisher needs me to ask for proper permission to use these images. For the Sears Catalogs that you have, could you please let me know where you got those images and do they still have copyrights? Please let me know and thanks for your help.

All the Sears Catalog images I’ve posted are from a database available through ancestry.com. The database summary is available here: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/searscatalog/

Hope that helps :)

[yeoldefashion]

things to bring back from the renaissance era: pearls in your hair, lots of braids, flowy dresses, rosy cheeks, that kind of dreamy/mystical look, humanism and good poetry

things to leave behind: fucking plucking your hairline to make your forehead look wider

[yeoldefashion]

Quite a few of these pieces are actually pre-Victorian.

As a general rule (which of course has exceptions) anything that has a border of seed pearls, like the third piece down, is late 18th or early 19th century.

Mourning pieces featuring pyramidal monuments or urns, like the final piece shown, were especially popular in the 1780s and 1790s.

Earlier 18th century mourning jewelry used hairwork less frequently, but is distinguishable by it’s use of black enamel.

Late 17th century mourning jewelry preserved hairwork under faceted rock crystal and almost always featured a skeleton or skull.

VICTORIAN MOURNING JEWELRY 

During the Victorian era, it was common to wear “mourning jewelry”. This jewelry typically included hair from deceased loved one.

The deceased loved one’s hair would be carefully arranged within the brooch, often creating intricate pictures or designs.

Hair was considered to be an ideal keepsake, since it does not break down over time.

SIMILAR POSTS

[yeoldefashion]

A witch costume from the 1884 edition of Fancy Dresses Described: or, What to wear at fancy balls.

[yeoldefashion]

The Countess di Castiglione caused a scandal by appearing at a 1857 costume ball at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs as The Queen of Hearts, a thinly veiled allusion to the fact the she was currently the mistress of the emperor, Napoleon III.

She was photographed in the costume by Pierre-Louis Pierson several years later, between 1861 and 1863, apparently wishing to preserve the scandal for posterity.

[yeoldefashion]

A group costume featuring “Colors”, “Paint Brush” and “Canvas” from the March 1897 edition of “The Season”.

[yeoldefashion]

Fancy dress balls grew so popular in the late 19th century that numerous books were published to suggest new and creative costume ideas. The most popular of these was probably Fancy Dresses Described: or, What to wear at fancy balls. by Adrian Holt. It went through numerous editions throughout the 1880s and 1890s (several of which are viewable online) and listed hundreds of costume ideas.

This hornet costume from the 1884 edition is one of my favorites.

[yeoldefashion]

An 1887 fancy dress costume from La Mode Illustrée.

She’s a bat. Duh.

[yeoldefashion]

I don’t think she’s wearing men’s clothing, just a particularly dashing riding habit. Compare to this 1847 portrait by Vladimir Hau.

Either way it’s a great look on her.

Victorian lady in men`s clothes. 1857.

[yeoldefashion]

I have found it. The most perfect piece of clothing ever created by mankind.

[yeoldefashion]

Rainbow of color at the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show.