A Most Beguiling Accomplishment

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A Most Beguiling Accomplishment A look into fashion history

I use my blog to share my research into the history of dress, for the most part consisting of analyses of costume in paintings, translations of and research into fashion plates, and occasionally actual sewing.

Spent just about all of Saturday doing collections photography among the early 19th century dresses (which also served a...
07/20/2026

Spent just about all of Saturday doing collections photography among the early 19th century dresses (which also served as an inventory). Love this setup - it's relatively inexpensive, and breaks down to give you full use of the space when you're not using it.

Hannah Chatterton Hyde's 1857 wedding dress was made with diagonal pleats across the bodice and with bright blue silk bu...
07/08/2026

Hannah Chatterton Hyde's 1857 wedding dress was made with diagonal pleats across the bodice and with bright blue silk button-ornaments sewn over the hook-and-eye closure. Here you can also make out the meticulous hand-stitching where it runs along the upper edge of the waistband. The cage crinoline was almost brand new at the time of the wedding: perhaps she wore one under this gown and was seen as extremely fashionable for it.

for real this week! This pair of high-heeled shoes dates to the 1730s, based on the methods of construction used, as w...
06/19/2026

for real this week! This pair of high-heeled shoes dates to the 1730s, based on the methods of construction used, as well as the design of the silk brocade. One can imagine these being worn by a woman (with very small feet), fastened with a pair of gleaming silver buckles.

This week, I photographed two shelves of shoes at , but currently I'm still editing and renaming the files, so they aren't in the online database yet. Soon!

I'm fascinated by this 1819 wedding dress made of a muslin figured with supplementary thicker warps, which has frilled ...
06/18/2026

I'm fascinated by this 1819 wedding dress made of a muslin figured with supplementary thicker warps, which has frilled flounces around most of the armscyes rather than actual sleeves. My feeling is that it would have likely been worn over an undergown (maybe white silk, maybe more opaque cotton percale) that had actual puffed sleeves, which would have held them out for slightly added width at the shoulder.

(meant to post yesterday)

Pretend it's , because I have a lovely treat. This lone slipper is all that remains of a pair that must have been worn ...
06/13/2026

Pretend it's , because I have a lovely treat. This lone slipper is all that remains of a pair that must have been worn to a splendid party or two in the 1860s, likely with a gown in a matching shade of pink. In the collection!

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Mumford, NY
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