The Longchamp Racecourse and Fashion Promenade
Attracting enormous crowds, by the late 1800s, the Longchamp Racecourse in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris had become one …
Fashion
Edwardian Photoblogging
Kensington and Chelsea Libraries in London, England, uncovered a series of images suggesting that the Edwardians might …
Vintage Baby Carriages of Bygone Times
The year was 1847 and Queen Victoria was pregnant with her 6th child, Princess Louise. Hearing about a new type of baby …
Women's Fashions of the Late Victorian Era
During the Victorian Era, advances in technology and distribution saw fashion change from an exclusive privilege of the …
Belle of the Ball: A 5-Minute Guide to Ball Gowns
Delicately and exotically trimmed, and made of luxurious fabrics, ball gowns are the most formal female attire for …
The Roaring Twenties Fashions: A 5-Minute Guide
Dubbed the "Roaring Twenties" in Britain and America, the "Années folles" (Crazy Years) in France, and the "Golden …
A Five-Minute Guide to Waistcoats and Vests
Today, waistcoats, or vests, are the essential third piece in the traditional three-piece male business suit. Historians …
Exquisite Pocket Watches of a Bygone Time
Designed to slip into the pocket of the new waistcoats introduced by King Charles II of England, pocket watches became a …
A 5-Minute Guide to the House of Worth
Something wonderful happened to the world of fashion during the second half of the 19th century. Beautiful gowns were no …
A 5-Minute Guide to Callot Soeurs Couture
When a young painting conservator from New York University happened upon some Louis Vuitton trunks in a 15th-century …
18 Halloween Pin-Ups from Hollywood's Golden Age
The Golden Age of Hollywood was a period stretching from the introduction of sound in around 1927 to the beginning of …
20 Exquisite Paintings of 18th-Century Ladies by Joshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA (1723 – 1792) was an influential eighteenth-century English portrait …
16 Stunning Sofas from the 18th and 19th Centuries
Today, furniture fills our living and working spaces. It makes a statement about our taste for practicality and …
Cléo de Mérode: the Dancer and Celebrity Glamour Model of the Belle Époque
At the age of eight, Cléo de Mérode (1875 – 1966) was already showing the talent that would make her a world renowned …
The Beautiful French Porcelain of Sèvres
Despite a turbulent century of changing taste and technology, Sèvres Manufatory in the suburbs of Paris remained at the …
Mr Darcy's Shirt
In the 1995 BBC rendition of Pride and Prejudice, Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy includes a notable cream linen …
The 17th-Century Hampton Court Beauties
Depicting the most glamorous ladies from the court of King William III and Queen Mary II, the Hampton Court Beauties are …
Mucha Do About Art Nouveau
The rags to riches story of Czech Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha. Living alone in Paris in 1894, Alphonse Mucha …
12 Dashing Men of the Regency Era
The Regency (1795–1837) was a period when King George III of England was deemed unfit to rule and his son, the Prince of …
10 Fascinating Facts About Chinoiserie
1. Chinoiserie was once the most coveted fashion of the aristocracy During the 17th and 18th centuries, Europeans became …
The History of Handbags — a 5-Minute Guide
Today's designer handbags have a long and storied history. Early Europeans used handbags just as we do today—to store …
The "Beau Monde" High Fashion of the 18th Century
On August 1, 1714, Queen Anne of Great Britain drew her last breath, and the first of a series of Georges ascended to …
Parasols—the Essential Accessory for a Lady
On a windy summer's day in 1875, Claude Monet painted his wife Camille with their son Jean out for a stroll in …
The Art of Café Society
Café society was the name given to the "Beautiful People" and "Bright Young Things" who gathered in fashionable cafes in …
The Colorful Shoes of the 18th Century
Adorned with decadent decorative arts and steeped in affectation, it's no surprise that the French Court led European …
20 Handmade Dolls Tell the History of Fashion
This is the story of how a series of exquisite handmade dolls, representing the history of French haute couture made …
Crinolinemania - 10 Fascinating Facts About the Crinoline
Just as we chuckle today at the absurd dimensions reached by Victorian crinolines, so too did Victorians themselves. …
The Hustle and Bustle of Victorian Life — A 5-Minute Guide to the Bustle Dress
Following on from our article on corsets, we turn our attention to the bustle. We think the bustle epitomizes Victorian …
A Victorian Fashion Show
Imagine you're attending a fashion show in the Victorian era. You get to choose the trends for the next Victorian …
Ooh la la! The Victorian Secret - How to Get Into Shape in Just 5-Minutes With No Exercise
Before it became popular to lift heavy objects for an hour or run down the street for fun (known to Victorians as …
Dinner at Downton - What to Wear?
Imagine you've been invited to dinner at Downton Abbey. It's the first season covering the period around 1912-1914. The …
25 Victorian Dresses Worth a Fortune
It was 1858, Paris, France. English fashion designer Charles Frederick Worth "the father of haute couture" had opened …