busk
A flat length stay piece that was inserted into the front of a corset to keep it stiff from the 16th century to the early 20th century.
Read MoreA hooped cage worn under petticoats in the 19th century to stiffen and extend the skirt.
Read MoreArthur Devis’s 1747 portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Bull seems to depict a quite fashionable couple in the year of their marriage in what we presume to be their home. But closer analysis reveals that much of the work is likely a fiction, though the clothes they’re sporting–whether their own or imagined–remain fashionable.
Read MoreIn the early 20th century, the American ready-to-wear industry for stout women–whom we typically call plus-size today–emerged almost simultaneously as that for slimmer women. Stores like Lane Bryant offered a wide variety of clothing specially designed for stout women, who represented a growing portion of the population and had both the desire and income to spend on fashion goods. This essay explores how the industry evolved in the 1910s and 20s to serve them.
Read MoreJoseph Siffred Duplessis’s 1778 portrait of Benjamin Franklin participates in his carefully constructed image while in France as a plainly dressed American with provincial taste–though he actually dressed in the most expensive fabrics available.
Read MoreA pinnacle of 1880s fashion, this bustled gown’s many intricate style details, full silhouette, and bright red color make it a dress to be admired now and envied then.
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