Last Saturday, I had the extreme privilege of being allowed special access to photograph my gowns in and around the historic buildings belonging to the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village. This museum not only features many wonderful exhibits for both young and old, but they also have twelve historical buildings that have been painstakingly and lovingly returned to historical accuracy. A truly wonderful place for the whole family where you can take a step back in time!
Here are a few outside pictures of the buildings apart of this wonderful village!
Aren’t they stunning!? Sigh….
Anyways! This past Saturday, I loaded up a a variety of gowns, two great friends, and spent a fabulous afternoon enjoying the warm sunshine and all things historical!!
Enjoy!!
A big thank you to Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village for opening up their doors! We all had a great time and I think the buildings did too! 🙂
Many of these gowns are available for purchase on my Etsy Shop!
I love fashion spreads in magazines. I love seeing the looks, colors, styles, and accessories that are currently (or have been) in trend…no matter what the decade. And today’s spread is no exception!
Another thing that I absolutely adore about these early women’s magazines are how varied and detailed the topics are compared to today’s. You especially get that vibe when you read the descriptions of each outfit and accessory. It isn’t simply a list of the maker and price. Instead it is a lovely little blurb highlighting the main points of each item along with a wonderful description of color.
I hope you enjoy taking a little look back at not only fashion from the 1920’s, but also into the setup and work that went in to creating these wonderful magazine pieces! 🙂
Fashions Edited by Helen Kous
Good Housekeeping, April, 1922 Volume 74, Number 4
Today’s post is a little bit different but very exciting! I have been thinking about different ways to reach out and create a more interactive exchange between fashion enthusiasts. While I love reading other blogs and following individuals on Instagram, I couldn’t help but think about a place where all those who love historical fashion could interact with each other. Now, I know there are many groups out there for seamstresses, reenactors, etc. but very few where anyone who appreciates historical fashion in all its various forms can connect. Well, I plan to fix that today!
I have created a Facebook group entitled Inside Aimee’s Armoire which encourages anyone who loves and enjoys recreating or appreciating historical fashion on any level to share and be inspired. I’m talking jewelry makers, knitters, milliners, beauticians, seamstresses, hair stylist, footwear fanatics….the list can go on! If you love historical fashion than I want to connect with you and I’m sure there are many others out there who would love to as well!
Finished that carefully reproduced version of a 1880’s skirt?
Share it!
Nailed the perfect 1930’s coifed bob?
Share it!
Have the perfect tutorial for a vintage inspired makeup look?
Share it!
Found an image of a gown that takes your breath away?
Share it!
Need advice?
Ask and let us all help each other!!
So let’s build each other up and connect over our mutual love for historical fashion in whatever thread or avenue that speaks to you!!
See you over there! 🙂
Description of Group:
Inside Aimee’s Armoire is all about helping, sharing, and encouraging others in appreciation of historical/ vintage fashion. Share your favorite projects, inspiration photos, or tutorials all on fashion from the past! Topics can include: sewing, millinery, fashion plates, pattern design, knitting/crocheting, jewelry, beauty, and footwear.
Please be respectful to all members. Admin reserves the right to withdraw membership for inappropriate or disrespectful posts.
Today’s post is all about appreciating the various aspects of life during the 1920’s. From recipes to fashion and a bit in between, I hope you enjoy these reflections of the past. And of course, I hope you will try one of the delicious recipes provided below…I know I will! 🙂
Spring weddings are the perfect time to choose something bright and cheerful! I love the cut of the green dress!
Finding the perfect wave and bob is such an eternal struggle. Maybe these images will help spark some ideas!
Upcoming rainy days mean bringing out the old reliable rain coat! This stylish lady has both a matching hat and jacket in a happy shade of blue!
This lady is not only impeccably dressed, she is also in a stunning location!
Host a spring tea party and make a few of these little treats to serve!
I adore house plans, and this little bungalow is equal parts quaint and charming!
March is all about green in my opinion. It represents life, regrowth, and, of course, shamrock shakes from McDonalds. And even though I currently find myself engulfed in a rather large snow storm, I am all about any signs of green and spring!
So here are my five favorite things for March!!
I adore the light green color of this 1920’s gown. Everything about it is elegant and simple. Even the belt is perfectly place!
1920’s Green Dress – Ensemble by Paul Poiret (French, Paris 1879–1944 Paris) Date: 1925–26
Spring flowers belong in a spring vase. And this pitcher from Joann Fabrics is perfect!
Two things about this painting strike me. One, I love the unique color of green in the gown. Second, I adore anything that uses the color combinations of green and pink. Lovely!
Portrait of Juliane Fürstin zu Schaumburg-Lippe c.1781 by Johann Heinrich Tischbein the Elder
If you are looking for the perfect vintage green fabric for your next project, I love this one from Reproduction Fabrics. Sweet and charming!
I have not always used nor understood the point of piping. I didn’t get it. I didn’t know when to use it, and I was pretty sure it was a waste of my time.
And then, I got a bit better at my sewing. So I stopped using excuses as to why I didn’t pipe and finally acknowledged that it was because I didn’t know how to use it at all.
Piping, in this context, refers to a 1 1/2″-2″ wide strip of fabric, cut on the bias, which has then been folded in half with a piece of cording place in between. A tight stitch along the side of the cording creates a smooth finish. This piping is then used in various places on bodices, and occasionally skirts, to add strength, texture, and contrast. The tricky part is you have to keep your stitches tight. I mean tight. You just want to see the cording peeping through in a neat and tidy fashion. And this is where I would become frustrated and give up…I just couldn’t seem to make my stitches tight enough.
So piping was left on the back burner for several years, until one day when I decided to try it again.
I took a deep breath, stitched as close as as could to the cording and would you believe it!!! – It came out perfectly!! In fact, it looked so great, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t been using this technique all along. So now I’m back on the piping train and loving it! And I thought nothing would do but to create a post celebrating this wonderful little technique.
My return to piping on a 1860’s Garibaldi blouse.
Piping is most commonly found around the armsyce, or armhole, of bodices from the early 20th century and back. Here is an example of an 1840’s gown from the Tasha Tudor collection:
Notice the cord like piece between the sleeve gathers and the shoulder? That’s piping! While most commonly used in the same fabric as the gown itself, one can sometimes use coordinating fabric to add a bit of pop!
Piping can also be used in between bodice seams. Notice the very small piping along the back seams of this 1860’s bodice as well as the 1810’s Pelisse.
Piping can also be used to add details to sleeves…
notice the sleeve of this Regency jacket. The piping adds interest.
The same can be said for this 1860’s sleeve where the bands have piped edges.
And let’s not forget the rather advanced skill of putting piping around the edges of bodices to keep a smooth and clean finish!
This 1840’s gold gown has some wonderful examples:
If you have never tried piping, or haven’t in a long time, I highly recommend bringing back this very fun and relatively easy technique!!
If you are interested in getting a different look for your outfit, accessories can make a huge difference! Today, we mostly turn to scarves and jewelry to spice up or alter our clothes. However, these go-tos were not always the first choice in decades past. Many women used what we can think of as “detachable” items that were either pinned, buttoned, or basted onto their clothes. This allowed for everyday clothes to be given a little pick-me-up for a very affordable price. Simply remove for cleaning and then use on any garment that could use a little something extra.
Collars were the most common form of the “detachable” items, although under sleeves, as seen during the Regency era or during the 1850’s-1860’s, were also quite common. Mostly made of stark white cotton, linen, or lace, these little beauties came in various sizes, shapes, and textures.
This 1860’s lace capelet/collar is fascinating as it appears to be covering up an evening gown…perhaps making it more appropriate for daywear!
This woman wears both a detachable collar as well as under sleeves, a very common and economic look during the 1860’s.
Although some color enhancements on this particular 1860’s image highlight the trim, notice the wide Peter Pan collar and ruffled under sleeves.
Here are a few more wonderful examples from the 1860’s of collars, chemisettes, and under sleeves showing the wide variety a woman could create for herself.
Women’s fashion at the turn of the century also featured detachable collars, although I must say they look extremely uncomfortable to wear!
Detachable collars also saw a rebirth during the 1930’s in a wide range of sizes, lengths, and finishes!
So why not create your own detachable item for that blouse or dress that maybe has seen better days!
I have been sewing up a storm and working very hard at this tricky little thing called online marketing. And since my brain has been swimming with all the things that need to get done, I thought I would take a little mental break. And what more perfect way to take my mind off all the craziness than to focus on my happy little bundle that is due in less than four months!
Four months!! Eeeek!!! 🙂
The past few weeks have also been a bit of a roller coaster when it came to finding out the gender of our baby. Since I am a planner, and sewer, it was important to me that I find out the gender in advance so I could plan and get as much done as I could before the baby comes. So when our doctor told us at our 12 week sonogram that she was 85% sure she knew what the gender was, of course, we couldn’t wait to hear! Imagine our joy when she said it was a boy! My husband and I were both over the moon and began planning the nursery, choosing names, and getting just plain excited.
Well, we knew we had to go back for the second sonogram so we decided that we would wait to start buying things until we were sure, but we had definitely everything picked out. So the day of the second sonogram came and we excitedly went to the doctor, eager to see our son again. As we enjoyed watching our little one on the computer, the technician asked if we were ready to know the gender…which, of course, we were. I mean, we were ready for a confirmation of what we already knew. So as the two of us waited to hear the words “It’s a boy” emerge from her lips, when she said very matter of factly, “It’s a girl!”
Wait, what?
We both just about fell out of our chairs (or the medical bed in my case.)
A girl???
As we scraped our jaws up from off the floor, my husband mentioned that last time we came they thought it was a boy. “Well, that does happens sometimes, although it is rare.” was her response. Oh. Good to know.
Sooooooooo after going through shock, a complete mind shift, and a new name search, we are happy to announce we are having a girl!!!!
And with all this exciting news, I decided it was time to dedicate a post to all things maternity and baby!
Let’s begin with this 1860’s photograph and a mother and child. Both of whom, I may add, are impeccably dressed!
These 1910 maternity dresses are perfect for both pre and post baby!
These two moms to be from the 1940’s look absolutely adorable in their maternity dresses!!!
While I can’t say the super tight skirt looks all that comfortable, I adore the loose fitting top from this 1960’s sewing pattern.
This entire 1940-1950 collection for a baby is just fantastic! What a wide variety offered in this pattern!!
And for when they get a little older, these little girl dresses from the 1910’s-early 1920’s are absolutely perfect!
And for some modern takes on vintage dresses, this ADORABLE dress tutorial by Craftiness is Optional is perfect in every sense of the word! Link is under the image.
And who wouldn’t want a few bonnets to match those precious little dresses. This tutorial from Simple Simon and Company is as easy as it is sweet! Link under image.
