by Kary Pardy Knitting is everywhere recently. Creating warm hats, scarves, wraps, sweaters, and mittens is currently a fashionable pastime for people of all ages, and skilled knitters can create art with their complex stitches and colors. When you ask people in 2020 what knitting is to them, you’re likely to get answers like “it’s […]
by Judy Gonyeau For many women, their first ideas of fussing over their wardrobe began with paper dolls. From complete outfits and accessories, the idea of mixing and matching to achieve the best look—based upon her own choices—turned many girls to fashionistas. The paper dolls as we know them today may not be the first […]
Antiques Cheaper Than IKEA by Pontus Silfverstolpe Not infrequently, one hears about antique dealers going bust due to a lack of interest in their standard wares. At the same time, it can be seen that the prices of much antique furniture and objects sold at auction over the past two decades have steadily declined to […]
By Kathryn Hanna Quick History of Fans. The ubiquitous cooling instrument for hot weather and making a fashion statement – ahhhh, the hand fan. Over the millennia, hand fans have evolved from simple implements of cooling to courtly status symbols to essential fashion accessories and much more. Evidence for the use of hand fans dates […]
The Glove Collection Trust Gloves have been found in the tomb of Tutankhamen, on the hands of newly crowned monarchs, and running the entire length of woman’s arms to help demonstrate that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” But it was S. William Beck who wrote an intricate book on gloves in 1883 who stated […]
By Donald-Brian Johnson Photos by Leslie Piña Writer Dorothy Parker once declared that “men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.” Judging by what, for many years, constituted eyewear fashion, Dorothy may have had a point. Although eyeglasses had been around since medieval times (illustrations exist of early Chinese and Italians wearing them), they […]
Smokin’ Collectibles by Maxine Carter-Lome, Publisher I am old enough to remember cigarette dispensing machines in almost all public places, when a pack of cigarettes was only 45 cents, that collectible cards came in cigarette packs, when cigarette holders-the longer and fancier the better-were in vogue, and that my Grandmother used to decorate her formal […]
Historic Deerfield’s Textiles Collection A conversation with David E. (Ned) Lazaro, Curator of Textiles Please give us an overall sense of Historic Deerfield’s Textiles, Clothing, and Embroidery Collection. Historic Deerfield’s fashion and textile collection is a significant part of the museum. Numbering about 8,000 items, it is nearly 1/3 of the entire artifact collection. Items […]
By Donald-Brian Johnson Photos by Leslie Piña “We have tried not to make novelty knick-knacks, but sturdy honest designs of good materials that will last from generation to generation, because taste is not a matter of fashion, but rather the choice of the best of every generation.” – F.S. Chase, President, Chase Brass & Copper […]
How Women’s Hats and Men’s Ties Completed The Looks of the Times A Woman’s Style is Set by the Tip of Her Hat 1930’s Following The Crash of 1928, hats reduced in size and decoration. Usually a single brooch on a simple cloche hat was all that was necessary. Through the 30s, the era of […]
