8 Results for tag "Fashion"

• Fashionistas Itinerary

  Did you know colonialists often wore bright colors and patterns? Explore the world of 18th-century fashion and style.

• A Suit of Clothes For Puss

  “I had been at work about two months when Christmas came on – and here I must relate a little anecdote. The principal and his lady were invited to a part among their friends and the other boy was permitted to go to his father’s to spend the holidays, when …

• Head Over Heels

  When Anne E. Bentley first saw the wig, she whispered in awe, “Is this it? My god! It’s gorgeous!”For more than 40 years, she’d worked with the artifacts at the Massachusetts Historical Society, including a deteriorating 18th-century bagwig, which had been stored in, of all things, a coconut. Now, in …

• Preparing for Dye Days

  Every month we, the Weavers, head out to our dye yard to experiment with various dye recipes, where we invite guests to see this process in action. But before you join us, here’s a little background on all of the work that goes into these monthly “Dye Days.”Our shop master, …

• Buckle Up!

  “This day I began to put on buckles to my shoes.” —Samuel Pepys, 22 January 1660One of the questions most frequently asked of us in the shoemaker’s shop is how our shoes are held closed. They have no laces and, of course, Velcro is out of the question. All that …

• Behind the Seams

  When the Costume Design Center needed to make a new suit for Kurt Smith, who portrays Thomas Jefferson, it included an embroidered waistcoat inspired by one in the collection of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello. It is believed to be one of several embroidered waistcoats that Jefferson acquired while …

• Call it Macaroni

  Today the only macaroni we are likely to think about is that cheesy delight: macaroni and cheese. But the name of this delicious comfort food has a surprising association with fashion and cultural history of the 18th century. Recall that famous tune Yankee Doodle Dandy. Ever wonder why he stuck …

• Scottish Dress in 18th-Century Virginia

  While dressing Colonial Williamsburg’s interpretive staff is both exciting and rewarding, it also comes with a great deal of responsibility. Along with daily tasks of constructing and maintaining period-appropriate clothing, there is the obligation to ensure that the clothing presented is correct not only in fit, but accurately represents the …