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My grandmother wore clothes similar to those.
I love the dresses... I love anything that covers the extra 20 lbs I’m carrying. But no underwear, and then not bathing for 2-3 weeks?(shudder)
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Interesting... Thanks for posting this and please add me to your ping list.
Third from the left, "Does this make my rear look big?"
Thanks for posting this interesting article. It’s a wonder the population didn’t die out with the hygiene habits common back then. Indoor plumbing, Thomas Crapper’s inventions and the modern waterworks and sewage works have done wonders for hygiene and public health.
Kudos to Ms. Carolyn Schiewe for personally researching and hand-making these beautiful dresses. What a labor of love! She must be a wonderful lady.
Thanks for posting this!
I love the beautiful fabrics.
The creativeness of women sewing their clothes in days gone by never ceases to amaze.
The styles of the past were a lot more flattering to people than today’s styles. I find especially that the dresses of the nineteenth century were flattering to older and/or heavier ladies. Even a rather heavy woman looks grand and dignified in a long, waisted dress with a moderate hoop or a corded petticoat, as opposed to the shorts and tank tops that let all the flab, cellulite, leg hair, and varicose veins hang on. Rarely attractive on anyone over forty.
No underwear inspired the earlier Tudor dance, “The Volt” (shown here in the trailer for Disney’s 1953 “The Sword and the Rose”):
http://disneymoviesonline.go.com/movies/the-sword-and-the-rose-750000000130/
What a nitwit. Has she never looked at any portraits of the time? That would be the first little bitty baby step in buying a clue. She's obviously on in the DAR for the social connections.
Thank you for posting this interesting article.
If you are starting a ping list please add me to it. Thx.
I refuse to believe my g,g,g,g,g,g,g,g,great granny was a stanker. Bathing only every few weeks? If that were true, I doubt I would be here. I’m sure they did the equivalent of sponge baths. I know they made their own soaps back then, and as hard as that effort was, I think they took being clean seriously. Remember, back in those days many believed, “Cleanliness was next to godlinees.” I did like hearing about the no underwear.:^)
They’re beautiful but wow- No thanks.
Can you imagine the washing and ironing nightmare?
Last year I went to a local dressmaker of period outfits. She was not that familiar with the 1776 time period as most dresses she made were for the 1860’s period. But, she did research and we met to discuss options. Then she went looking for material (which turned out to be a little harder than expected.) I made a choice from the material, she took measurements and a month later I went for a fitting.
She really makes things authentic: hooks and eyes, the slits in the skirt that was open, no elastic in wast but a draw string, etc. Anyway, I didn’t think the hook and eyes could be closed! Had inches separating them. But, she assured me that’s how it was done. Sucked it in and she DID close the hooks.
This was to be a dress for the 4th of July parade. Wore it for the parade and then returned to dressmaker to fix some problems. Many, many compliments on the dress and straw bonnet I purchased from online.
Lavender’s Green is the website of the dressmaker in town. Pretty sure she does NOT share my political views and why I wanted the dress. But, check it out. Haven’t worn the dress again, but look forward to another occasion.
Here’s an episode description for the Liberty series...
Liberty: The American Revolution - PBS
http://libertymaven.com/2008/03/23/liberty-the-american-revolution-from-pbs-video/984/
LIBERTY! is a six-part series of one-hour documentaries for PBS. It describes how the American Revolution evolved and how a new nation was born in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, using actors, Revolutionary era scholars, and eyewitness accounts of the time. LIBERTY! is hosted by award winning journalist and ABC news anchor, Forrest Sawyer. Edward Herrmann is the narrator. It was originally broadcast Nov. 23 - 25, 1997.
EPISODE 1: “The Reluctant Revolutionaries” 1763-1774
In 1763, the capitol city of America is London, George Washington is lobbying for a post in the British army, and no one thinks of Boston harbor when they hear talk of tea parties. In a dozen years, the colonies are on the brink of rebellion. What happens to bring this country so quickly near war with England?
EPISODE 2: “Blows Must Decide” 1774-1776
A total break from Great Britain remains hard for Americans to imagine, even after shots are fired at Lexington and Concord. Words push matters “Over the Edge” in 1776. Common Sense argues that it is the natural right of men to govern themselves. The Declaration of Independence declares this same idea a “self-evident” truth. For Americans, there is no looking back. There will be war with England.
EPISODE 3: “The Times That Try Men’s Souls” 1776-1777
Days after the Declaration of Independence is signed, a British force arrives in New York harbor. Washington and his troops are driven to New Jersey. With only a few days of enlistment left for many of his volunteers, a desperate Washington leads his army quietly across the Delaware River on the day after Christmas, 1776, to mount a surprise attack on a sleeping garrison in Trenton.
EPISODE 4: “Oh Fatal Ambition” 1777-1778
The “united” states remain in dire need of funds and military support. Congress dispatches Benjamin Franklin to France in hopes of creating an alliance which will provide both. Meanwhile, a British army marches down the Hudson River trying to cut off New England from the other colonies. The British are crushed by Americans at Saratoga. The French enter the conflict on the American side.
EPISODE 5: “The World Turned Upside Down” 1778-1783
The British hope to exploit the issue of slavery and to enlist the support of loyalists in the south. They fail. After a series of brutal engagements, the British army heads for Virginia, only to be trapped by the miraculous convergence of Washington’s army and the French fleet at Yorktown. The end of the war is at hand.
EPISODE 6: “Are We to Be a Nation? 1783-1788
Peace comes to the United States, but governing the world’s newest republic is no simple task. Congress is ineffectual and individual states act like sovereign nations. By the time the Constitutional Convention convenes in 1787, many wonder if the country can survive. The long ratification process helps define what sort of nation the United States is to be—a process that continues to this day.
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/liberty_episodes.html
Peggy Shippen: Her hot looks turned the eye of Benedict Arnold.
A fine collection of street sweepers.
