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Kitty Calash

~ Confessions of a Known Bonnet-Wearer

Kitty Calash

Tag Archives: books

2019 Year-End Book Review

17 Tuesday Dec 2019

Posted by kittycalash in Book Review

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

book review, books

Since I moved to Virginia, I have made more use of the local public library than I have since I was a kid. Not only do I go there to write when home is too distracting (some tasks need to be finished in a cat- and fridge-free zone), but I go pretty much every week. Traveling to DC gives me ample time to read, and I can finish a book or two every week just reading on the train. Among the titles I read this year are some that might interest readers of this blog (and could make a good last-minute holiday gift if you need some ideas).

Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress, by Norman Hartnell. Royal Collection Trust

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson (William Morrow, 2018) was a little outside my normal range. I don’t usually read historical fiction and this veered into historical romance fiction and that’s just not my thing. And yes, if you read the reviews on Goodreads, those folks make some valid points. I did read the whole thing, but what really held my attention were the descriptions of working in the couture houses of Paris and London, in particular at Norman Hartnell. Hartnell’s gowns for the queen were marked by detailed embroidery. The wedding dress was made while Britain was still under rationing, which meant that then-Princess Elizabeth used her rationing coupons for her dress; thousands of women sent her their coupons, too, in a curious gesture that is noted in the book. There are some obvious plot twists, and some trite moments, but on the whole, this was a good summer read that got me thinking about the hidden labor that goes into clothing, and ways to make that visible.

Dress in the Age of Jane Austen: Regency Fashion by Hilary Davidson (Yale University Press, 2019). I have one gripe with this book: the type is printed in grey, not black, ink so it is difficult to read at night in bed. Otherwise, this is a solid, comprehensive look at late-18th and early 19th-century clothing. The focus is Great Britain, which is clear from the title, but the information is still useful to those interpreting early 19th century America and Europe. Davidson makes excellent use of written sources along with extant garments, fashion plates, and portraits for a well-rounded examination of what people wore.

Carduus Eriophorus, formerly in an album (Vol.II, 62); Cotton-headed Thistle. 1781. British Museum 1897,0505.163

The Paper Garden: Mrs. Delany Begins Her Life’s Work at 72 by Molly Peacock (McClelland & Stewart, 2010) I knew Molly Peacock from her poetry, but stumbled across this book at my local library. Mary Delaney’s handwork included needlework and painting, but her most incredible creations were the cut paper flowers she made in the 1770s. Her life story is a good example of the choices that were (or weren’t) available to upper-class women and widows in the 18th century, and of the creative ways they spent their time.

I read plenty of other books this year, from Scandinavian murder mysteries to histories of Roanoke to histories of the suffrage movement, but aside from novels by Colson Whitehead (whichI cannot recommend enough) these three stuck with me.

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The Taylors’ Instructor

25 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by kittycalash in Clothing, History, Living History, Making Things, Reenacting, Research

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

books, Federal style, menswear, Regency, Research, resources, tailcoat

Title page, The Taylors' Instructor

Title page, The Taylors’ Instructor

So who else was wondering what Mr Cooke meant by Lapsley and Queen? Wonder no longer, frustrated toile-makers and cuff-detail mavens, it is available on the vast interwebs of knowledge.

Go! Download the PDF and immerse yourself in an 1809 American tailors’ manual published in Philadelphia, with Eight Appropriate Engravings. We may note that there was excited squeaking when I located this, altering my nearest companions to A FIND, and letting them know that yes, I am back, and probably will continue to squeak on and off for some time to come.

From the introduction:

“…there is no situation more awkward than that of a TAYLOR who has cut and mutilated his own or his employer’s Cloth which will frequently be the case when a man has nothing to depend upon but the poor resource of chance or hope, that his clothes will fit.”

The Taylors' Instructor

The Taylors’ Instructor

I can tell from the text on Coats that my subjects will have to be further apprehended and measured, even against their will, but the results will undoubtedly be better than before.

Happy Reading, Historical Sewing Enthusiasts, and a big thank you and hat tip to Henry Cooke for the reference.

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Book Notice: Wearable Prints, 1760-1860

29 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by kittycalash in Book Review, History, Living History, Research

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

books, fabric, fashion, history, prints, Research, resources, style

This just in, literally, from the mail carrier: Susan W. Greene’s long-awaited book, Wearable Prints, 1760-1860. It’s discounted (and out of stock) at Amazon, but should be shipping soon, since I have one right here on my desk.

It’s fair to call this book lavishly illustrated (1600 full-color images in almost 600 pages), and while I have access to a copy at work, I am seriously thinking of buying my own copy, based solely on about 10 minutes skimming the book. There are images not just of fabric samples but also of garments, paper dolls and illustrations that help put the fabrics into context. Images of garments from collections I can’t get into? Delicious! Information to help me understand how to use a printed cotton? Even better.

The book is organized in three main sections: Overview, Colors, and Mechanics. Appendices include timelines, prohibitions, price comparisons, print characteristics, and more, as well as a glossary and an extensive bibliography.

The photographs are amazing, and show a range of print designs of greater variety than we may have credited heretofore. Particularly useful is the section on evaluating and identifying printed dress fabrics, and the questions one should ask about fabrics. I think that the criteria could be used forensically on modern as well as historic textiles, and we could think more critically about the fabrics we use.

ETA: I wrote this while the downstairs room was being painted with oil paint, and it’s loopier than I expected. The book is still an excellent resource, and I highly recommend it. While it’s heavy for carrying to the fabric shops, it would be dead useful while shopping online. I have definitely seen bolts of fabrics very similar to those illustrated in Greene’s book. As Anna notes on her blog, Ms Greene’s collection is now at Genessee Country Village.  Wow. It’s amazing. If you can’t get there easily, well, the book will certainly help, and the images will you visual access to a plethora of collections. 

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Night Lights and a Book

14 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by kittycalash in Clothing, History

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Tags

blurry photos, books, bookstores, Clothing, Costume, dress, fashion, Providence, Rhode Island, work

DSCN3605Last night, I went to a meeting downtown for my boss, and chose to walk instead of drive. I took some blurry photos along the way as evening became night and the city became more and more like Busy Town. The skill level of local drivers is not too different from Richard Scarry’s drivers…and the hills and the way the houses stack up, and the way we recognize or know each other here reminds me of Scarry’s books.

Walking back to the museum, I stopped at one of my favorite bookstores, where the selection runs from the perverse to the erudite.  I picked up many books and limited myself to three, including Very Vintage. (Did I mention Symposium’s remainder table pricing? Ah, yes: that’s why three books were possible.)
The text could have been edited a little more carefully and I am a fan of the endnote (not present here). But there are excellent photos I have not seen before and diagrams patterning garments. Now you see why I bought this: where else will I find diagrams of aTeddy Boy Jacket and a 1960s Bellville Sassoon-inspired evening dress?
dress2dress

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