Kate Strasdin

A green and black ensemble by Elsa Schiaparelli consisting of her famous bow sweater and a black skirt

An illustration of Schiaparelli’s early 1930s bow sweaters, the trompe l’oeil design that made her name

A black and white photograph of Elsa Schiaparelli wearing a different version of her 1930s bow sweater with a cloche hat as an accessory

It’s World Book Day and a favourite of mine is Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle. Whilst I know that the Mortmain family would not necessarily have sported any Schiaparelli for me it has something of its spirit #RISDMuseum #1930s
#FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

Here we have yet another 1890s satin dress, but this time from America, through the designer M. J. Miles. This is the only work I can find from them though, which is unfortunate as it is very lovely. It gives off classic Gilded Era vibes. #fashionhistory #ootd

This week's #ThirtiesThursday garment is this romantic couture evening dress of white organza and net with a floral motif, designed by Madeleine Vionnet in 1935. This dress formed part of the wardrobe of Lady Minoru Foley. V&A collection. #fashionhistory

Oops, bit tired…..

Front view of a mannequin wearing a gauzy flapper style dress in ombré shades from palest to darker green. It has a scarf style neckline and leaflike abstract embroidered motifs

Side view of Vionnet’s late 1920s evening dress with asymmetric layers of ombré silk gauze and scarf style neckline

The back view of the late 1920s asymmetric evening dress with abstract swirls of embroidery

Madeleine #Vionnet did love a challenge. She often took the finest of gauzy fabrics and then experimented with embroidery in collaboration with artisan studios in Paris such as #Lesage. This is a lovely late #1920s example #madparisfr #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mary W. Bangs, 1965

Cuffs
https://botfrens.com/collections/223/contents/101350

English actress Joan Greenwood was born #OnThisDay in 1921. She wore this Anthony Mendleson designed pale pink satin 17th century inspired dress embroidered with silver thread and trimmed with white moiré silk as Sophie Dorothea in Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948). #film #costume

Yes they were calico printers. Terms are really tricky because calico meant one type of fabric in one place and another in other places.

A long printed cotton dress with tight sleeves and bodice and a repeat printed in a green, pink and red motif against a cream background

A closer detail of the pattern covering the 1840s cotton dress with a complex design of stylised florals

An engraving from the 1840s that shows a calico printing workshop with the large expanse of cotton that was able to be roller printed in longer lengths

Cutting edge technologies are always at the heart of textile manufacture. In the 1840s that involved roller printing, the process that replaced wood block textile prints with a faster method and more complex patterns. I do love an #1840s printed cotton @ngvmelbourne.bsky.social #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

Following yesterday's #ootd, we have this Worth outfit from almost the same time- 1889. However, this is a walking suit. It was made with darker, tougher fabrics, although that is not necessarily the case here, as the front of the skirt is fairly bright and it's made of silk.

Gift of The United Piece Dye Works, 1936

Suspenders
https://botfrens.com/collections/223/contents/1381722

It is called Lucile Ltd London Paris New York Chicago I think!

A short sleeved shift style dress with a deep V neck. The fabric is textured and has a pattern of black flowers against a red background. There is a wide sash like belt that wraps the waist

Textured and glamorous with its deep V neck, #Balenciaga was a master at fabric selection to complement his construction. The splendour of this black and red floral dares to 1960 #RISDMuseum #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

Museum Purchase, 1939

Trousers
https://botfrens.com/collections/223/contents/99348

Th V&A published a facsimile of this book a few years ago so you might find an affordable copy!

Bodice detail of a layered pale blue chiffon short sleeved dress with lace triumphant. The pointed bodice is ruched and gathered

Full length view of the front of the pale blue c1905 Lucile gown with a pointed bodice and a skirt that includes lace trimmed gauze panels

Back view of the c1905 pale blue chiffon dress showing the arrangement of the skirt and bodice from a different angle

A page from Lucile’s look book showing the same pale blue dress illustrated by hand and around the edges various pieces of cloth and trim for the client to decide upon

Lucile was a canny businesswoman. One of her fascinating legacies is the survival of her ‘look books’, hand coloured fashion drawings with swatches of fabric that she sent to favoured clients to choose from. Here, the Carresault gown 1905 #V&A #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

BBC Radio 4 - Thinking Allowed, Extreme Sports Laurie Taylor hears about research into ultra running and women mountaineers.

Today I'm speaking with the legendary Laurie Taylor on BBC Radio 4 Thinking Allowed, about the magnificent Dorothy Pilley, and how she faced down contempt and ridicule in her pursuit of high altitude mountaineering. With brilliant author Carl Morris on distance running.
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American socialite and interior decorator Caroline Lee Radziwill was born #OnThisDay in 1933. She was photographed wearing a version of Yves Saint Laurent's A/W 1966 Rive Gauche collection cocktail dress. The metallic silk-brocade dress was sold by Timeless Vixen. #fashionhistory

This week will be a somewhat controversial color- orange. People are often scared that they can't pull off orange, but this week, I'll feature dresses that show the beauty of this color. Let's start with this 1890 Worth satin and velvet afternoon gown. #Fashionhistory #ootd

Yes they had metallic sequins and spangles throughout the nineteenth century and by the end of the century even some early celluloids

Front view of a pale orange ruched velvet dress with long sleeves and a long skirt. It has ruching around the neck and a matching cap

Back view of the pale orange 1930s velvet dress that shows the wide sleeves and drape of the skirt

A partial view of the 1930s pale orange velvet dress that highlights the ruching at the neckline and shows the matching cap with silk bow at the back

This looks as if it were a fun wedding dress worn by Arline Nelson in 1935. The dress itself is all kinds of crinkled velvet loveliness but that little matching cap! #NewfieldsToday #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

#Ootd is this 1967 George Halley evening dress. The full navy taffeta skirt is lovely, but the true highlight is the ivory floral bodice, which features 3D appliques of various flowers. A year later, Halley received a Coty award for his romantic, standout gowns #fashionhistory

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Lillian E. Glenn Peirce and Mabel Glenn Cooper, 1929

Dressing gown
https://botfrens.com/collections/223/contents/95696

Thank you, that is really kind of you! 🤗

Oh but you can! Open leg drawers and away you go!

The bodice detail showing the back of a blue 1860s crinoline dress. The fabric has a black and white stripe. There is a silk bow centre back of the waist and the edges are trimmed with a fine blue silk fringe

A full length view of the back of the early 1860s blue crinoline dress that shows the various details of the bodice and then the broad expanse of the skirt

When the bigger picture is a little too much to take in, then a focus on some details can offer some welcome distraction. There is much to distract here from striped silk to bows and a shivery fringe. Early #1860s #V&A #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Emma Crampton Trainer, 1968

Fixed fan
https://botfrens.com/collections/223/contents/98516

Gift of Miss Irene Lewisohn, 1940

Mitts
https://botfrens.com/collections/223/contents/99250

Side view of Balmain’s black evening dress consisting of a vest style strappy bodice and a full, layered, pleated tulle skirt

Front view of the late 1950s black Balmain evening dress showing how the different layers of the skirt fall in different positions and shapes around the legs

A detail of one of the gathered and pleated tulle rosettes that was used to create the fullness in the layered skirt of Balmain’s late 1950s evening dress

No need to embellish the bodice when there is so much to see in the fullness of the skirt. Pierre Balmain created the layers of the skirt with huge rosettes of pleated tulle between stiff layers of crin. The black swan on cocktail night, 1957, #V&A #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

Gift of Mr. Louis G. Smith, 1940

Stockings
https://botfrens.com/collections/223/contents/97616