What is a vasquine or basquine? Is it a type of early corset? Read on if you want to find out!
Blog
Talk: Body-makers and Farthingale-makers in Seventeenth-Century London
By 1700 tailors no longer dominated England’s garment marketplace, as stay-makers, mantua-makers and seamstresses began to produce key items of female dress previously made by tailors. The demise of the tailoring monopoly was a complex process that involved many factors. This article examines one overlooked aspect of this transition by exploring two groups of specialized artisans that have been previously neglected in histories of seventeenth-century garment production: farthingale-makers and body-makers.
Talk: Whalebone and Sixteenth-Century Fashion
Recently I gave a talk on the use of whale baleen (otherwise known as whalebone) in fashion in sixteenth-century Europe, particularly England.
Seventeenth-Century Busks, Courtship and Sexual Desire
In 2014 my article on this subject was published by Gender & History and a subsequent blog post titled, '“He shall not haue so much as a buske-point from thee”: Examining notions of Gender through the lens of Material Culture' was posted on the blog for the Journal for the History of Ideas. I figured that… Continue reading Seventeenth-Century Busks, Courtship and Sexual Desire
Lady Mary Fitzroy and the St. John’s Cemetery Project
A little while ago I was asked to research and write a biographical essay on an English aristocrat, Lady Mary Fitzroy (nee Lennox) for the St. John's Cemetery Project. St. John's Cemetery in Parramatta is Australia's oldest surviving European cemetery. The St. John’s Cemetery Project is a public history project founded by Dr Michaela Cameron… Continue reading Lady Mary Fitzroy and the St. John’s Cemetery Project
New Interview: I talk about reconstruction, whalebone and more!
Recently I was interviewed about my new position as a McKenzie Fellow at the University of Melbourne and about the research project on baleen and fashion that I will be undertaking there. I also chatted more about historical reconstruction and how valuable it is to understand the dress and making practices of the past. If… Continue reading New Interview: I talk about reconstruction, whalebone and more!
Rebato, c. 1600-1625 | Part Five: Finishing the Rebato
Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part One: Brief History and Materials Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Two: The Pattern Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Three: Making the Wire Frame Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Four: Making the Linen Collar Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Five: Finishing the Rebato 1. Pin the collar to the frame and check that it looks correct.… Continue reading Rebato, c. 1600-1625 | Part Five: Finishing the Rebato
Rebato, c. 1600-1625 | Part Four: Making the Linen Collar
Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part One: Brief History and Materials Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Two: The Pattern Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Three: Making the Wire Frame Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Four: Making the Linen Collar Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Five: Finishing the Rebato 1. Place and cut the pattern. I’m using a lightweight semi-transparent linen.… Continue reading Rebato, c. 1600-1625 | Part Four: Making the Linen Collar
Rebato, c. 1600-1625 | Part Three: Making the Wire Frame
Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part One: Brief History and Materials Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Two: The Pattern Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Three: Making the Wire Frame Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Four: Making the Linen Collar Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Five: Finishing the Rebato 1. Using my pattern, draw out the shape of the rebato collar on… Continue reading Rebato, c. 1600-1625 | Part Three: Making the Wire Frame
Rebato, c. 1600-1625 | Part Two: The Pattern
Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part One: Brief History and Materials Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Two: The Pattern Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Three: Making the Wire Frame Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Four: Making the Linen Collar Rebato, c. 1600-1625 Part Five: Finishing the Rebato My rebato is based on a pattern drafted by myself using the rebato… Continue reading Rebato, c. 1600-1625 | Part Two: The Pattern