All posts filed under: 19th Century

Taking tea and talking about tea fashions at Premier House

Monday was the much anticipated (at least by me) afternoon tea charity fundraiser for Save the Children at Premier House, where I gave a talk about the history of tea, and the way it has influenced fashion. It was a fabulous day: the event completely sold out resulting in a sizeable donation for Save the Children, the sun shone brightly all morning, Premier House looked wonderful, and so did my models. I wore Japonisme, the chintz pet made its ‘soft debut’, Julie debuted as a model in the Raspberry Swirl, Chiara looked beyond amazing in Ninon (as always), and I also debuted a new 1900s tea gown that I haven’t told you about yet.  Lots of excitement! With everything I do, there are so many people to acknowledge.  Save the Children for having the event of course, my models for being gorgeous and supportive and keeping me calm and putting up with my running around like a crazy women during the dressing.  Most of all, there are the people who contributed and supported in the …

Rate the Dress: Liberty of London Tea Gown

Dear Readers, I apologise that this dress is late.  It is late for the very best of reasons though: yesterday was my Afternoon Tea benefit talk for Save the Children at Premier House.  When that finished at 4, we had to get undressed, I had to grab a bite of dinner, and then at 6 I taught a Beginners Sewing class.  And I just may have been up into the wee smalls finishing things the night before.  Just maybe. So I’m a little bit tired, and went to bed early, and got up late, so the post is a bit late. Re: Last weeks 1930s dress on Myrna Loy.  The official rating is a 7.8 out of 10, but I really don’t think the dress deserves it, because most of you were too bored by it to vote (also it had waist ruffles (oops, did I just betray a prejudice!?)).  Those who really love 1930s weighed in, but there was a distinct lack of interest in the comments.  Alas, I have no way to calculate …

Terminology: When a corsage wasn’t flowers

Today a corsage is a small bouquet of flowers pinned to your bodice or worn on your wrist, but that hasn’t always been what a corsage is.  Corsage used to be a term for a bodice. Via VintageVictorian.com While a small bouquet of flowers and a blouse may seem like very different things, the terms are actually related.  Women used to gather a small nosegay of flowers to wear on their bodice, or their gentlemen admirers would send them small bouquets to be worn to an event.  These nosegays were called ‘corsages’ (basically a shortening of ‘corsage bouquet’) because they were specifically meant to be worn on a woman’s corsage. In the same way, men would wear flowers in their buttonholes, and these were (and still are, in the UK and a few other places) called ‘buttonholes’ though the name didn’t stick as well in America, and today they are more likely to call them boutonnieres (which is just French for buttonhole). The term ‘corsage’ comes from the French cors, or body, and thus has …