From My Closet - The Better Dresses Vintage Blog

Wearing our cobbled bonnets

Making a Regency Bonnet

... Always looking for new dress-up opportunities, I contacted JASNA to see what Atlanta-area events might require head-to-toe Regency finery ...
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Going Solo to the Summer Soiree

Going Solo to the Summer Soiree

... I wasn't going to let my lack of a dance partner or a partner-in-crime stop me from attending a mid-Victorian ball ...
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My antique Edwardian parasol

Making a Strap to Fasten My Antique Parasol

... It would need to be attractive but inconspicuous, made of period-correct materials, and not hamper the mechanism or damage the lace ...
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Another Reticule Rescue

Another Reticule Rescue

... I tore away the shattered chiffon lining, wondering why someone would have used such sheer fabric to house drawstrings. I hesitated before snipping the original, tiny, hand stitches ...
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Retail Therapy (It's "Nothing New")

Retail Therapy (It's "Nothing New")

... like most people, I enjoy a cute, affordable, new thing, whether I "need" it or not...
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Dirty Lowdown: Why (and How) I Clean Everything

Dirty Lowdown: Why (and How) I Clean Everything

... it shows you just how much dirt can be trapped in the fibers of a seemingly clean dress ...
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Making Movies: My First Year as an Extra

Making Movies: My First Year as an Extra

... I've never aspired to a career in acting. Nope. I'm in it for the clothes! ...
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A Vintage Tribute: "L'armadio di Elia"

A Vintage Tribute: "L'armadio di Elia"

... honoring Elia's life through a creative display of her beautiful, mostly home sewn, mid-century wardrobe ...
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Lecture -  "On Cameos: From Antiquity to Present"

Lecture - "On Cameos: From Antiquity to Present"

... modern machinery is electrified, while the ancients used a pedal-powered system similar to a treadle sewing machine ...
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Liza at Biltmore for Dressing Downton

Exhibit Visit - "Dressing Downton" at Biltmore Estate

... An excited gift-shop employee, captivated by the exhibit and my outfit, asked: "Is this what you used to wear?" To which I responded, laughing: "How old do you think I am?" ...
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Repairing a Vintage Hand Fan

Repairing a Vintage Hand Fan

... The shards had torn through the silk in several spots of nearly every section. Some were hanging from one edge. Others had completely detached. Sob ...
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Finished parasol bag.

Making a Parasol Bag

... I'd seen a single example of a parasol bag, and that was for at-home storage. But that didn't mean a carried version never did or could exist. Surely some enterprising woman had whipped one up back when, right? ...
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