Mass production, especially trims.  In the 18th century, there was a lot of kilting and paper stuffing and bows and lace – but these were made from fabric castoffs and treasured and reused and remade. By the 1880’s, every kind of rick rack, fringe, braid, and bead was stuck on …

.. advertisements and catalogs produced more sales with photography than with sketches. These ads by Parisian “La Belle Epoque” design house Callot Soeurs which introduced lacy lingerie and fine lace creations, took on new meaning with photography by 1910.

… and ways to wear clothing and use it.  This professional photographer of the Edwardian Era took a self portrait of she and her daughters dancing.  The movement shows not only how they danced, the spirit of the day, but also how the dress drapes and moves.

There were professional women photographers, and amateurs at home.  One of the most important things were photos from the western regions of the U.S.  The information those brought not only affected decisions in the eastern U.S., but began trends in Europe and beyond as well. By the late 1890’s, Europe …

.. is “Portable” photography 1841.  It was the first women knew for SURE what others were wearing and how they wore it.  Before that was notes, cartoons, and assumptions. (Early Photos!  1900 Selfies)

.. the sewing machine! Early versions had been around since the early 1800’s, but they were models you had to stand up to use.  They were huge, dangerous things used to punch through layers of heavy wools and other industrial applications.  It took awhile for inventors to “pull them back” …

.. and now lets have 6 “things” that affected fashion “in the trenches”. These are notable developments in history that affected how clothing was designed & built. (Summary: Factors that make Fashion)

… Access and information.  How women knew about things, and what they knew depended on the method of communication of the time – Pony Express, telegraph, telephone.  It also depended on if they could get to a point of information.  In times of war, which seems was always somewhere during …

… and wealth are the 5th key influences on worldwide history in the 1740-1914 period we study. How many petticoats and how long your skirts were indicated class and status.  Wearing rich or imported fabrics meant wealth.  Dictates of Court, particularly the French Court which led fashion through much of …

Silhouette’s “Buffalo Gals” will present an Historic Fashion Show in less than a month at the Irma Hotel in downtown Cody, Wyoming.  This will introduce these “costumed interpreters for hire” to the public for the first time. We will be part of the Cody Gunfight show at the Irma this …