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 …

… Technology.  This meant everything from the “Spinning Jenny” advanced weaving equipment to the invention of the zipper.  We’ll discuss key inventions that affected fashion in the next week. (1800 Sketch: technology crossed over communications and transportation.  Inventions like the washing machine had direct influence, while things like the hot …

.. Ideology.  The status of women was reflected almost exactly in each era.  In the 18th century they were “trussed and feathered” as they supported their men, late in the 19th they wore “expanding broad shoulders” as they entered the work force, and by 1914 just before World War I …

… Function.  A woman working on a farm in Nebraska in 1870 had different fashion needs than Queen Victoria of England.  When women started working outside the home and playing sports, that changed everything from corsets to hatpins. Pregnancy and childbirth required adaptation of every fashion style throughout history.  How …