Some Historical Fashion Videos

It's the first day of spring break here (a bit of a pointless event considering my kids have barely had school for the past month), so I'm going to make this post quick, easy, and fun. It is appropriately inspired by my daughter, who spent a good portion of her time in quarantine watching historical fashion videos on YouTube.

It's hard to say no to screen time when your kid shows so much fascination in a favorite subject (maybe she knows this, and that's part of her interest?). Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to actually sit and watch most of the videos with her, at least not to the extent I would like. What I have done is bookmarked a few that looked particularly interesting and relevant to my area of study to go back and watch later, and it's the best of these that I want to share with you today. This first one is just awesome, providing a great overview of the changing female silhouette over the course of the 19th century. Darn it! I wish I could draw (a particularly galling area to be lacking in talent because of what my sister can do). Karolina Zebrowska, to whom we owe this gem, clearly states that she will not be commenting on the political influences that caused these changes (though she does mention the effect of Queen Victoria's reign), a subject I dabbled in for the early decades of the century in my recent post, The Rise and Fall of the Empire(waist). I just want to remind everyone that politics and social change are always reflected in fashion. Enjoy:

This next video is by CrowsEyeProductions, who do a beautiful job depicting accurate historical clothing. Not only is it specifically focused on Regency daywear, but it is also a gorgeous tribute to Jane and Cassandra Austen's sisterhood. Every time I watch this, I cry at the end. I can't help it. I could elaborate on why I do not think Jane would have donned such a gorgeous white gown (very Fanny Price, I think), just to toss a cap on her head and sit down to write, but I'll resist that urge. Instead, I'll dwell for a moment on an obstacle, which this video highlights, that is preventing me from getting my daughter interested in actually wearing accurate historical garb: all the pins. She's terrified of pokey things. 

Finally, on a decidedly lighter note, this video from Bernadette Banner (who I could watch all day. She's great. Anyone interested in creating Regency women's garb should watch this video, too). It provides a brief but surprisingly comprehensive history of underwear. If you can't cope with discussions of people's bodily functions, perhaps this isn't the video for you, but I must recommend that you try to get over that. Have fun with this one, everyone, and thanks for stopping by.