The history of thrifting : the Victorian way to fight fast fashion!
The Victorians loved thrift shopping, and it goes back a lot further than the Victorians! Time for a deep dive into the history of the secondhand clothes trade and its role in fashion history. As usual, a lot of the problems of the modern fashion industry (like low-quality fast fashion) are not as old as we think . . .
This Jewish medieval woman just got a statue : Analyzing the Licoricia of Winchester statue’s clothes
Who was Licoricia of Winchester, and why did this medieval woman get a bronze statue? Does it show historically accurate medieval dress? Licoricia of Winchester was a powerful 13th century Jewish businesswoman who left her mark on medieval history.
Is a Halloween witch costume antisemitic?
The witch halloween costume : pointy witch hat, long hooked nose-- and anti-semitism?! The history of witch costumes and anti-semitic stereotypes goes back further than the witch trials to the middle ages, when Jews and witches were considered one and the same. Turns out, this harmless-seeming witch Halloween costume has a problematic history, and as a Jewish dress historian, I'm here to explain it.
Let's chat about Dickens Fair and antiracism
Black Victorians existed. But at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco, the production company doesn't really care. Living history and reenactment events need good inclusion, diversity, anti racism, and accessibility policies, but Red Barn Productions has really shoddy ones. The Londoners of the African Diaspora (the Black cast and crew affinity group, LoAD for short) deserve our support in their push for change.
Historical Costume vs Catcalling : Feminist fashion trends men hated
"Fashion Trends Men Hate" isn't a new thing. Nor is street harassment or catcalling. Hoopskirts, hat pins, and more of these feminist historical fashion trends helped fight unwanted advances and catcalls by maintaining personal space, keeping men at a distance, symbolizing womens' power, and even LITERALLY STABBING men who grabbed women on the street.