The Costume People
Victorian and Edwardian Dressmaking/Millinery
&
Needlearts Instruction
Educational Seminars
Dressing Mr.s Passmore
Fans, Flowers and Calling Cards
History of Undies... Oh la la!
Victorian Fashion History - A Visit with "The Ladies"
Dressing Mrs. Passmore
Mrs Passmore is an upper-middle-class lady of the late 1800s. As she is of the middling classes and prefers to mimic those of the higher social orders, she employs a Ladies Maid.
Mrs Passmore comes to us in her Chemise and Nickers. She will be dressed and commented on by her Ladies Maid. Her maid will talk on all the items and pieces that go into getting Mrs Passmore turned out as a respectable lady of the upper-middle class. She will also talk about the social restrictions Mrs Passmore, and herself must deal with on a day to day basis as two completely different classes of woman in the Victorian period.
Approx. 45 minutes
$150.00
Fans Flowers and Calling Cards
We talk about the social rules, niceties, and consequences of not following the rules of Victorian upper-class life. The talk is seperated into three sections…
Fans – history, interesting stores attached to the use of a fan and then we spend a few minutes learning to “flirt” with our fans. Each attendee is given a souvenier fan with which to practice flirting.
Calling Cards – We will talk about the history and interesting stories attached to the use of calling cards as a method of social introduction in upper-class society. We also talk about the unspoken language attached to calling cards and will be able to practice on samples.
Flowers – We will hear the history and interesting stories attached to The Language of Flowers. I’ll talk about the unspoken language and communications attached to sending and receiving flowers in Victorian/Edwardian society. A pretty handout is included.
This talk can by anywhere from 45 minutes to ½ and hour on each subject.
$150.00 - Fan cost is an extra $3.00 per person
​
Victorian Fashion History – A Visit with “The Ladies”
Using mannequins clothed in antique dress, we will talk about women, their lives during the time they wore these clothes and then their clothing construction. The talk can be themed or a selection of items from my collection. I usually show 3 or 4 gowns, for instance, a ball gown, something practical, like a swimsuit or driving duster and a regular run-of-the-mill day dress – maybe from a couple of different eras. If I happen to have something unusual in the collection at the time, I will also bring that item to talk about. This could be anything from Queen Victoria’s undies to a “designer” dress from a fashion center of the Victorian world.
I can talk for 10 minutes or two hours. The amount of “Ladies” shown will determine the length of the talk.
$150.00 for up to 3 ladies, then $20.00 for each additional.