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{Fabric of Time: Rayon} Part 2: What's in a Name?

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{Fabric of Time: Rayon} Part 2: What's in a Name?

Despite the hype surrounding the wonders of artificial silk, early rayon suffered from an image problem. Manufacturers were often coy in their advertising, frequently avoiding the term “artificial” in favour of euphemisms. It was time to give the new fibre its own identity.

A Colourful History: The Textile Colour Card Association of the United States

A Colourful History: The Textile Colour Card Association of the United States

Decades before Pantone’s colour of the year, the Textile Colour Card Association (TCCA) led the way in the standardisation of colours and colour names. Established in 1915, the TCCA provided American textile industry and dealers with “indispensable guidance in the manufacture and ordering of colours.”

January Blues (and Pinks and Yellows)

January Blues (and Pinks and Yellows)

Today is “Blue Monday” - so called because of a pseudoscientific calculation that it is the most depressing day of the year: Christmas is a fading memory, the days are short and grey, everyone’s still broke and payday is still a week away. Along with many others, I experience Seasonal affective disorder, so to combat the instinct to hibernate the month away, I like to focus on planning and action, looking forward to the year ahead. I know that resolutions aren’t for everyone, but I find setting out plans and goals to be a really positive exercise for me.

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20th Century Fashion Eras

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20th Century Fashion Eras

One from the archives! I first published this post back in 2011, and it proved one of my most popular reference posts, and my most pinned/reposted images and content. My original aim was to provide a quick-reference guide to the key features of 20th century fashion eras to illustrate the evolution of style through the years, and to encourage a system of categorisation thinking outside the decade-by-decade box.

My handmade and vintage #Goodwoodstyle over the years for @goodwoodrevival, in paper doll form! For 2018 I recreated the yellow and green outfit worn by Betty Grable in the 1944 movie Pin Up Girl. In 2019 I wore coral accented with chocolate and aqu
I had the most amazing day at @goodwoodrevival yesterday - after a last-minute change of outfit plans thanks to the less-than-clement weather, I was beyond thrilled to be selected as a finalist for the #goodwoodbestdressed #goodwoodbestdressed24 cont
I was chatting with a good friend recently and she told me about a conversation she’d once had wherein someone shared a mistaken impression of me as some kind of… tradwife or something? Because I’m married and I’m into vintag
I think I’ve described every one of the patterns I’ve released through my Patreon as my favourite, but there are definitely some I come back to time and again. The #daytripperdress is one - it was among the first patterns I released, and
Another throwback to Madagascar last year and my fishy beach cape. I’ve long been obsessed with the concept of beach capes, which were popular in the 1930s-50s, often made in chenille or terrycloth fabrics. I’ve used this one on beach hol
Throwback to our Madagascar trip last year, and this tropical dream of a pattern, the #waterfalldress from #charmpatterns. Inspired by an original “Polynesian pattern” edition, it works great in a floaty viscose challis like this for the
Another of my favourite patterns is the #mimosadress, which I released last year. I’ve made five versions of it now. I like that the relatively simple silhouette lets a bold print like this shine. It’s also another one that comes together
More views of the #catskillshalterneck bodice (paired with the #sightseeingskirt). It was fun playing with geometry with this stripe fabric! For this version I cut the bodice front on a bias, aligning the grain with the neckline to create the V effec