This weeks newsletter is at the link above. I will not be reiterating the text from there to here or here to there. Be sure to take a minute or two and read through it. A lot has happened around here in the last two weeks and there is so much more to come in the next weeks and months! We are just getting started!
Costume History Series: Ancient World: Egypt[1][2]
Here we are the 5th entry already. The skies outside today are mostly cloudy with some sun peeking through. The temperature is 63 degrees F. This is unseasonably warm for my neck of the woods (so to speak). The lilacs are blooming, the trees are budding, and the birds are singing everywhere.
In doing the research for this short article, I had so much trouble NOT chasing the white rabbit down the hole into the abyss of history. If some of you don’t already know, I am a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
The Ancient World timeline for Egyptian Costume is 2649 – 1640 BC. This seems like it covers many years, and it does, but the style of the garments was relatively consistent. As we have seen in cultures up till this point and even through today, clothing not only reflects the technological advancements mastered by the people, but clothing represents what your class or status is among the members if your society.
A statement I read “attire… fashion exclusively human characteristic and seen in most societies”. Does that mean there are other species out there that may or could wear attire? Just a thought….
The long and short of it: linen. Linen was the fabric of choice for Egyptians. It was light, strong, flexible, and perfect for the warm climate. Linen comes from the flax plant that was abundant along the Nile River. Animal based “fabrics” were seen as impure or only for the highest class in society. The quality of linen between classes was also evident – as were the way the garments were worn.
Men of all classes wore a loincloth. Higher class was a little longer, maybe to the knee, and possibly wore a tunic or draped cape (but the tunic and robe could be common for both genders). For much of this time period it was not unusually to see men and women with bare chests. Children were not expected to wear garments until they reached adolescence and slaves were not necessarily clothed. Those living in poverty and could not afford garments – did not wear any.
Women of the lower class wore shorter skirts that stopped at their ankles, while women of upper class wore longer skirts that may have even covered their chests. As time went on, the upper class garments began to shift to more form fitting (and covering their breasts) and elaborate, often including beads, jewels, layers (inner and outer garments), and pleats.
So here we are at the end of this little lesson…. What do you think of the costumes during this time? Leave your thought in the comments below.
Here we are yet again following along with history. This week we will look at the Ancient World: Assyrian costume/fashion. I personally like to look back and see how far we have come or have not come, not just with clothing, but also art and culture. Art alone can tell a good bit of history about a period in time or culture. [1]
First, where exactly is Assyria and what else is going on in history? Assyria is the oldest civilization in the world. Located in the Middle/Near East and dates to 2500 BC. It was an ancient Mesopotamian Kingdom and Empire. This Empire spanned the early and middle bronze and the Iron age.
Like many other societies, their clothing would differentiate the societal hierarchy through modification. This modification could be the length of a tunic, the layers one wore, the fringe, embroidery, and other “decoration”. However, the overall “style” remained the same: tunics and shawls. These items could be dyed, using natural dyes, for colors such as blue, red, yellow, green, and purple.
Middle class: tunics reached their feet, sometimes shorter to the knee.
Higher Class: long tunics descending to their feet, edges had fringe and braids, may even be embroidered and of wool fabric
Dignitaries of the court – they added girdles around their chest and their garments were dyed purple to indicate power
Royal garments: they wore a long robe that was on top of their first garments, these spiraled along the body and included fine embroidery with detailed geometric figures or flowers (most often repeated over and over).
Working women wore long tunics with long fringed shawls.
Sitting here listening to the birds sing in the tree and shrub outside my office window… the sun is shining ever so bright… blue skies above… alas, and the clocks go back this weekend… here we will all be confused…
This post will be short… there are many patterns to be made and muslins to sew for the F/W 2021 RTW Collection… Along with client garments and any other number of things…
If you are on Instagram and looking for a way to be active, you should follow @pinsent_tailoring and his #modernlessmarch – it has been fun to see all the topics and how people respond. I will be following along as we move through the next week. Today’s topic is #acceptance. This has been a year of hard lessons and acceptance is the key and has been the way to move from day to day. Accepting life may never fully return to pre-covid and creating different ways to work together from a distance.
I am grateful for covid in some regards, it provided me the opportunity to “do what I love” not necessarily what my college education provided. I absolutely love designing, making, sewing, working out how to make something work. It has also afforded me the time to find my niches and “meet” some really great people. I look forward to the future when we can all get together and celebrate.
If you missed it, there was a live Q & A session this past week — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAJ5-WFNIL1vGqJKQELMN_Q – this link will take you to our YouTube Channel. Be sure to subscribe – this way you will always know (first) when new videos are forthcoming.
Ah, yes. My client received her dress yesterday. “It is beautiful” “It is perfect” are just some of the ways she expressed how happy she is with the garments.
Be on the lookout for some promotional give-a-ways and referral gifts. That post will be out next week. We have also added a podcast to our Repertoire of ways to keep up with us. In the meantime, find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Did you watch any of the designers during fashion week?
Good Morning all my fellow followers and some that may just come across this. This should have been out yesterday. None the less…. Today at 2:00 PM EST there will be a Live Q & A session on Youtube https://youtu.be/IYFiKbnzAF0. This is the time to drop in and say hello. If you cannot make it but have a question that you would like answered, send it via email to jennifer.adams@lucky-7-studios.com and it will be answered during the live event. The video will stay up indefinitely for your viewing pleasure at another time.
Good day my dear friends. I must first apologize for lack of post, video, and newsletter last week. It was insanely busy. My studio is still not ready to move back in and I have been finishing a customer’s dress. (There will be a post all about that, after she receives it). When the studio is up and running – there will be a video about that.
So welcome to March. How did we arrive here so quickly? It was just snowing and freezing and you couldn’t see the grass. This month is so filled with exciting things for Lucky 7 Studios and you as followers.
Let’s not forget this is Woman’s History month. I may seek out a guest writer. St. Patrick’s day (we are all Irish on the 17th), the first day of spring (something to definitely celebrate), and Palm Sunday, are all part of the month of March. And who could forget Daylight Savings Time? It begins for those of us where our government insists on confusing not only the humans but EVERY SINGLE animal out there! I have mine trained that they eat at a certain time. Well, when the time changes, they have to be trained all over again (or maybe it is I, that needs to be retrained?).
I am taking custom orders for reenactments and weddings. Plus the new collection goes live in May. The website will also be getting a facelift this month – be on the lookout for changes coming your way.
It has been a year since the news of COVID-19 spread across the globe and everything was shut down to slow the spread. Here we are a year later….. small and large businesses alike are struggling to keep their heads afloat. I have seen businesses that have been around for centuries, fall apart and shutter their doors forever. I challenge each and everyone of you to find a small business (mine would be great) and put your support there. Preferably in your own town. Shopping from the big box tops is overrated and the products are like everyone else. Look for something that is one of a kind!