Author Archives: TheQuintessentialClothesPen

About TheQuintessentialClothesPen

The Quintessential Clothes Pen creates historical clothing and accessories as well as modern garments.

Dreaming Of Summer, 1920s Style

Posted on April 19, 2019

Spring has finally come! We’ve had a lot of rain (but it brings May flowers, right?), but also some glorious warm weekend days. Trees are starting to show small leaves, buds, and even full pink and white flowers. The daffodils … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s, 20th Century, Wearing Reproduction Clothing | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Ikat Print Henrietta Maria

Posted on April 2, 2019

I have a modern dress to share with you today in the spirit of completing my goal for early this year that I share the modern garments I made last year. This is my second Scroop Patterns Henrietta Maria dress. … Continue reading →

Posted in #virtualsewingcircle, Modern Clothing, Non-Historical Clothing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

1926 Silver Robe de Style Second Styling

Posted on March 21, 2019

Today I have a new dress adventure to share with you: the second wearing of my 1926 Silver Lace Robe de Style to a Gatsby Ball in January. The last time I wore this dress was last August, so it was … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s, 20th Century, Accessories, Costume History, Shoes, Wearing Reproduction Clothing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

1896 Bicycling Ensemble: Construction Details

Posted on March 9, 2019

As promised, I have quite a few words and photos to share with you about the construction of my 1896 Bicycling Ensemble, so prepare yourself for a long post! This post is a great reference for me to have all the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, 19th Century, Costume Construction, Costume History, Hand Sewn Elements, Patterning, Tailoring, Victorian Clothing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

1890s Women’s Bicycling Clothing: Patents & Advertisements

Posted on February 28, 2019

There’s still a post coming soon about the construction details of my 1896 Cycling Ensemble, but I have quite a bit to say so it’s taking a bit of time to write. While working on it I found some great examples … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, 19th Century, Accessories, Costume History, Social History, Undergarments, Victorian Clothing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Daring & Dedicated: My 1896 Cycling Ensemble

Posted on February 21, 2019

I’ve been hinting at the 1896 Cycling Ensemble I’ve been working on since December, first by sharing the black gaiters I made as part of the ensemble, then by sharing my deliberation and eventual decision to take a shortcut with … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, 19th Century, Costume Construction, Costume History, Social History, Tailoring, Victorian Clothing, Wearing Reproduction Clothing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Shortcut Dickey Report

Posted on February 12, 2019

When ordering things from the internet sometimes you just don’t know if what you pull out of the shipping envelope will be what you hope for… but I’m pleased to report that my dickey and bowtie shortcut was successful! The dickey … Continue reading →

Posted in Accessories, Costume Construction, Dictionary Definitions | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments