Then and Now

I always find it terribly funny to compare things in our generation, to things in the 1800's. There are some very amusing differences if you stop to think about it. Some people have the impression that things were so much more moderate back then, but alot of things are more moderate still now! :) Here are some of the things that have made me laugh:

In the eighteen hundreds, you scandalized folks if you were climbing into your carriage and showed an ankle. (Now? Well, I am sorry to say it, but "people" aren't scandalized by much.)

The regular dinner hour for fashionable society was not till 8 or 9 o'clock p.m. (Now? 5-6 p.m.)

There were "Cinderella balls" that went till midnight for young ladies, and then grown-up balls often stopped dancing only at 4 a.m.! (Now? Well, in our circles, we just about turn into pumpkins or shrivel up and die if we aren't home from something by 10:30 or 11:00!)

If someone died, the women in the house wore mourning clothes for at least a year or two. i.e. dark blues, blacks, and purples at the brightest. (Now? Well....people try to wear black on the day of the funereal! :)

A women, during the last month or so of her pregnancy went into "confinement", in which she never went out, and very seldom received visitors. (Now? Well, Mama was in the mall a few hours before Daniel was born! :)

Rich people in America spent the summers up North and the winters down South, and chose leisurely where they went. (Now? Well, I can't tell you the last time we went on a family vacation that was anywhere close to even "out of state". Actually, I think it was CA 8 years ago.... but then...we aren't rich so that evens out.)

Very few people were homeschooled- public school was the mania. (Now? It is sort of the same but thankfully I now dare to say: "Move over yellow school-bus! The fifteen-passenger is barging through!" ;)

There were two very, very distinct "classes" as many of you already know. (Now? Well, let's just say that I don't think any young man shall inquire how much my annuity is worth, and whether I come from "gentry" before he'll ask to court me, or whether my father made his "fortune" in trade, or did he "come by it honestly", which after all, simply means that he inherited it? ;)

Women prized long, flowing hair and wore fake hair to achieve the idea. (Now? Um....how many of you have seen women with spikes and buzz-cuts?)

The idea of a "beauty" in the eighteen hundreds was a young lady with a round face, creamy skin, little hands and feet, and a bit plump, so that they perfectly achieved the classic "hourglass" shape with only the help of a whale-bone and steel-reinforced corset. (Now? Grrr.... super tall, super skinny, super blond, super tanned.....very coarse and unfeminine. I despise the modern look I see all over the place!!! It angers me to see women so mistaking the natural beauty the Lord has blessed them with! I totally missed my era as far as this topic goes! :)

The new "moter-car" was reputed to fly along at the dizzying rate of 8 miles an hour! (Now? Hee-hee. Anyone ever heard of Daytona 500? Wait. That is racing right? I've never been into that, but it seemed a good analogy! :)

See what I mean? I love the 1800's!!!! But I also love my life today, at least in the family I have been blessed with! :) Yay for history! -Rachel

From the Boutique Of Mdmslle. Le Fonzwique ;)

Hey guys! Sarah and I are desperate for pictures to put on here, (since Dad doesn't wish us to put pictures of ourselves on) so we decided to do a Civil War fashion post. So if you are a boy reading this that will wish to complain, it probably won't interest you so don't read further! ;) Now, with the Foster's upcoming ball (that we probably are going to) Sarah and I have been thinking about what we are going to wear. I have decided I'll follow the "KISS" rules which are: "Keep it Simple and Sensible". So I'll just wear my Civil War skirt, a white blouse, and a black belt or sash. I will certainly not be as much of a belle as this:

But I'll pass fine, and I think I'll be more comfortable than she! Think about how uncomfortable those dresses are! Think about it- A young woman like myself should have a waist measurement that matched my age! 17 inches? Maybe I could get away with 18? I give a loud resounding laugh to that one! The look was achieved by a corset that squeezed you till you could scarcely breathe. Now, I've never tried one, but Heavens! Could one really do a good Virginia Reel without keeling over? I think not.

But of course, to accentuate you tiny waist, a lady must wear a hoop under her skirts. Thankfully, I have one. Hoops are tons of fun to dance in. That is...if you don't step on it and rip the hem out of your skirt! Make sure you wear plenty of petticoats, even with a hoop, as it is "The Fashion" to have a full, puffy skirt. (I don't wear one. Shame on me! We just wear pants beneath our skirts in lieu of bloomers.) Then we come to shoes. I would be sure to break my ankle if I tried wearing one of these:

And then, you must have gloves. I think I'll ask Miss Thompson of Thompson Hall if I can borrow a pair of hers! The hairstyle is the last thing! I haven't decided how I'll do mine! I have experimented many different ways of doing various people's hair:

Here is one of my models after I did her hair in a Recamier Coiffure.

That is not strictly a Civil War style, but still pretty. Civil War styles were very sleek and flat. The young ladies wore their hair in buns at the base of their head, and the older ladies with their buns higher up. Well, I hope you enjoyed this post! I have to go do chores! -Rach