Cassidy Percoco

@mimicofmodes

Fashion/material culture scholar. Curator at GCVM (opinions my own). Author of Regency Women's Dress, 1800-1830. AskHistorians moderator. (she/her) Links to my blog, newsletter, and Etsy shop:

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Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· 24d

Did more photos today as a combined cataloguing/inventory effort! About 17 gowns and 10 cloaks. I am totally enervated but excited to get the photos edited and added to the database next week. 🗃️🪡 #museums

A white Regency dress on a dress form, standing on a roll of grey paper, lit from the sides.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· 26d

And lastly, the cap that was part of the same lot. An excellent example of an informal but still somewhat dressy morning cap. Those long, rounded lappets would hang over the wearer's shoulders. The wearer's name is inked inside, but is too common to trace. hub.catalogit.app/genesee-coun...

A photo of a white muslin cap with ruffles around the face and a very large, gathered crown. A set of ties tie under the chin, and two long lappets drape down to the sides.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· 26d

Very cool piece that sits midway between a bonnet and a cap! I have settled mostly on "bonnet", though. It dates to 1805-1810, prior to the Regency proper. hub.catalogit.app/genesee-coun...

Photo of a corded white cotton bonnet with no ties on a styrofoam head.

Photo of the same bonnet from the side, showing rows and rows of cording.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· 26d

Still deciding what I think about her. I am sort of wondering if this is a Quaker gown - no decoration, ambiguously dateable, dark-colored silk? But as I said during the auction, it could simply be someone's "best" that was later altered. hub.catalogit.app/genesee-coun...

A dress of dark green silk twill, with the increased upper sleeves of the mid 1820s.

Photo of the cuff on the dress's sleeve, with a self-fabric button.

A photo of the back of the gown's bodice, showing broad green-on-green striping across the center back piece.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· 26d

Initially I believed this to be a morning gown, as I think the auction described it, but when handling and dressing it I came to the conclusion that it's probably a warm-weather pelisse. There aren't enough of these out there! hub.catalogit.app/genesee-coun...

Photo of a pelisse made of a white-on-white striped fabric, with a ruffles collar and ruffles down the front opening and around the hem.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· 26d

2) The motif embroidered around the train appears to be American sweetgum, native to the southeast of the United States, which might provide a hint toward the origins of the gown.

A shot of the train from above, showing the embroidered pointed leaves and spiky seedpods.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· 26d

Two particular things of interest here. 1) The drawstring at the back waist is set up to be drawn in at the sides and tied off in front, *under the skirt*, which seems to me to be a game-changer for Regency costumers everywhere. hub.catalogit.app/genesee-coun...

A white muslin gown with high waistline and full, short sleeves, embroidered down the front and around the hem.

The same gown from the back, showing the train.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· 26d

Time to show off the new 👗s! The first is a drawstring-front gown from ca. 1800, with sleeves that extend down to the knuckles, which I love. Note that it does not open all the way down to the hem, that's a tuck. 🗃️🪡 hub.catalogit.app/genesee-coun...

A photo of a narrow yellow-green print gown with a gathered bodice and long sleeves.

Close-up of the wrist curve in the sleeve, showing the abstracted floral print.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jul 8

Hannah Chatterton Hyde's 1857 wedding dress was made with diagonal pleats across the bodice and with bright blue silk button-ornaments sewn over the hook-and-eye closure. You can also make out the meticulous hand-stitching along the upper edge of the waistband. #WeddingWednesday 🗃️🪡

A close up photo of two double-tasseled ornaments on the front of a light blue silk bodice.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jul 5

The gown these pics are from is one of those transparent 1850s confections. The record suggests it might be/incorporate piña; I am not sure.

Pink and white silk wraps, crossed by an extremely thin, smooth, transparent fiber.

A closer view, showing how smooth the wefts are.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jul 5

Silk plush vs beaver fur would be screamingly obvious under higher magnification than I can achieve right now, but you can still see how much more orderly the former is.

Silk plush strands, smooth and long and shiny.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jul 5

On the left, the swirling tufts on the surface of a pair of leather breeches; on the right, individual aloe fibers twisted and wound into a net.

The surface of leather, a light tan sort of cloud flecked with darker brown.

Light brown stands wind around each other, manipulated individually. Background is white ethafoam.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jul 5

This is the heavy, homespun-ish cotton check of an early 19thc apron. Still fairly smooth but rather messy (the fibers are not as smooth and long as silk; they have a sort of flattened ribbon look, with bends and twists).

A zoomed in photo of blue and white threads of varying thicknesses woven together.

Even more zoomed in, looking very messy indeed.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jul 4

Silk is, in probably a shock to no-one, is a smooth and shiny bundle of long-staple fibers. Highly twisted crepe on the left, plain taffeta on the right.

A highly magnified view of white silk crepe, showing over twisted, crinkling threads.

Taffeta: the same kind of threads but not over-twisted, very orderly and neat.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 24

In 1842, South Avon bride Julia Bassman wore an extraordinary corset for her wedding. Made of two thin layers of fabric, it was decorated with padded quilting around the bust and hip gores and in discrete foliate motifs around the waist. 🗃️🪡 hub.catalogit.app/genesee-coun... #WeddingWednesday

"Julia S Bassman / South Avon / 1842" is written on the waistline of the corset, below the bust gores.

The bust gores, each surrounded by a sort of scale pattern in quilting.

A twig with symmetrical leaves on it, quilted into the white corset.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 23

I have a number of vintage patterns that I've been meaning to digitize and grade, but for various reasons haven't. Finally giving it a try!

The cover of a vintage blouse pattern, showing women in the four variants it contains.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 19

#FootwearFriday for real! This pair (G2005.157a-b) dates to the 1730s based on the construction and fabric design. One can imagine them worn by a woman with very small feet, fastened with a pair of gleaming silver buckles. 🗃️🪡

A pair of heeled shoes with latches, but no buckles. They are covered with brown silk brocades with red and white flowers and vines.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 17

Does anyone in the 🗃️🪡 know what German periodical labeled plates "Moden Z"? Two examples attached. We have a good few handfuls of them and I'd like to combine them under the proper title.

A fashion plate of three women in winter dress, 1818. Labeled "Moden Z. 1818 / No. 2" at the bottom.

A fashion plate showing two men in outdoor coats walking arm in arm, a woman in a green day gown and bonnet, and a woman and man in ball dress, with a few sketches of bonnets, bodices, etc. at the top. Labeled "Moden Z. 1838 / No. 43".

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 17

For #WeddingWednesday, an 1819 wedding dress made of a fascinatingly woven figured muslin. From the shape, this would have likely been worn over an undergown with puffed sleeves to hold out these flounces. hub.catalogit.app/genesee-coun... 🗃️🪡

A close-up of a flared sleeve in white muslin woven with raised designs in bands. It is edged with a narrow frill.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 16

You see.

A photograph of a red and blue-lit stage, with a promo pic of a red-haired woman reclining on a sofa.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 16

Translation Tuesday! Very simple one: "Hat of crepe. Gown of levantine trimmed with self-fabric flounces." From the Journal des Dames et des Modes, 1818. hub.catalogit.app/search/genes... 🗃️🪡

Fashion plate showing a woman in a dark blue gown and flowered bonnet, holding a white shawl.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 16

A small grey cat curled up with her paws bent at the wrist in front of her face and her tail tucked in.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 13

Pretend it's #FootwearFriday, because I have a lovely treat. This lone slipper is all that remains of a pair that must have been worn to a splendid party or two in the 1860s, likely with a gown in a matching shade of pink. hub.catalogit.app/genesee-coun... 🗃️🪡

The toe of a pink kid shoe, embroidered with an oak branch, complete with acorns. There is a pink ribbon rosette on the vamp tab.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 11

I didn't realize that I have access to the storage areas until late yesterday, so I made sure to go in today and do a bit of work there. 🗃️🪡

A tall storage unit with multiple rows of children's dresses on hangers.

A tall storage unit with two rows of women's gowns hanging on it.

A row of early 19th century soft corsets hanging on a rack.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 9

I finished one Folk Knitting of Estonia sock, and now have started a much simpler and smaller sock. I figured that once I finish this I'll be ready to do another heavy colorwork project ...

A small tube of ribbing in a variegated pink, purple, and blue sock yarn on wooden sticks.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 8

Here's a mid-19th century jug from Noah White's pottery in Utica, NY in the GCVM collection! hub.catalogit.app/genesee-coun...

Off-white stoneware jug marked "White's Utica" and painted with a bird.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· Jun 6

Photographed these FIC clogs today - I found a piece of grey velveteen to use for a backdrop and draped it over a piece of cardboard. It's really giving Sears photo studio, which I think is because the pile reflects light oddly and looks kind of like clouds. hub.catalogit.app/search/genes...

A photo of a pair of black clogs with squared toes and ankle straps.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· May 21

Belatedly adding an alt-text version of the picture because I try not to repost images without alt-text!

An evening dress of plum-colored satin with three-quarter-length sleeves; bodice is a surplice front with trim beaded and embroidered with zig-zags and triangles in contrasting colors. Natural waistline. The skirt is made rather plain, with the side fronts draped up to meet at center front at about knee level. On the right side of the image is a close-up of the beaded and embroidered trim.

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· May 21

I can't find the original post, but here's an early imitator from 2022.

A screencap of a tumblr post by DevilDaisies from November 16, 2022, reading "'bro where's your fucking whimsy' is such a good motto. I want to cross stitch it or something".

Cassidy Percoco@mimicofmodes· May 16

Friday night snuggles.