Category Archives: General

Eunice Johnson–Black Power Fashion

It is hard to overestimate the contribution of Eunice Johnson (1916-2010) to African American fashion in the United States.  She and her husband were the founders of Ebony and Jet.  Although she worked as secretary and treasurer for the Johnson … Continue reading

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Mary Lee Bendolph, Gee’s Bend Quilter

I imagine most textile lovers like myself know about the Gee’s Bend quilters, a remarkable group of Black women who developed their own strikingly modern quilting style in an isolated community in Alabama.  They became so famous that their work … Continue reading

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Considering Mrs. Claus

A recent viewing of Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street made me consider the fate of Mrs. Claus (or Kringel), the often forgotten partner of Santa.  Her history stretches back to the nineteenth century, but she is almost always left out of … Continue reading

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Dottie Quinn–A Life in Pants

I love being able to follow a woman’s clothing choices from youth to age, sometimes possible when I stumble upon a family photo collection online.  That was the case for Sylvia Dorothy Quinn, known to all as Dottie.  Her husband, … Continue reading

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Book Review: Real Clothes, Real Lives by Kiki Smith

What are “real clothes,” you might ask on encountering this book.  As the preface explains, Smith College costume designer Kiki Smith gave the label “real clothes” to garments that were not designed as costumes but had that had somehow ended … Continue reading

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Dog Days of Summer

It’s hot where I live in Southern California, although I’m close enough to the ocean to get some cool breezes.  I dress for the heat in light weight pants and cotton shirts, preferably very thin Indian cotton. However, many women choose … Continue reading

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Barbie Gets Old

In her long career, Barbie has been a lot of things—an astronaut, a teacher, a doctor, and more.  One thing she’s never been is old.  The Barbie of my day had unreal body proportions and permanently misshapen feet.  Not yet … Continue reading

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Book Review: Worn by Sofi Thanhauser

This is a staggeringly ambitious book, evident already in the subtitle.  By “people” Thanhauser means all people, everywhere.  And by “clothing” she considers not only the sewn or knitted garments we use for protection and expression, but also the raw … Continue reading

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Anna May Wong, Aging

By now, everyone must have heard that Chinese American actress Anna May Wong has earned a place on American quarters.  Key elements of her famous look, including the bangs and high eyebrows, remained with her as she aged.  The photo … Continue reading

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Irene Salce de Urbina in Dress-Up Sneakers, 1986

Born in Mexico in 1908, Irene Salce de Urbina moved to Texas in the 1940s with her husband and seven children.  She became a US citizen in 1963. Her husband, a minister in the Mexican Baptist Church, died in 1967. … Continue reading

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