My fascination with glamour began with a musical called 42nd Street. The visual spectacle of dazzling costumes combined with dancing was enough to make me dream of either being in a musical, or creating the glamour behind it. Around that same time period, there was another form of glamorous entertainment, known as American burlesque. Whilst musical film and burlesque are different in many ways, they both provide a sense of glamour, […]
This month, we will be continuing with burlesque-inspired lingerie while continuing our break from our sewing machines! In Feathers and Elastic: How to Make Burlesque Inspired Lingerie you will not be using any specific patterns, but rather working with limited materials to create showgirl lingerie. Continuing on with the inspiration I received from working with Philadelphia’s Cabaret Administration, I’ve created a basic frame bra, shimmy belt, and ostrich feather fan. Everything […]
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. Earlier this year, What Katie Did gave TLA readers a special, exclusive sneak preview of their upcoming Merry Widow designs. In case you haven’t read that article, Katie, the proprietress of What Katie Did, purchased a vintage Warner’s Merrywidow from me and had her factory in India replicate it with updated materials. Among other things, What Katie Did updated this classic garment with […]
I’m not even sure how to start this article. I kind of want to just post all the photos, tell you to go bid on the items, and then come back to me in the comments so we can both swoon over all the gorgeousness and commiserate about the castles, manor houses, and sprawling estates we’ll never get to wear these dressing gowns in. Because if ever an item of […]
The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender was a couple of weeks ago, and while I wasn’t able to attend (one day!), it did make me start to reminisce on the burlesque artists from years past — names like Tempest Storm, Blaze Starr, Lily St. Cyr, and Noel Toy. I love burlesque, and I have a tremendous amount of admiration and respect for the women who paved the way for Dita […]
