Hooray for a Mini-Episode! Inspired by a social media posts, we decided to do a quick episode for introverts and beginners to costume events.

We cover:

1. 90% of us are introverts...so it's ok to be an introvert.

2. What to do at events.

3. What not to do.

4. Touching and physcial space at events - in or out of costume (Read: Costume is not consent y'all.)

And just some antics and giggles from us as well. Remember everyone, we've all be new to the hobby and new to events, and we want everyone to have fun and enjoy themselves. So don't be scared to put yourself out there (but don't be scared to take some me time and decompression time, too!)

Keep it fun!

Abby & Lauren

http://www.americanduchess.com

http://blog.americanduchess.com

Facebook.com/AmericanDuchess

Instagram @AmericanDuchess

Hooray! We're back with a short and sweet episode devoted to giving you the quick run down about our new Kensington shoe offerings. While we don't get into the history of the shoe, we are just so excited to share with y'all all the new options with our Kensington 18th century shoe.

The Pre-Order opens June 7th and goes until June 21st and if you want to see the pretty shoes and all of your options in person - head on over to http://american-duchess.com

Till next time! <3

Lauren and Abby finally get to sit down with the *incredible* Zack Pinsent - Historic Tailor to chat about all sorts of different things - ranging from how Zack became a self-taught Historic Tailor, embracing your eccentric self, and nuances of fashion and the concept of masculinity.

At 23, Zack has a self confidence and ease with himself that is infectious, and is wise beyond his years. Not only are we impressed by Zack's tailoring skills, but also just by him as a young person who understands who they are.

Love Jane Austen? A good English Accent? A confidence boost? Well - this is the episode for you!

You can find Zack over at https://www.pinsenttailoring.co.uk/ or on Facebook (/PinsentTailoring) & Instagram (@pinsent_tailoring). Be prepared to drool.

If you wanna get to know Lauren and Abby better - find us over at http://www.american-duchess.com, http://blog.americanduchess.com OR on facebook (/AmericanDuchess) & Instagram (@AmericanDuchess).

See you next time! :D

To kick of the new season, Lauren and Abby sat down with Dandy Wellington to pick his brain about his amazing personal style, jazz music, being a jazz musician, and how he views style and fashion. We also get to listen to some of his amazing music during the show! So sit back, relax, and enjoy!

You can find Dandy Wellington and his back on his website (http://band.dandywellington.com/), Instagram (@dandywellington), Facebook (www.facebook.com/DWBAND/), iTunes, and Spotify.

You can find us at www.american-duchess.com, Instagram (@americanduchess), facebook (www.facebook.com/americanduchess), and our blog - http://blog.americanduchess.com

We're also at www.royalvintageshoes.com, Instagram (@missroyalvintage), facebook (www.facebook.com/royalvintageshoes), and http://blog.royalvintageshoes.com/

*Thank you to Dandy for the generous use of his music for this show. The songs you heard were Greenhouse Stomp, Harlem Rhythm, and his newest single, Winter Afternoon.

Today's the big day! Our new book "The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking" is officially released today (11/21/2017)! The past year was spent writing and editing this book, and we are so happy to share it with you! While we've chatted quite a bit about the sewing projects on our Facebook page, we've never really talked about the process of writing the book. So, we decided to sit down and have a chat all about that part of writing this book. If you're into Behind-the-Scenes content, funny stories, and general hilarity between us, we think you'll really enjoy this episode!

You can buy our book & shoes at www.AmericanDuchess.com and you can visit us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc. (all americanduchess).

Finally - you can visit our blog for the latest projects and previous episodes at http://blog.americanduchess.com

Thanks for listening! :D

(Note: We do curse a bit in this episode, just a fair warning...)

Zoë Beery is a fabulous vintage enthusiast and writer for websites such as Racked.com. On this episode Lauren and Abby sat down (via Skype) with Zoë to discuss her Racked article, "Flappers Didn’t Really Wear Fringed Dresses." Through Zoë's research we discover how Hollywood costumers and Post-War America brought on this unique interpretation of the truly unique and groundbreaking fashions of the 1920s. We also go down delightful rabbit holes of wearing vintage clothing, shifts in our American culture, and more!

We definitely recommend you read Zoë's article on Racked here: https://www.racked.com/2017/5/19/15612000/flappers-fringe-myth

If you would like more information regarding this episode please visit http://blog.americanduchess.com! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (American Duchess). You can also visit us at www.AmericanDuchess.com!

If you're looking for fantastically fashionable flapper footwear - head on over to our sister company - Royal Vintage Shoes (www.royalvintageshoes.com). We're also on Facebook & Instagram (@missroyalvintage), too! :D

In this episode Lauren and Abby sit down with Chelsea G. Summers, writer, to discuss her article on the birth of vintage fashion & the evolution of vintage throughout the last half of the 20th century up through today. Whether it's raccoon coats, 1980s does 1940s, should one modify or not modify vintage pieces, or what do we consider "vintage" today - we cover a multitude of different topics all centered around vintage fashion.

You can find the original article from Racked here: https://www.racked.com/2017/6/12/15750196/vintage-how-raccoon-coat

If you wanna connect with Chelsea you can find her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chelseagsummers

And - if you wanna hang out with Lauren and Abby, you can find us here...

Royal Vintage Shoes:

http://blog.royalvintageshoes.com / www.facebook.com/royalvintageshoes / www.instagram.com/missroyalvintage

www.royalvintageshoes.com

American Duchess:

www.americanduchess.com

http://blog.americanduchess.com

www.facebook.com/americanduchess

www.instagram.com/americanducess

We were so lucky to be introduced to Constance MacKenzie while attending Costume College in LA in July. Constance works as a costumer in England, and has worked in theater, opera, tv, and film. She was kind enough to sit down with us for a short while and tell us about her experiences in the pursuit of her career, how she got started, where she has worked, and what her advice is for young people who want to work in this industry. By the end of the interview, Lauren and Abby were left with a deep respect and admiration for Constance's drive and determination to be true to herself and not settling for anything.

You can see photos of some of Constance's work, links to her facebook & instagram(and that gif we talk about!) on our blog: http://blog.americanduchess.com

Don't forget that you can check us out on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter (@AmericanDuchess) or visit our website at www.americanduchess.com!

Thanks for listening! :D

Abby sits down with Samantha McCarty (again! See Episode 2 for more with Samantha!) to pick her brain about women's fashion and clothing from the first quarter of the 17th century (1600-1625-ish). This is an often over looked time period that Samantha has had time to really study since she works for a historic site that is from the 17th century. Ranging in subjects from what a woman was issued in a new "suit of clothes" before she arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, upper bodies, petticoats vs. kirtles, what the hell a "gown" is - in every sense of the word, and quite a bit on oorijzers (ear irons) - one of Samantha's specialties. So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn about something totally new a different!

If you like what you've heard today, or you want more information (pictures!) related to this episode check out our blog at http://blog.americanduchess.com and don't forget to check out Samantha's blog at http://couturecourtesan.blogspot.com too! You can also find American Duchess on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and www.AmericanDuchess.com!

Part 2 of our 18th Century Women's Hair Series brings Lauren and Abby together to create a terribly punny episode. (Sorry, Harry!) Sit back and listen as we go through the evolution of different hair styles for women in the 18th century, how the hair styles were created, and work on debunking some more myths about women's hair! For images and more information check out the blog http://blog.americanduchess.com! You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!