About this blog

This blog is about Vassar College's Trying on History project - but for now, it mostly follows one dress.

Yes, one dress. What can it tell us? What can we learn from it?

With a team of students, I have studied this dress down to the tiniest detail. We have measured it, drawn it, photographed it. We have patterned it. We are reproducing it. We are reproducing the corset that would have been worn under it. We are researching it, and its context. Who wore it? Why? Who made it? Why? How? (take a look at our full list of questions)

Yes, it's just one dress, but from it we're learning about New York City in the 1910's - and both the students who help to build the reproduction and the students who get to wear the reproduction will be able to step back in time.

To begin, you can start with some Highlights, or just browse around!

-Arden Kirkland
Vassar College Costume Collection (VCCC)
Vassar College Drama Department