So I get updates on the 18th-Century American Women blog by Barbara, a retired historian.  She's great.  She also has quite a few other blogs, which she updates constantly.  She finds the greatest things, an example of which is this video explaining 18th Century Women's Clothing Layers.



Follow-up video suggested by Youtube:  Getting Dressed in the 18th Century.  OK, I'm nearly (nearly) 100% straight.  I only say nearly because, damn the end of this video is erotic, right?  The swishing, the laces on the back of the stays.  I feel kinda weird about perving on this whole thing, but I'm also thinking that she put this out there on youtube and I clearly (clearly) am not the only person watching this and thinking costume fetish.  Maybe the only one with female parts, but still.

I feel weird.  It's possible I read too much historical romance-type fiction and fanfiction.  Also?  I feel weird.



That video led me to others by that same girl (I feel like a cyberstalker), koshkacat, who is adorable, as you can see here in this video 



Holy shit, there's a Costume College?  A COSTUME COLLEGE?!?  Must find out more about this. Looks like it's in Florida, though, on account of the palm trees.  In any case, holy shit, that'd be rad.

Also, yesterday we got a costume catalog for Halloween (holy crap, already?) and my children are obsessively reading it.  Mostly my son, but my daughter too.  Anyway, they have a $219.99 women's costume that I would die if I owned.  I wouldn't waste it on these losers here on my street in Middletown, but it would be nice to own, if only because I could "become" Phebe Taylor's ghost and really really indulge my freaky-deaky inner crazy person.  Here's the costume I'm talking about, Ghost Lady Elite.  I like the word elite there.

I have to be honest and say that I wish that she didn't have a stripper vibe going on.  It is what it is with women's Halloween costumes, I suppose.  As an antidote, I'm going to watch some more koshkacat videos.

Until next time and yea... it got weird, right?  Of course it did.

Update:  Following the Youtube trail, once again, led me here:  http://youtu.be/2pw-AVf6lFw and I found this charming.  Two things:  I love the curtsy at the end (one) and two, she really needs a lady's maid because her hem got caught on the underskirt and that bothers me.  Overall, though, more instructional than the first video way at the top of this post because now I get it a little more.  OK, then.