Author: VIRGINIA HILL
I am a dress historian. I lecture on history of dress and fashion at Istituto Marangoni, Milan and Florence campuses. I am also guest lecturer on Masters courses at the Accademia del Costume e della Moda in Rome. Other work commitments are freelance researching for fashion houses, costume collectors, antique dealers. I am a founding member of MISA the first association of fashion historians in Italy. I have been a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK since 2012.
Anglomania, hats and english women
colonial artist, Mrs Graham of Kinross, her daughter and a Jamadar (India), 1786 Today I was guest blogger on … More
MINI POSTS No.1: On fashion ‘metissage’
I have been silent for too long, time taken up by teaching, researching and simply living. I am back ‘on … More
REFLECTION ON THE WHITE SHIRT AND WOMANKIND
The 8th of March has just been and gone. Pre-packed sprigs of yellow mimosa in the supermarket and tacky adverts…. … More
ALL WRAPPED UP! (Post no. 1 on fur fashions)
El Greco, Lady in fur, 1580s, Glasgow museums and galleries, Scotland El Greco’s enigmatic lady is wrapped up in a … More
A LONG HOT SUMMER (Post no.1 )
Vogue USA, 1941 The first official summer weekend is round the corner and I want to celebrate it in true … More
GARDEN DRESSING
Alberto Vargas, 1940s, Esquire magazine, USA GARDEN DRESSING is a new pet project I am working on with Italian … More
BLACK AND WHITE UNITE! (Post no.4 on colour combinations in dress)
Photo John French, model Susan Abraham in John Cavanagh lace evening dress, 1957 The combination of black and white in … More
Going blue (Post no.3 on colour combinations in dress)
La Gazette du Bon Ton, cover by George Lepape, cape by J. Lanvin, 1923 Mark Rothko Blue goes well with … More
R & B (Post no.2 on colour combinations in dress)
Mark Rothko Back to the topic of colour combinations, this time its red and blue, an all-time fashion favorite. Why? … More
COLOUR SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS (Post no.1 on colour combinations in dress)
Felice Casorati, the red jacket, 1939, MART Rovereto, Italy In this, and the following posts, I shall let my … More
RENAISSANCE MEN’S UNDERPANTS EXPOSED
Benozzo Gozzoli, Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, 1465c, San Giminiano, Italy It’s not an easy topic to cover, underpants… As the … More
RE-POSTS!: Men in underpants
I am re-posting this piece on men in underpants from last year. Time to get back onto this interesting topic … More
Rising up to the times (Post no.2 on WW I fashions)
Journal des Dames et des Modes, Paris, 1913 This post wants to investigate the ‘rise’ (literally) in fashion of the … More
COMFORT IN THE DISCOMFORT OF WAR (Post no.1 on World War I fashion)
La Baionnette magazine, France, 1916 In this post Fashionarchaeology wants to pay its own (thematic) tribute to the memory of World … More
Back to the Future in 1503
Christian Tagliavini, 1503 Cecilia, 2011 People sometimes ask me why I do what I do. Recently I found myself in … More
THE SOUND OF FASHION (post no.1 on the noise fashion makes)
Punched leather and ivory fan, 1590-1600c, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA Can fashion make a noise? Can what we … More
Rossetti’s lips (Post no.1 on Pre-Raphaelite ideals of beauty)
Sir John Everett Millais, Ophelia, 1851-2, Tate Britain, London UK An exhibition of Pre-Raphaelite paintings just opened in Turin (Italy) … More
THE FINE ART OF WOMEN WASHING THEIR HAIR
Women washing their hair appears to be a constant subject matter in the history of art, chosen by artists worldwide … More
FEELING PROUD!
anon photo, gentleman and lady (wearing Bloomer costume), 1851-4c, USA http://www.fashionarchaeology.com is feeling proud today as we have gone over … More
VIRGINIA HILL 