Thank you Birch Living for sponsoring! Click here birchliving.com/abbycox to get 25% off your Birch mattress (plus two free Eco-Rest pillows!) during their President's Day Sale. Offers subject to change. #birchliving - Links to the different fashion shows & the Ref W corset are in the description!
Congrats on the book and please tell me that you have a chapter dedicated to late 80's early 90's Madonna's bustiers!! I remember my cousins trying to wear those!
The Margiela show for me was basically "Will people now finally understand that it was THE PADDING that made Edwardian waists tiny not just the corsetry" followed by "Edwardians Hats as Hair pieces *chef's kiss*" and finished off "Oh my God, ARE THOSE MERKINS!??!" 10/10!
For mr that show was all about the 17th century including the pannier styling. Would have liked to hear why Abbey saw that as more a 1920’s influence rather than the 17th century version that I imagine influenced the 20’s.
I was so happy to learn about padding from Abbey and others. I've gained 2" on my waist but my hips are the same, so my hourglass curve is less pronounced. But sometimes I'm wearing a skirt or dress that really needs that hourglass mermaid shape, so I made a (very bad) little hip roll to wear with those. I'm investing in some corsets and plan the wear the hip roll with them to exaggerate that shape. I figure some people wear Spanx, so why can't I wear padding?
Hey, it is takes me wearing an artificial arse made of wire and padding for doorways to be made comfortable for wheelchair users, I am willing to make this sacrifice...asstifice, if you will. I'll see myself out.
Am I the only one who was totally distracted by the gorgeous red dress/blouse that Abby was wearing? It deserves its own video! At least a short! Are those buttons down the sleeve functional or decorative or both? Asymmetrical front? Where did you get it? Enquiring minds NEED to know.
The buttons are functional! It’s how I get into it. It is actually a Maison Margiela piece I bought when I lived in Reno! There’s a thrift store there that specializes in only high end and designer clothes and this dress was only thing I liked in the whole store 🤣. I didn’t even know what designer it was until I got home. I figured this video was a great moment to bring it out since I was talking about Maison Margiela. ❤️
@AbbyCox that place always gives me "desperate gambler selling the shirt off her back and bag off her arm and shoes off her feet to get gas money" vibe 😂
That was my first thought, too. I remember getting a kick out of Marilla's comment about girls having to turn sideways to get through doors, as Anne is in heavenly bliss because the sleeves were the largest she had ever seen. GOD BLESS L.M.M.!!! Genius!!!
I had an idea for reusable pads that could be washed. My cousin and mom found that gross. They were probably thinking of leftover blood that didn't get out. Now they're being sold as an eco-friendly alternative. 🤷
I usually have reservations about interpreting high fashion in a historically inspired context, but this time it was truly undeniable. Fashion has been on the brink of a 1980s-like extravagance revolution for a few years (like with the stuff Daniel Roseberry’s been doing for Schiapparelli) and I honestly can’t wait. What an exciting time.
I was popping in to say that the pannier-style reminded me of my bridesmaid dress from the early 90s. Although it was more 1920s style actually as it was achieves with gathers rather than structural stuff. Not sure if I’m ready to relive the 80s. I like that there’s a lot of taking up space, but what is the porcelain doll look saying? (Besides look at this cool makeup) are we taking up space with panniers and sleeves and … merkins because we are fragile?
French pronunciation quibble: the pronunciation of the 'g' at the start of "gigot" has the same sound as the 'g' at the end of "beige", while the second 'g' is pronounced like the one at the end of "beg". So it's roughly like "zhee-go".
According to wiktionary it never did. The two pronunciations listed say it starts with either the consonant I wrote above or with the starting consonant of the word "just". So, zhee-go or djee-go. @@rororama3557
My inner Anne Shirley is loving the big sleeves! And as another commenter already said, here's hoping folks finally get that it's PADDING and it's always been padding or some other understructure going on, not that people tightlaced or were actually shaped a certain way. We can do that by seeing the model on the runway vs other pictures, literally days apart. Thanks Internet.
There was also a little photo manipulation happening back in the day. I can't rmemebe what RUclipsr pointed it out, but in some photos of the super tiny waists you can see the distortion around the background where the very earliest photo editing was happening.
@@kerriemckinstry-jett8625 Well, they're meant to keep little kids from drowning. They're not that easy to destroy, in my experience. Pretty thick plastic and very sturdy valves. Imagine the public outrage, if they were known for malfunctioning 🫣
So when I saw The Great Gatsby in 2013, I was a bit annoyed that Daisy didn't wear a typical flapper dress to Gatsby's party. Now I know why. She was wearing a robe de style. :)
1) I specifically removed shoulderpads from garments, because I have naturally strong, broad shoulders. 2) If I see someone with that porcelain makeup irl, I'm running the other way. That's some uncanny valley stuff, and it makes me uncomfortable af. 3) Pope merkin. That one's gonna confuse anyone reading comments before the video🤣
@MereMeerkat Right. I have an hourglass that's... sort of rounded out as I got older, so I wear flared shirts and skirts to emphasize hips while minimizing middle-aged spread. Also long tops to hide being short😅 Style is strategic flattery lol.
Speaking of wigs (for the head), at least in the circles I run in, wigs are becoming more common again. I love my wigs, I wear a different one every day. Wigs as accessory seem to be increasingly a fashion trend that is different than before
Don’t know if it is cost or technology but the fact that we only have a 100 years of acceptability definitely allows for more innovation than in clothing. Abbey made a great point here.
I got extremely into makeup after 10 years of being extremely into fashion. Makeup is great because you don't need to spend weeks on a look (if you don't want to, some looks that involve props can), you can spend an hour doing something creative and decorative, and if you don't like it, it washes off. You also don't need to spend as much money on it as tiktok or youtube influencers would have you believe, once you have tools, your rainbow of eyeshadows and maybe some gel colors, you can mix and recreare almost anything you see. It's magical.
@@razzmatazz1974 I would guess that it's partly speed and partly risk aversion. Why take a chance making something fresh and experimental when it might not sell? Kind of what big studios are doing with a lot of films: make something similar to what's already there, especially if it has a built-in fanbase who are likely to buy tickets to see that thing they love in the hope that this remake might be good.
I'm not super into make-up so I didn't really "notice" the doll look on the MM runway aside from thinking it looked cool, but yes, I think you're definitely right about it being the 20th/21st century "thing". There have been so many shifts since people started wearing it regularly!! Going back to MM which is the only show I watched, I was so happy to see the exaggerated waist to hip ratios, it's such an iconic silhouette!! It absolutely brought Camille Clifford to mind. And the merkins were a brilliantly subversive touch. I'm still a bit wary of Galliano, but I have to admit that this collection was absolutely IT for me. (and your merkin skit was ICONIC)
Lily James as Lady Rose in Downton Abbey wore two Robe de Style dresses for her coming out. A white one when she was presented to the King and Queen, and a bright red one for her party afterwards. I remember wondering about the panniers, but didn't know that they were also a 20s fashion trend.
All of the 1920’s dresses I’ve made are robes de style, the columnar silhouette looks like crap on me and C’MON PEOPLE there wasn’t just one silhouette EVER at ANY time in history
Yeah, people growing up in the 1980s do *not* need shoulder pads flashbacks! 😬 I have broad shoulders for a woman & will once again be forced to surgically remove all the shoulder pads from my clothes. I can do large sleeves, but I always need to downplay them so they don't look ridiculous on me (I am not otherwise a large person).
Anyone remember Rihanna's "Pope-like" attire from the 2018 MET Gala? Abby did it better and with fairly decent choreography. Excited about the corset book. Maybe Abby can get all those directors/writers of period films to stop insisting that corsets were only created to torture the wearer.
Thank you for your take on fashion week! I had noticed the Gibson girl references, but had never heard of a robe de style and appreciate you explaining it so well. Also, bless you for the B roll, I was crying. 😂 Best Pope ever!
I’m still waiting for the return of canes as fashion items, surely we can do all kinds of fun things with them now. Think of it like a long thin purse maybe.
As someone who already uses mobility aids, I'd love this. I already like to dress my canes and walking sticks up to suit my own tastes, but having it be fashionable would probably mean less public judgment for using them in the first place and I'd appreciate that.
6:59 (Flashbacks to ‘Downton Abbey’ where she mentions the leg o’mutton sleeve) 9:05 I’m reminded of Maggie Smith in that iconic purple outfit on the show SAY YES TO BIGGER SLEEVES! GIGOT 2024
Yeeeeeees, when the dowager talks to rose about the fashions of her youth ! Also flash to Downton abbey for the robe de style (lady rose présentation to court, in the London season)
Galliano has always been a master in using historical fashion and methods and warping it into something current, without losing the reference and feel of the era he's using. I'm glad he's going back to that, fashion wise, the fashion world lost a lot in the breaking up of Dior and Galliano
Two things: 1) you look gorgeous in red!!!! OMG!!! And that hairstyle looks great on you. 2) I’ve fallen in love with the exquisite fashion style and taste of the Swans. I know it’s not exactly historical fashion, since it was from the 50s to the 70s, I believe, but could you do a video about it? I wish I could find dresses like those nowadays.
I would love to see a chapter in your book that touches on modern corsetry, and more specifically how the drag community uses a combination of corsets, padding, and strategic fashion choices, similar to what we see throughout history, to obtain their goal figure and look!
Really enjoy the exaggerated silhouettes and the padding on the runway. The way the porcelain doll models were moving was just fascinating to watch too. As a horror fan, i can really get behind some creepy doll victorian gothic nonsense in the fashion world. Also, Someone tell safiya nygaard, they finally brought back the merkin!! What a time to be alive!
I’ve been noticing some things that resemble panniers in a couple of celebrity looks too! Jamiela Jameel wore a gown with obvious hip padding and I loved it!!!
Thank you so much for talking about the fashion and hair and overall inspiration. Yes, Pat McGrath’s makeup was exceptional, but I think the entire show was exceptional. Wish I could have experienced it first hand. Thanks Abby 🙂 Yes- even the merkins 😂
the merkin and the pope--LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!! my bestie and i were HOWLING!!!!! personally, i love a gigot sleeve, leg o' mutton, whatever ya wantsta call it. love a good power sleeve. :) i love seeing all the throwbacks in couture week--so much fun to see some of the prettier, more flattering aspects of fashion making a resurgence.
You, Nicole and Chrissy need to dress in 1830s dresses and play cricket, croquet and....and then 1920s robes de style and play rugby and soccer as a tik tok.😊 Birch Living should use Gryffy as a spokesdog
I think you really have something there with makeup as fashion! I'd be interested to hear a makeup historian's perspective on it too. I have been seeing a lot of bishop sleeves lately, albeit mostly in a cottage core context and not a modern fashion one, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was some relationship between the trends.
The shiny make up that made the models look like porcelain dolls kinda scared me, like horror movie. Maybe because it's new and I haven't seen it before, but..... Anyway, congratulations on your book and the story with the Pope and the merkin made me laugh. Also, my cat got curious about your pope dance during the bloopers. He insisted on sitting on my desk and half blocking my view of my computer screen so I would pet him around the last few minutes of your video. Then he actually started pawing the screen and your pope hat. So another congratulations, you got my cat interested in your antics.
I learned what a merkin is from a book of words that my dad had when I was a teenager. It was in the section on naughty words and was simply defined as "a pubic wig". I immediately enlightened a bunch of kids at my high school. So I'm probably the reason a bunch of people from my hometown know about the merkin. Abby, your pope outfit looks very similar to one I made for a high school history class presentation. That teacher loved to have us reenact historical events together as a class.
Clothing trends have become largely accessible to the masses through fast fashion. But being good at makeup requires a certain level of affluence to engage with, and the free time to learn the skills to keep up with the trends. Makeup also expires, so if you're not replacing and/or sanitizing it often enough, you're risking your health. I'm really not surprised that our individualistic society has embraced it as the newest way to show wealth.
17:42 well when you said there were weird historical trends, I didn't think we'd be talking about counterfeit holy relics but here we are (sidenote, why isn't this a movie?) "the circle of her merkin" would logically imply it was in fact a wig. It wouldn't be possible to get the "circle of" someone's natural hair except by cutting off the skin... and while Connington was planning on trolling the Church by passing a relic he knew was counterfeit (a civil misdemeanor for which the worst possible punishment was a one-way ticket to Australia) he was presumably not going to desecrate a body (a felony which could be punished by a long prison sentence or even death). The reason he needed to purchase it from the embalmer (rather than just steal one from her estate) is that for his con to work he needed the one she'd worn most recently and hadn't washed or powdered. The churchmen weren't going to believe it was St. Peter's beard if it was powdered and clean since the saint supposedly died after being imprisoned for a long time. 19:59 I don't know about the Robe de style or the gigot sleeve specifically coming back. But what was hyper present in this show, which has been missing from fashion for literally a century, is *understructure*. I know all of these models are super skinny because all models are super skinny, but you could not tell that from the way they looked. The clothes were NOT built on their bodies, not designed for their bodies. They were built on unique understructures. Each dress had it's own foundation, disregarding the body underneath it. Previous to this show if a dress had understructure it was self-conscious about it. It tried to hide the understructure. Or the designer had made the understructure into the garment. But this wasn't farthingales made into skirts: it was a dress over panniers but you can see the panniers. This is women's clothing as designed by women to satisfy a woman's fantasies (none of this was intended to be practical, but haute couture needn't be that). Margiela and Rocha both showed facsimiles of the body while hiding it's real shape: Margiela with the merkins and Rocha with the leotards that had padding underneath. Rather than pandering to the male gaze, they were taunting it. This kind of sensibility in women's fashion died out in the 1920s as the corset became the girdle. Hence why we now have body shape trends. Rocha and Margiela were clearly pushing back against that, by showing off the artifice used to achieve the trendy shapes in bygone eras. Re-introducing people to the idea that the appearance someone has in their day to day life is an artifice. Pointing out that the shapes which influencers now get plastic surgery to achieve were once done by much more widely available and less permanent means: and thus that this influencer culture is a scam. High fashion has largely been hampered by the idea that straying too far from the body's natural proportions, using too much artifice to conceal the body's shape, is bad. You can't be innovative unless you are willing to artificially transform the body's shape, and very few people were.
I agree with your makeup theory. 18:49 To add to that I believe “fast fashion” and makeup can go hand in hand in our generation because of their accessibility and affordability for all classes. I have seen that a lot of people are moving more towards how many pieces they have and how it looks on them. You can make any drug store make up look beautiful if you take the time to. The same goes with a $50 skirt from Sak’s and a look-alike on SHEIN for example. Love your video! 🩵
I'm all about the big sleeves. 1890s, mainly, but more recently it's been the similar kinds of sleeves in 1530s Italy, like, that red moment by Bronzino in Portrait of a Lady with a Lapdog? YESS. The 1530s has me in a CHOKEHOLD
I do agree with the makeup thing but I think the biggest shift in fashion over all is that it is becoming more and more androgynous and idk I feel like it’s building towards something familiar but also different I’m excited to see where it goes 😊
I don't know. I feel like 2010s were more androgynous and this era seems more femme to me what wih the barbiecore, bimbocore, balletcore type of trends. Superluxe has a great video about this
I would personally love to see lace, frills, ruffles etc. get more androgynous but I don't think this will happen in the near future. But I assume you were referring more to womans fashion than general fashion.
@@isazarts3159 no I was referring to men’s fashion, before if a guy dressed a certain way they would be labeled with zero regard and I feel like that held a-lot of people back we are entering a completely new era in fashion that men and women not only share clothing but they are also have interchangeable beauty routines and similar tastes in hair styles like the beauty cabinet is not just for moms and sisters anymore anybody can paint their nails because they feel like it back in the 90s a boy Could Not unless you wanted to be Horribly bullied… I feel like it’s slowly but surely becoming more and more accepted to feel beautiful and handsome at the same time I’m not sayin everyone is gonna start dressing like Prince or Bowie Im just saying that it’s more likely that they would be admired for expressing themselves rather than chastised for being “feminine”
oooo power sleeves- I love a good puffy sleeve! I am going to argue a bit about the big upper + tight lower combination- it shows up in the 16th c in Florentine portraits and again in Spanish tailor's manuals (16th c poofy sleeves are a fascinatingly weird pattern shape and I love them). But of course the 1830s are their own genre of weird and delightful sleeve cutting and I love them too! ETA: I know it's already a thing, but I seriously need to figure out how to wear corsetry in a layered, masc way
A history lover this made me SO HAPPY! I propose another whole story for patrons just on the dirty side of history, even just as a podcast. It would be so much fun since I’m sure you know a plethora of fun tidbits!! Love you SO MUCH! P.S. not that you need validation, but you’re glowing and looking so happy!
The pink robe de style with the ribbon embroidery definitely calls back to the Bouet Soeurs court gowns, which are my fave! Every so often I become obsessed.
We also use tarlatan to wipe etching plates for traditional intaglio printmaking! you can still order it online for that purpose. There's a whole thing you do to "break it in" and then you can use it to wipe the ink off of the polished surface of the place before you print. Tarlatan win!
i agree on the makeup thing as well. my observation would be, as fashion becoming more "accessible" or widespread, so too similar make up in the 21st century. it's a combination of both cost effective and experiments on the usage or applications. it's not that make up doesn't exist before, it's more of the idea makeup can sculpt facial expressions feels to me, as how it contributes to the cost/experiments.
Its not just accessibility, its also practicality. How practical is to cake yourself everyday in this stuff? How long does it take to get the desired look? Does the public have an accepting consensus on it? These are the types of things any fashion trend theorist needs to ask and answer before we even start speculating shifts in fashion. Regular fashion is not like the runways or magazines, same with makeup.
as someone with large shoulders naturally I have 3 options: buy 80's clothes and remove the shoulder pads, go sleeveless, or custom. If they bring back big sleeves i really hope they remember that people with big shoulders naturally exist. at this point in my life i'm just designing my own clothes, but there are so many who don't and have bodies that just aren't accommodated by fashion, and the shoulder thing has always been so frustrating. anyhoo, that aside, always love your videos!
Your take on makeup is fascinating - I would agree! I think the new fashion trends reflecting on historic simply reflect the movie trends. I’d love to see you do an analysis of runway trends that followed big movies or series trends
I loved this video! Reemergance of fashon from the past in new ways. But the best is the cardnal Kissing that darn merkin😅😅. I am still laughing and had to tell everyone, we are still laughing. Thank you Abby for this uplift today.😅.
So, I have a question about the Gigot sleeves, is this the common pronunciation in English ? We still use this word in French, it's a piece of meat, the upper leg of a lamb usually, but it is pronounced with a j sound : "jigot", I wonder if it was always said like this in English or if it changed through times ? It was such an interesting video Abby, as always, and I really loved to hear you thoughts about make up being the modern place for fashion revolution, I think you are right, and it is so interesting to think about ! Thank you so much for your work Abby, I love it.
I kind of love the idea of the future clothing trend being more structured gowns, where you can chose to make whatever part of you bigger (and there by make other parts smaller)! That would probably also be somewhat the end of fast fashion, becuase I have a hard time imagening that working out without looking like a halloween costume 👀 But of cause the best trend will always be to wear whatever you want! 😁
I had the video paused at the beginning of the bloopers and when I started it up again, it scared the shit out of my dog and he jumped up and growled 😂
I think Abby hit the nail on the head about makeup. Show a headshot pic from anywhere in the past 50 years, and i bet most people could accurately date it. Hand that person some typical casual wear (except maybe the 80s, lol), and it gets a good deal harder.
i am so incredibly happy to see this trend as i am about to turn 35. i am fully an adult, confident enough to wear the styles i enjoy. this was my dream as a little girl, and i am ready to fully embrace it.
Thank you Birch Living for sponsoring! Click here birchliving.com/abbycox to get 25% off your Birch mattress (plus two free Eco-Rest pillows!) during their President's Day Sale. Offers subject to change. #birchliving - Links to the different fashion shows & the Ref W corset are in the description!
Congrats on the book and please tell me that you have a chapter dedicated to late 80's early 90's Madonna's bustiers!! I remember my cousins trying to wear those!
But what was the purpose of a merkin???
The Margiela show for me was basically "Will people now finally understand that it was THE PADDING that made Edwardian waists tiny not just the corsetry" followed by "Edwardians Hats as Hair pieces *chef's kiss*" and finished off "Oh my God, ARE THOSE MERKINS!??!" 10/10!
We can only hope!
I wouldn't hold my breath lol many people don't even understand that drag queens are wearing padding lol
Same here!
For mr that show was all about the 17th century including the pannier styling. Would have liked to hear why Abbey saw that as more a 1920’s influence rather than the 17th century version that I imagine influenced the 20’s.
I was so happy to learn about padding from Abbey and others. I've gained 2" on my waist but my hips are the same, so my hourglass curve is less pronounced. But sometimes I'm wearing a skirt or dress that really needs that hourglass mermaid shape, so I made a (very bad) little hip roll to wear with those. I'm investing in some corsets and plan the wear the hip roll with them to exaggerate that shape. I figure some people wear Spanx, so why can't I wear padding?
MERKIN TIME MERKIN TIME
🤣🤣🤣
Lmao... I just left a comment summoning you. If there's mention of a Merkin, Safiya must be called!
LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 🦇🦇🦇
I saw merkin in the thumbnail and thought immediately of you xD
We all knew we'd find Safiya here lmao
Abby: "Do you know what a merkin is?"
Me: "CROTCH WIG!"
🤣🤣🤣
I had to rewind for my roommate, for he did not know. It was fun to watch him learn😂
@@AviDragonLady nothing like watching someone learn something new and awkward.
@kellyburds2991 lol yes!
Anyone whose a Safiya nygaard fan: my merkin!
Maybe I’m bored but we need to make outrageously wide paniers trendy again. Let’s make entering through doors a bit different.
I use a wheelchair and door ways seem to NEVER be wide enough so I'm up for a trend that makes the average clothing width about 4 ft!
@@sianthesheep also a wheelchair user, and if panniers widen doorways, I'm all for it!
@@sianthesheep Extra points if you can add panniers to your outfit while in a wheelchair! Who said wheelchair use has to lacking in style? 😊
Let's all take up THREE times as much space as men do! WOMEN DOMINATING SPACE: 2024 THROUGH INFINITY!
Hey, it is takes me wearing an artificial arse made of wire and padding for doorways to be made comfortable for wheelchair users, I am willing to make this sacrifice...asstifice, if you will.
I'll see myself out.
Am I the only one who was totally distracted by the gorgeous red dress/blouse that Abby was wearing? It deserves its own video! At least a short! Are those buttons down the sleeve functional or decorative or both? Asymmetrical front? Where did you get it? Enquiring minds NEED to know.
It was a gorgeous and well-designed piece
The buttons are functional! It’s how I get into it. It is actually a Maison Margiela piece I bought when I lived in Reno! There’s a thrift store there that specializes in only high end and designer clothes and this dress was only thing I liked in the whole store 🤣. I didn’t even know what designer it was until I got home. I figured this video was a great moment to bring it out since I was talking about Maison Margiela. ❤️
@@AbbyCox Love the video, and love the tie-in! ❤
😏 Get it? Cuz the blouse has a bow??
#sorrynotsorry 😁
@AbbyCox that place always gives me "desperate gambler selling the shirt off her back and bag off her arm and shoes off her feet to get gas money" vibe 😂
Once you mentioned the merkin, all I could think was "Safiya is going to be so excited!"
I can already hear Safina saying, "Alright."
Oh my god 😂❤
She actually commented 😂
The Anne of Green Gables in my heart is VERY excited about these giant sleeves. 😁👍🏻❤️
That was my first thought too!
This!!!💕
I went straight to the comments to see if someone would mention Anne of Green Gables.
Ditto! Puffed sleeves! 😍
That was my first thought, too. I remember getting a kick out of Marilla's comment about girls having to turn sideways to get through doors, as Anne is in heavenly bliss because the sleeves were the largest she had ever seen.
GOD BLESS L.M.M.!!! Genius!!!
19:25
I had the idea for glass skin when I was a little kid putting butter on my face to make it shiny. Apparently I was way ahead of my time 😂
I had an idea for reusable pads that could be washed. My cousin and mom found that gross. They were probably thinking of leftover blood that didn't get out. Now they're being sold as an eco-friendly alternative. 🤷
@@thundercat287 My mom had those when I was little and I used to think they were toy baby diapers. I could never figure out how they worked though 😂
@@Bitter_Beauty_Music probably still better than on America's Funniest Videos when kids found "stickers" for the wall 😂
Merkin in the pope hat, A++ improv 🎉
I usually have reservations about interpreting high fashion in a historically inspired context, but this time it was truly undeniable. Fashion has been on the brink of a 1980s-like extravagance revolution for a few years (like with the stuff Daniel Roseberry’s been doing for Schiapparelli) and I honestly can’t wait. What an exciting time.
I was popping in to say that the pannier-style reminded me of my bridesmaid dress from the early 90s. Although it was more 1920s style actually as it was achieves with gathers rather than structural stuff. Not sure if I’m ready to relive the 80s. I like that there’s a lot of taking up space, but what is the porcelain doll look saying? (Besides look at this cool makeup) are we taking up space with panniers and sleeves and … merkins because we are fragile?
French pronunciation quibble: the pronunciation of the 'g' at the start of "gigot" has the same sound as the 'g' at the end of "beige", while the second 'g' is pronounced like the one at the end of "beg". So it's roughly like "zhee-go".
Ahah just wrote about this, I wonder when the change happened in English !
Haha it was making my brain go 😖🫨🥴
According to wiktionary it never did. The two pronunciations listed say it starts with either the consonant I wrote above or with the starting consonant of the word "just". So, zhee-go or djee-go. @@rororama3557
I find it hard to believe Abby hasn't watched the Ultimate Fashion History where she beats the pronunciation of 'gigot' into you...
My inner Anne Shirley is loving the big sleeves! And as another commenter already said, here's hoping folks finally get that it's PADDING and it's always been padding or some other understructure going on, not that people tightlaced or were actually shaped a certain way. We can do that by seeing the model on the runway vs other pictures, literally days apart. Thanks Internet.
Maybe models will be less skin and bones and be a bit more flesh !? 🤔
There was also a little photo manipulation happening back in the day. I can't rmemebe what RUclipsr pointed it out, but in some photos of the super tiny waists you can see the distortion around the background where the very earliest photo editing was happening.
Now I want to watch a costuber try using inflatable arm swim things as a sleeve hack! 😂
Perfect for the 1830s and 1890s . Armbands
That's actually not a bad idea, if you're throwing something together in a time crunch 😅
@@raraavis7782 Exactly! The only problem is how do you keep them from popping/deflating in the middle of an event? 😂
@@kerriemckinstry-jett8625
Well, they're meant to keep little kids from drowning. They're not that easy to destroy, in my experience. Pretty thick plastic and very sturdy valves. Imagine the public outrage, if they were known for malfunctioning 🫣
Actually it works very well for 1830’s 😂😂
Can we bring back pocket hoops, please? I really want the cargo capacity of a picnic basket on each hip!
I second this. We need more pockets, the bigger the pocket the better.
Added bonus - absolutely impossible to manspread sitting next to a person with a picnic basket on each hip!
I love historical references in designer clothes. It reminds me that clothes looked ridiculous then like they look ridiculous now.
So when I saw The Great Gatsby in 2013, I was a bit annoyed that Daisy didn't wear a typical flapper dress to Gatsby's party. Now I know why. She was wearing a robe de style. :)
1) I specifically removed shoulderpads from garments, because I have naturally strong, broad shoulders.
2) If I see someone with that porcelain makeup irl, I'm running the other way. That's some uncanny valley stuff, and it makes me uncomfortable af.
3) Pope merkin. That one's gonna confuse anyone reading comments before the video🤣
I have put shoulder pads into things, because I'm wide but round. But with shoulder pads, instant hourglass. All about balance!
@MereMeerkat Right. I have an hourglass that's... sort of rounded out as I got older, so I wear flared shirts and skirts to emphasize hips while minimizing middle-aged spread. Also long tops to hide being short😅 Style is strategic flattery lol.
That shiny, porcelain makeup is some scary stuff. Also, that’s what I look like naturally at the end of the day during Houston summers/humidity. 😅
The merkin sketch absolutely killed me. 😂
Speaking of wigs (for the head), at least in the circles I run in, wigs are becoming more common again. I love my wigs, I wear a different one every day. Wigs as accessory seem to be increasingly a fashion trend that is different than before
"hair hats" is what several of my coworkers call them. (the ones in their 60s, mostly)
I've always liked the idea of wigs, but the storage needs and complexities of anything beyond the most basic anime wig are beyond my abilities.
Wigs have been in fashion for the black hair community for a major while now.
I do agree that makeup is having more intense fluctuations than fashion currently, but I think that has more to do with cost than technology.
Don’t know if it is cost or technology but the fact that we only have a 100 years of acceptability definitely allows for more innovation than in clothing. Abbey made a great point here.
Fast fashion doesnt have time for real innovation
I got extremely into makeup after 10 years of being extremely into fashion. Makeup is great because you don't need to spend weeks on a look (if you don't want to, some looks that involve props can), you can spend an hour doing something creative and decorative, and if you don't like it, it washes off. You also don't need to spend as much money on it as tiktok or youtube influencers would have you believe, once you have
tools, your rainbow of eyeshadows and maybe some gel colors, you can mix and recreare almost anything you see. It's magical.
@@razzmatazz1974 I would guess that it's partly speed and partly risk aversion. Why take a chance making something fresh and experimental when it might not sell? Kind of what big studios are doing with a lot of films: make something similar to what's already there, especially if it has a built-in fanbase who are likely to buy tickets to see that thing they love in the hope that this remake might be good.
I'm not super into make-up so I didn't really "notice" the doll look on the MM runway aside from thinking it looked cool, but yes, I think you're definitely right about it being the 20th/21st century "thing". There have been so many shifts since people started wearing it regularly!!
Going back to MM which is the only show I watched, I was so happy to see the exaggerated waist to hip ratios, it's such an iconic silhouette!! It absolutely brought Camille Clifford to mind. And the merkins were a brilliantly subversive touch. I'm still a bit wary of Galliano, but I have to admit that this collection was absolutely IT for me.
(and your merkin skit was ICONIC)
I feel like a Robe De Style was referenced for Lottie in the Princess and the Frog! You remember her big poufy pink dress?
I'm here for any kind of giant sleeves to get back in fashion. 😍
Three cheers for Abby’s cutaway acting
Lily James as Lady Rose in Downton Abbey wore two Robe de Style dresses for her coming out. A white one when she was presented to the King and Queen, and a bright red one for her party afterwards. I remember wondering about the panniers, but didn't know that they were also a 20s fashion trend.
I thought about it too ! Only example of robe de style I’ve seen in media
in my mind I'd also think that robes de style resemble the weird court dresses of Queen Charlotte who insisted on that look apparently.
Yes!!! I love that dress, it’s actually my favorite dress in the whole series. I will never forget that dress. ❤
Yessss!!! Let’s bring back corsetry and padding to make trending shapes instead of actual body shapes trending!
All of the 1920’s dresses I’ve made are robes de style, the columnar silhouette looks like crap on me and C’MON PEOPLE there wasn’t just one silhouette EVER at ANY time in history
I love your pope outfit. The labeled hat is what makes it. The Pope needs to become a regular side character in the abby-verse
Gen X Me: NO! NO! NEVER AGAIN SHOULDER PADS!!!
Also me: ... those leg o' mutton sleeves tho'...🤔
Yeah, people growing up in the 1980s do *not* need shoulder pads flashbacks! 😬
I have broad shoulders for a woman & will once again be forced to surgically remove all the shoulder pads from my clothes. I can do large sleeves, but I always need to downplay them so they don't look ridiculous on me (I am not otherwise a large person).
I loved wearing shoulder pads because they made my waist and hips look smaller. But I never wore the gigantic ones.
I loved that the pope put the merkin in his "pope hat".
Anyone remember Rihanna's "Pope-like" attire from the 2018 MET Gala? Abby did it better and with fairly decent choreography. Excited about the corset book. Maybe Abby can get all those directors/writers of period films to stop insisting that corsets were only created to torture the wearer.
Sorry off topic BUT Abby you are ✨glowing✨! Absolutely gorgeous!💖💖💖
She is pulling the hardest red
I was thinking the same thing, like her hair and skin look really good
@@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195frrr tht shade of red is so hard to pull off n she pulls it off effortlessly
Thank you for your take on fashion week! I had noticed the Gibson girl references, but had never heard of a robe de style and appreciate you explaining it so well. Also, bless you for the B roll, I was crying. 😂 Best Pope ever!
I’m still waiting for the return of canes as fashion items, surely we can do all kinds of fun things with them now. Think of it like a long thin purse maybe.
As someone who already uses mobility aids, I'd love this. I already like to dress my canes and walking sticks up to suit my own tastes, but having it be fashionable would probably mean less public judgment for using them in the first place and I'd appreciate that.
This needs to happen!! Steampunk and Victorian Goth are trying but the mundanes keep giving us side-eye.
6:59 (Flashbacks to ‘Downton Abbey’ where she mentions the leg o’mutton sleeve)
9:05 I’m reminded of Maggie Smith in that iconic purple outfit on the show
SAY YES TO BIGGER SLEEVES! GIGOT 2024
Yeeeeeees, when the dowager talks to rose about the fashions of her youth !
Also flash to Downton abbey for the robe de style (lady rose présentation to court, in the London season)
@@blooddragon805 Omg yeah! I know someone had a robe de style but I couldn’t remember who.
Galliano has always been a master in using historical fashion and methods and warping it into something current, without losing the reference and feel of the era he's using. I'm glad he's going back to that, fashion wise, the fashion world lost a lot in the breaking up of Dior and Galliano
sucks to be an antisemite though.
Two things: 1) you look gorgeous in red!!!! OMG!!! And that hairstyle looks great on you.
2) I’ve fallen in love with the exquisite fashion style and taste of the Swans. I know it’s not exactly historical fashion, since it was from the 50s to the 70s, I believe, but could you do a video about it?
I wish I could find dresses like those nowadays.
Back in the 80s I had the most wonderful sweater with those leg of mutton sleeves. Everything cycles around.
The Highwayman-Cardinal-Pope skit was just… perfection. I legit cackled in the middle of the airport.
I would love to see a chapter in your book that touches on modern corsetry, and more specifically how the drag community uses a combination of corsets, padding, and strategic fashion choices, similar to what we see throughout history, to obtain their goal figure and look!
Really enjoy the exaggerated silhouettes and the padding on the runway. The way the porcelain doll models were moving was just fascinating to watch too. As a horror fan, i can really get behind some creepy doll victorian gothic nonsense in the fashion world.
Also,
Someone tell safiya nygaard, they finally brought back the merkin!! What a time to be alive!
Your dramatic reenactments are a thing of art
This is legit the only coverage of fashion week I have coessentially watched....
I’ve been noticing some things that resemble panniers in a couple of celebrity looks too! Jamiela Jameel wore a gown with obvious hip padding and I loved it!!!
Thank you so much for talking about the fashion and hair and overall inspiration. Yes, Pat McGrath’s makeup was exceptional, but I think the entire show was exceptional. Wish I could have experienced it first hand. Thanks Abby 🙂
Yes- even the merkins 😂
Makeup and the hairstyle trends mark the recent decades more than the Ts and jeans most of us are wearing.
Wow I have never heard of the Robe De Style amazing!
the merkin and the pope--LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!! my bestie and i were HOWLING!!!!!
personally, i love a gigot sleeve, leg o' mutton, whatever ya wantsta call it. love a good power sleeve. :) i love seeing all the throwbacks in couture week--so much fun to see some of the prettier, more flattering aspects of fashion making a resurgence.
Enjoying all the attention paid to sleeves!
Congrats on the book!
Thank you!
Really hoping there will be an audio version read by Abby! 🤞 (obviously will get hard copy too!)
You, Nicole and Chrissy need to dress in 1830s dresses and play cricket, croquet and....and then 1920s robes de style and play rugby and soccer as a tik tok.😊 Birch Living should use Gryffy as a spokesdog
I think you really have something there with makeup as fashion! I'd be interested to hear a makeup historian's perspective on it too. I have been seeing a lot of bishop sleeves lately, albeit mostly in a cottage core context and not a modern fashion one, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was some relationship between the trends.
The shiny make up that made the models look like porcelain dolls kinda scared me, like horror movie. Maybe because it's new and I haven't seen it before, but.....
Anyway, congratulations on your book and the story with the Pope and the merkin made me laugh. Also, my cat got curious about your pope dance during the bloopers. He insisted on sitting on my desk and half blocking my view of my computer screen so I would pet him around the last few minutes of your video. Then he actually started pawing the screen and your pope hat. So another congratulations, you got my cat interested in your antics.
Ive actually been waiting for big sleeves. Not so much a shoulder pad but I would love to see sleeve supports become more popular.
I learned what a merkin is from a book of words that my dad had when I was a teenager. It was in the section on naughty words and was simply defined as "a pubic wig". I immediately enlightened a bunch of kids at my high school. So I'm probably the reason a bunch of people from my hometown know about the merkin.
Abby, your pope outfit looks very similar to one I made for a high school history class presentation. That teacher loved to have us reenact historical events together as a class.
Lanvin and ‘death grip’ in a sentence together is one of the many reasons we congregate here.
Freakin love your hairstyle and I LOVE your blouse! The red, the sleeves, the ruffle, the bows, so beautiful
Clothing trends have become largely accessible to the masses through fast fashion. But being good at makeup requires a certain level of affluence to engage with, and the free time to learn the skills to keep up with the trends. Makeup also expires, so if you're not replacing and/or sanitizing it often enough, you're risking your health. I'm really not surprised that our individualistic society has embraced it as the newest way to show wealth.
17:42 well when you said there were weird historical trends, I didn't think we'd be talking about counterfeit holy relics but here we are (sidenote, why isn't this a movie?) "the circle of her merkin" would logically imply it was in fact a wig. It wouldn't be possible to get the "circle of" someone's natural hair except by cutting off the skin... and while Connington was planning on trolling the Church by passing a relic he knew was counterfeit (a civil misdemeanor for which the worst possible punishment was a one-way ticket to Australia) he was presumably not going to desecrate a body (a felony which could be punished by a long prison sentence or even death). The reason he needed to purchase it from the embalmer (rather than just steal one from her estate) is that for his con to work he needed the one she'd worn most recently and hadn't washed or powdered. The churchmen weren't going to believe it was St. Peter's beard if it was powdered and clean since the saint supposedly died after being imprisoned for a long time.
19:59 I don't know about the Robe de style or the gigot sleeve specifically coming back. But what was hyper present in this show, which has been missing from fashion for literally a century, is *understructure*. I know all of these models are super skinny because all models are super skinny, but you could not tell that from the way they looked. The clothes were NOT built on their bodies, not designed for their bodies. They were built on unique understructures. Each dress had it's own foundation, disregarding the body underneath it. Previous to this show if a dress had understructure it was self-conscious about it. It tried to hide the understructure. Or the designer had made the understructure into the garment. But this wasn't farthingales made into skirts: it was a dress over panniers but you can see the panniers. This is women's clothing as designed by women to satisfy a woman's fantasies (none of this was intended to be practical, but haute couture needn't be that). Margiela and Rocha both showed facsimiles of the body while hiding it's real shape: Margiela with the merkins and Rocha with the leotards that had padding underneath. Rather than pandering to the male gaze, they were taunting it. This kind of sensibility in women's fashion died out in the 1920s as the corset became the girdle. Hence why we now have body shape trends. Rocha and Margiela were clearly pushing back against that, by showing off the artifice used to achieve the trendy shapes in bygone eras. Re-introducing people to the idea that the appearance someone has in their day to day life is an artifice. Pointing out that the shapes which influencers now get plastic surgery to achieve were once done by much more widely available and less permanent means: and thus that this influencer culture is a scam. High fashion has largely been hampered by the idea that straying too far from the body's natural proportions, using too much artifice to conceal the body's shape, is bad. You can't be innovative unless you are willing to artificially transform the body's shape, and very few people were.
I agree with your makeup theory. 18:49 To add to that I believe “fast fashion” and makeup can go hand in hand in our generation because of their accessibility and affordability for all classes. I have seen that a lot of people are moving more towards how many pieces they have and how it looks on them. You can make any drug store make up look beautiful if you take the time to. The same goes with a $50 skirt from Sak’s and a look-alike on SHEIN for example. Love your video! 🩵
I'm delighted to see the yellow blush personally, every time I've seen yellow/orange used for makeup instead of red I think it's so cool.
Abby I love the way you share history and correlate it to the modern! Hilarious merkin story and soooo excited the Gibson girl return!
I love this concept. Couture and historical clothing? Both my favorite things! Great video, refreshing, cute, informative, amazing! ❤
I desperately need the leg of mutton sleeve to come back into day to day wear. I love all kinds of big sleeves so much :)
17:11 Haha this feels like an episode of ‘The Black Adder’! Love it!
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BOOK! WELL DONE 👏🏽
I'm all about the big sleeves. 1890s, mainly, but more recently it's been the similar kinds of sleeves in 1530s Italy, like, that red moment by Bronzino in Portrait of a Lady with a Lapdog? YESS. The 1530s has me in a CHOKEHOLD
7:22 Miranda Richardson in ‘The Black Adder’ Season 2.
When you said "GOT certified" during the ad read, I definitely heard "God certified."
I do agree with the makeup thing but I think the biggest shift in fashion over all is that it is becoming more and more androgynous and idk I feel like it’s building towards something familiar but also different I’m excited to see where it goes 😊
I don't know. I feel like 2010s were more androgynous and this era seems more femme to me what wih the barbiecore, bimbocore, balletcore type of trends. Superluxe has a great video about this
I would personally love to see lace, frills, ruffles etc. get more androgynous but I don't think this will happen in the near future.
But I assume you were referring more to womans fashion than general fashion.
@@isazarts3159 no I was referring to men’s fashion, before if a guy dressed a certain way they would be labeled with zero regard and I feel like that held a-lot of people back we are entering a completely new era in fashion that men and women not only share clothing but they are also have interchangeable beauty routines and similar tastes in hair styles like the beauty cabinet is not just for moms and sisters anymore anybody can paint their nails because they feel like it back in the 90s a boy Could Not unless you wanted to be Horribly bullied… I feel like it’s slowly but surely becoming more and more accepted to feel beautiful and handsome at the same time I’m not sayin everyone is gonna start dressing like Prince or Bowie Im just saying that it’s more likely that they would be admired for expressing themselves rather than chastised for being “feminine”
oooo power sleeves- I love a good puffy sleeve! I am going to argue a bit about the big upper + tight lower combination- it shows up in the 16th c in Florentine portraits and again in Spanish tailor's manuals (16th c poofy sleeves are a fascinatingly weird pattern shape and I love them). But of course the 1830s are their own genre of weird and delightful sleeve cutting and I love them too!
ETA: I know it's already a thing, but I seriously need to figure out how to wear corsetry in a layered, masc way
A history lover this made me SO HAPPY! I propose another whole story for patrons just on the dirty side of history, even just as a podcast. It would be so much fun since I’m sure you know a plethora of fun tidbits!!
Love you SO MUCH!
P.S. not that you need validation, but you’re glowing and looking so happy!
The pink robe de style with the ribbon embroidery definitely calls back to the Bouet Soeurs court gowns, which are my fave! Every so often I become obsessed.
The modern robe de style looks like crochet?! It’s so pretty!! Omg LOVE to see crochet in fashion
When I was an intern at a nonprofit art gallery, we had a merkin fashion show and it was so much fun!
YES The point about makeup being the future of fashion!!!!! I‘ve been contemplating that since 2016!!
I love learning history through you channel. I am learning to sew my own clothes and hearing how clothes have changed over the years is so much fun.
I'm such a huge fan of the Robe de style! My favorites are by Boué Soeurs ❤
I'm not sure about that glass skin make up. I'm not a make up person. but I'm here for the panniers. There were some really nice looks with them.
What a great video! I would love to see more videos, where you show us whats historically influenced on the modern runway.
We also use tarlatan to wipe etching plates for traditional intaglio printmaking! you can still order it online for that purpose. There's a whole thing you do to "break it in" and then you can use it to wipe the ink off of the polished surface of the place before you print. Tarlatan win!
I know I'm late. But I really wanted to point out an overall trend I noticed of taking up more space. I'm super excited about this.
Hi Abby. Did you make your blouse? If yes, what pattern is it. You look radiant in it❤️
I was just thinking the same thing! I'm obsessed with it
Thank you Abby. The relating of the merkin story was exquisite. You have made my week.
i agree on the makeup thing as well. my observation would be, as fashion becoming more "accessible" or widespread, so too similar make up in the 21st century. it's a combination of both cost effective and experiments on the usage or applications. it's not that make up doesn't exist before, it's more of the idea makeup can sculpt facial expressions feels to me, as how it contributes to the cost/experiments.
Its not just accessibility, its also practicality. How practical is to cake yourself everyday in this stuff? How long does it take to get the desired look? Does the public have an accepting consensus on it? These are the types of things any fashion trend theorist needs to ask and answer before we even start speculating shifts in fashion. Regular fashion is not like the runways or magazines, same with makeup.
as someone with large shoulders naturally I have 3 options: buy 80's clothes and remove the shoulder pads, go sleeveless, or custom. If they bring back big sleeves i really hope they remember that people with big shoulders naturally exist. at this point in my life i'm just designing my own clothes, but there are so many who don't and have bodies that just aren't accommodated by fashion, and the shoulder thing has always been so frustrating. anyhoo, that aside, always love your videos!
Your take on makeup is fascinating - I would agree!
I think the new fashion trends reflecting on historic simply reflect the movie trends. I’d love to see you do an analysis of runway trends that followed big movies or series trends
My god, Abby looks absolutely amazing. The hair, the styling, the clothes. Wow
I haven't watched all of it yet, but your hair is amazing and I love it.
I loved this video! Reemergance of fashon from the past in new ways. But the best is the cardnal Kissing that darn merkin😅😅. I am still laughing and had to tell everyone, we are still laughing. Thank you Abby for this uplift today.😅.
So, I have a question about the Gigot sleeves, is this the common pronunciation in English ? We still use this word in French, it's a piece of meat, the upper leg of a lamb usually, but it is pronounced with a j sound : "jigot", I wonder if it was always said like this in English or if it changed through times ?
It was such an interesting video Abby, as always, and I really loved to hear you thoughts about make up being the modern place for fashion revolution, I think you are right, and it is so interesting to think about ! Thank you so much for your work Abby, I love it.
I'd only heard it be called a leg of mutton sleeve before in the UK.
American southern / Midwest. I pronounce is geh-GO. I'm pretty sure I'm wrong. 😂
I kind of love the idea of the future clothing trend being more structured gowns, where you can chose to make whatever part of you bigger (and there by make other parts smaller)! That would probably also be somewhat the end of fast fashion, becuase I have a hard time imagening that working out without looking like a halloween costume 👀
But of cause the best trend will always be to wear whatever you want! 😁
The makeup and the hair at Margiela were VERY MUCH influenced by the New Romantic and the Blitz Kids of the very early 80s.
I had the video paused at the beginning of the bloopers and when I started it up again, it scared the shit out of my dog and he jumped up and growled 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I think Abby hit the nail on the head about makeup. Show a headshot pic from anywhere in the past 50 years, and i bet most people could accurately date it. Hand that person some typical casual wear (except maybe the 80s, lol), and it gets a good deal harder.
I just LOVE your approach to fashion history! I enjoy history and understanding the fashion behind it, gives it more definition. THANK YOU!!
14:40 If I had to pick a favorite from all the ensembles you’ve made… I think it’s this one. It’s just so gorgeous!
And here I first heard of a merkin from my musician friends. (They’re put at the base of the strings on instruments like mandolins.)
i am so incredibly happy to see this trend as i am about to turn 35. i am fully an adult, confident enough to wear the styles i enjoy. this was my dream as a little girl, and i am ready to fully embrace it.