Empire period fashion

Last week's photo of the day theme was evening wear. With prom season right around the corner and so many winter balls and galas taking place, it is the perfect time to look at the most glamorous of all vintage evening gowns and dresses. We can't forget the gentlemen, too, who always look so fine

The luxurious Byzantine clothes.

I love paisley (the design) and the history of Kashmir shawls. The interaction between the paisley design and Western fashion is fascinating, with both elements impacting the other in equal fashion. Kashmiri shawls were first introduced to Europe in the late 18th century by English traders who had encountered them in India. In India the shawls were worn by men, but in Europe they were taken up by women as the perfect warm wrap to accompany to new light muslin dresses. The cashmere wool was…

One of hundreds of thousands of free digital items from The New York Public Library.

Robert Jacques François Faust Lefèvre was a French painter of portraits, history paintings and religious paintings. He was heavily influenced by Jacques-Louis D...

Common Byzantine women hairstyles/ headdresses. You can see the trend of pulled back hair topped with an bejeweled headdress.