Professor Marla Miller discusses the falling out of use of the term "mantuamaker" by female dressmakers in Boston and the transition to the term "dressmaker." Miller focuses on the history of dressmaking and of women as dressmakers, beginning in the colonial era and continuing to the 1800s. Her presentation includes slides.
Audio and video options are available.
Janea Whitacre, Colonial Williamsburg's mistress of the millinery and mantua-making trades, examines the business of female fashion in the colonial era.
Brenda Rosseau, supervisor of Research and Design in the Costume Design Center at Colonial Williamsburg, talks about the work involved in accurately costuming historical interpreters and the place of clothing and fashion in colonial society.
Al Saguto, a shoemaker at Colonial Williamsburg, talks about making shoes according to colonial-era practices.
Kristen Spivey, a program manager in public history development at Colonial Williamsburg, talks about the roles and rights of women in the colonies, looking at legal rights, fashion and dress, and participation in the trades.
Terry Lyons, a Colonial Williamsburg wigmaker, looks at the place of wigs in colonial society and what they revealed about the wearer's social status.