Fashion is a Tyrant

This past weekend, Rebecca Fifield, a museum collections care professional and independent researcher of women’s costume held a discussion on the dress of women during the American Revolution in the Steuben House at New Bridge Landing in River Edge.

The discussion focused on Fifield's current research to reconstruct the overall look of the working class woman’s wardrobe during the second half of the 18th century. A dressing demonstration, using garments that Ms. Fifield has constructed based on her research, will be included in the presentation.

Fifield has studied the construction of women’s clothing dating from 1770-1890 since she began as a volunteer historical interpreter at age 13. She holds an M.A. in Museum Studies from The George Washington University and is Collections Manager in the Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The former editor of the Brigade of the American Revolution’s Women’s Dress During the American Revolution, published in 2006. Her forthcoming article “Had on When She Went Away: Expanding the Usefulness of Runaway Garment Data, 1750-1790, Using Database Analysis” will appear in the first 2011 issue of Pasold Research Fund’s journal Textile History.