Revolutionary fashion
Hamilton, OH - Truth be told, she cheated a little.
But October Celebrating Self speaker Clara Jean Kelly - Costume Professor at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music - confessed before anyone could call her out.
Not that many people possess the knowledge required to tell the difference between a corset and a stay. Or could have seen under the layers of fabric hiding those particular foundation garments to determine if they were ribbed with metal (modern) or whale bone (historically accurate).
Kelly recreated half a dozen Revolutionary War-era outfits to showcase what the fashion of the late 18th Century looked like in Colonial America. Her designs reflected the One City One Book Hamilton selection A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams.
Her models included Jane Haas, Sue Samovisky, Isabel Zory, Tyler McCleary and Dr. Tom Nye.
"I should tell you up front, theater can be lawless," Kelly said. "Everything we do is not 100-percent historically accurate. We're inspired by historical accuracy.
"We do an incredible amount of research, but we have some constraints that prevent us from recreating things exactly like they were made 250 years ago."
Cost, to start. Availability of similar fabrics. Changing body types from then to now. Plus, performers wearing Kelly's creations need the freedom to move safely and (relatively) comfortably onstage. Or may need get in and out of their costumes quickly without assistance.
So, please forgive Kelly and her costume cohorts a zipper here or a piece of Velcro there.
They're going for a look, a feeling, that captures the essence of an era instead of the genuine article. But by all accounts on October 7, mission accomplished.
Enjoy some photos from the event in the gallery below and plan to join us for our next Celebrating Self luncheon November 4 when sculptor Tom Tsuchiya discusses some of his contributions to the America 250 celebration.
Comments