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La Pascualita, as she has come to be known, is a famous mannequin that lives in the window of La Popular, a bridal and quinceanera shop located in Chihuahua, Mexico.  She first appeared on March 25th, 1930 and has decorated the display window for the last ninety years.  She is striking, beautiful, and shrouded in an unnerving urban legend: she is actually the embalmed body of the original shop owner’s daughter.

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 It’s a tiny accessory, subtle and often a little edgy in modern context, but the choker necklace has been an iconic statement piece for thousands of years.  Its popularity has waxed and waned, as has its place in determining the social status of the wearer.  The accessory has made a comeback in recent years and is probably here to stay for a while.  The best thing about a choker is that there is something for everyone.  From a dainty ribbon or chain to lace to edgy studded collars, the choker necklace grabs attention and flatters every shape, size, and style.         

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ancient grece, ancient Greece, athens, fashion history, Invention, moschino, Punk Rock, Roman, safety pin, Walter Hunt -

      From an ancient murder to present day political issues, the safety pin has had a long, colorful life.  It’s a tiny little tool that we use every day without thinking about, and yet it’s got such a long and interesting history.  Whether it’s protecting you from evil spirits, holding your pants together because the button popped off, or making a statement by wearing one through your ear, the simple design and function of the safety pin has allowed it to survive thousands of years, and regardless of technological advancements, will probably survive a thousand more. 

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Pandemics are wild and scary, and they effect more than just the way we interact with each other.  Fashion flows with the zeitgeist, adapting to the mood and universal needs of the masses, and a world wide pandemic is one hell of a driving force.  They’ve effected the way we wear clothes and the reasons we wear them for centuries, and they will continue to do so. 

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Christian dior, dior new look, dior’#, dior’s new look, fashion history, feminism, freaky fashion friday, vintage, vintage fashion, women’s rights -

Today, when the name Christian Dior is heard, we think of couture gowns, sparkly fabrics and soft, sexy perfume ads.  We also think about the gorgeous hourglass shape that his original dresses revolutionized.  What we don’t think about is the repression that those dresses, as beautiful as they were, represented for the women of the time.  In 1947, his debut collection was equated to “the Shot Heard ‘Round the World”, reforming the bore of rationed fashion.  Whether the designer intended it to revert society into old ideas or simply meant to bring some sparkle back into a world that had been dulled by war, that “shot” ended up being one of many sparks that would light the match for a new wave of the fight for women’s rights.

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