Victorian Corsets

Fascinating stuff on the "less taxing" corsets of Victorian ladies. I just keep thanking my lucky stars I don't have to lace myself into one of those!

http://www.vintageconnection.net/CorsetHistory.htm

But women in every generation have sacrificed for beauty. What's your sacrifice?

Research Quip

What made the "San Francisco Call" on May 18th, 1909?

* "Mrs. Taft ill from nervous breakdown" - but don't worry, her sister took over her social duties.
* "Society Belle becomes Minstrels Bride" - I'm SO curious! But there's no further explanation!
*Several bridge parties hosted by "The Smart Set"

Thank heavens of the California Digital Newspapers Collection. I know I'll be going back there!

The Gilded Age!

Today I'm working on my time traveling romance and my heroine, Clara, has just stumbled into 1909. I've been using Amazon's Look Inside feature to read about clothing in the Gilded Age from Greg King's "A Season of Splendor: The Court of Mrs. Astor in Gilded Age New York." I'm seriously coveting that book right now! I also found a couple neat sites to help me with Clara's new underwear! Vintage Victorian was a great insight into what she'd put on.
Getting to write about a character who travels back to 1909 is nice because she gets to make all kinds of slip-ups in her speech (because I will invariably write them). Yet what girl can't hark back to some great historical romance she read and pull out some sophisticated lines? My favorite so far? Clara blames her lack of appropriate clothing on her lady's maid abandoning her and stealing all her clothes.
Is anyone else as obsessed with the Gilded Age as I am? If not, what's your favorite era for romances?