Dr Serena Dyer, Fashion Historian

Dr Serena Dyer, Fashion Historian Dress history with Dr Serena Dyer Serena is Associate Professor of Fashion History at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.

Dr Serena Dyer FRHistS AFHEA is a historian, broadcaster, and curator, specialising in the history of fashion, shopping, and material culture in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Her prize-winning first book, Material Lives: Women Makers and Consumer Culture in the 18th Century, was published by Bloomsbury in 2021. Her second book, Labour of the Stitch: The Making and Remaking of Fashionabl

e Georgian Dress was published by Cambridge University Press in 2024. She also edited Shopping and the Senses (Palgrave, 2022), Disseminating Dress (Bloomsbury, 2022), and Material Literacy in Eighteenth-Century Britain (Bloomsbury, 2020). Her next book, Georgian Fashion: Britishness and Dress in the Eighteenth Century, is under contract with Yale University Press. She completed her PhD at the University of Warwick in 2016 and has previously taught at the University of Hertfordshire and the University of York. Before returning to academia, Serena was Curator of the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture and Assistant Curator at the National Portrait Gallery. She is the presenter of English Heritage/Our Media's Fashion Through History, and she regularly appears on BBC radio. She currently leads the AHRC-funded Making Historical Dress: Hands, Bodies and Methods Network (Co-I, Dr Sarah Bendall ACU).

15/04/2026

This might be the last time Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress is put on display. Norman Hartnell’s 1947 design is a triumph of symbolic renewal, the material reality is much more fragile. The satin was treated with tin salts for weight, a common practice that has left the fabric brittle and prone to shattering.

You can see this iconic piece of history in person at Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, the biggest-ever exhibition of Her late Majesty’s fashion.

Exhibition Details:
🗓️ Dates: 10 Apr 2026 - 18 Oct 2026
🏛️ Venue: The King’s Gallery, London
📍 Location: A short walk from Buckingham Palace (Victoria or Green Park stations)
🎟️ Note: The King’s Gallery ticket is separate from the Buckingham Palace Summer Opening ticket.
Royal Collection Trust

Will you be visiting this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition?

11/04/2026

Regency fashion from the field and the factory 🌾⚙️

This 1810 gown in the Victoria and Albert Museum might look like it’s dripping in gold, but it’s actually embroidered with straw.

In an era where agriculture was the backbone of the rural economy, wheat motifs were a symbol of prosperity and abundance. Using real straw was a deliberate material choice that provided a brilliant, three-dimensional golden lustre that was firmly grounded in the English countryside.

But the fabric reflected the industrial change that had been emerging since the previous century. It is silk bobbinet, made using technology patented by John Heathcoat in 1809. His machine could mimic the complex hexagonal mesh of hand-made net at industrial speeds.

This gown romanticises the pastoral ideal while leaning firmly into the industrial revolution.

Would you embroider with straw, or are you more excited about the innovative technologies behind the design?

08/04/2026

Never know how to describe a neckline? Welcome to the Visual Dictionary: Necklines Edition! Whether it’s a structured square neckline, a conservative turtleneck or a risqué Bardot top, the shape of the neckline can make a huge impact on whether a garment suits you. They literally frame your face. 🖼️

Here are some descriptions to help you work out the differences:

Square Neckline: A classic structured frame.

Sweetheart: A romantic, heart-shaped curve.

Bateau or Sabrina: A high, wide line that follows the collarbone.

Scoop Neck: A soft, rounded “U” shape.

V-Neck: A sharp, angular descent.

Keyhole: A decorative cutout at the base of the neck.

Halterneck: Straps that wrap around the back of the neck.

Asymmetrical: A modern, one-sided construction.

Off-the-Shoulder: A line that sits across the upper arms.

Bardot: A specific, deep, wide off-the-shoulder look (all Bardots are off-the-shoulders, but not all off-the-shoulders are Bardots!).

Grecian: A structured neckband reaching to the centre of the chest, from which the rest of the garment is suspended.

Cowl Neck: Draped, loose fabric at the neckline.

Queen Anne: A high back with a plunging sweetheart-style front.

Illusion Neckline: Sheer fabric creating the look of a lower cut.

Plunging: A deep, dramatic drop.

U-Neck: A narrower version of the scoop.

Jewel Neck: A round neckline that sits at the base of the throat, decorated with beads and jewels.

Surplice: Fabric that crosses over at the front.

Turtle or Polo Neck: A high, folded collar that covers the neck.

I love a Queen Anne, but I’m note sure that it suits me! Let me know your favourite shape below! 👇

👀 I’ve had to split collars into a separate video, so make sure you’re following me for the follow up next week!

04/04/2026

Imagine your entire outfit was held together with nothing by straight pins! 👀

Before the 19th century, pins were the undisputed heroes of the wardrobe. They were so important that they literally gave us the term “Pin Money” for a woman’s personal allowance. 💸

From gowns to caps, pins allowed for a custom fit every single day. No zippers, no snaps, just nifty flexibility that worked around your changing body.

Would you be brave enough to get dressed with straight pins, or are you staying firmly in the era of the zipper? Let me know in the comments! 👇

Footage of the gold gown filmed at

02/04/2026

Welcome to the Visual Dictionary of Garment Fasteners! While it can sometimes be the last thing you consider when making a garment, fasteners are a vital part of how a garment functions. From buttons and eyelets to buckles and busks, here is your 101 of a selection of the most common types of fastening.

In this guide, we’re bridging the gap between historical staples and modern solutions. Some of these fasteners were designed to be invisible, hidden within the structure of a gown, while others were meant to be the jewellery of the piece, and a decorative addition to your outfit.

Save this for next time you’re trying to identify the right fastener for your sewing projects! 💾🪡

Which of these do you find the most satisfying to use, and which is your absolute nemesis when getting ready? Let’s discuss below! 👇

28/03/2026

This is not a “dress.” 👗🚫

In the 18th century, “dress” wasn’t a single garment, but the entire vibe. It was the umbrella term for your total look, and could refer to jackets and breeches as much as gowns and petticoats.

The change is a complicated shift over time rather than an overnight switch, but its an important one to understand what is meant when we read “ball dress” or “full dress” on a fashion plate.

What fashion term do you think has changed the most over the centuries? 👇

26/03/2026

Fashion is built through the details. This Visual Dictionary explores some of my favourite historical women’s accessories from the 16th to the 19th centuries. 👒👠

Your Glossary:
- Calash: A collapsible, hooped hood designed to protect towering hairstyles from the elements.
- Busk: A stiff strip (wood, horn, or bone) slid into the front of stays for posture. Often engraved as love tokens.
- M**f: A cylindrical fur or silk accessory to keep hands warm in style.
- Engageantes: Removable lace or cotton ruffles pinned to gown sleeves.
- Bergère: A flat-brimmed straw hat; the height of 18th-century rural chic.
- Bonnet: A face-framing head covering that tied under the chin. I might need to make another reel with all the varieties!
- Handkerchief/Kerchief: A triangular neckerchief worn for modesty and warmth.
- Pin Ball: A stuffed fabric ball hung from the waist to keep pins at the ready.
- Pocket: A separate bag worn under the skirt and accessed through a slit. Usually worn in a pair.
- Parasol: A lightweight umbrella used for shade.
- Pomander: A perforated container for fragrant herbs to ward off odors.
- Fan: A social tool used for everything from cooling to communication.
- Shoe Buckles: Decorative and interchangeable shoe fasteners.
- Apron: Both a protective layer and a highly embroidered status symbol.
- Chatelaine: A waist-clasp with chains to carry essentials like scissors and watches.
- Mitts: Fingerless gloves that provided warmth without losing dexterity.
- Pattens: Wooden or metal overshoes designed to lift footwear out of the mud. 👢

Which of these would you find the most useful in your modern life? And would you like a deep dive into any of these specifically? 👇

For more 18th-century fashion accessories, I highly recommend my fabulous friend

21/03/2026

A love letter hidden in your stays. 💌🧵

This stunning horn busk is from the York Castle Museum. Far from being instruments of torture, these busks provided the necessary lift-and-separate support required for the high-waisted silhouette of the Regency and 1820s. 🏛️✨

Because they were worn so close to the body, they were frequently carved with intricate designs, including hearts, flowers, and initials, making them deeply personal tokens of love.

Busks are a means of both emotional and bodily support, not restriction.

…Although, no, you can’t bend at the waist!

14/03/2026

One fibre, but unending possibilities for weaves 🧵✨

Welcome to the Visual Dictionary of Woven Silks. To build your material literacy, you have to understand that “silk” isn’t just one fabric. It’s a fibre that can be engineered into a vast array of textures and structures through weaving and finishing differences.

This is just a tiny selection of some of the most common weaves you’ll find today.

Would you like a future post exploring more unusual and historical weaves, like tobines or 18th-century lustrings? Let me know in the comments! 👇

11/03/2026

Is “Human Made” the ultimate fashion flex? 🧵✨

As AI takes over design, pattern cutting, and logistics, identical copies of garments are the mass-market norm. But in a world of algorithmic conformity, the real luxury might become the mistakes.

Will “Oh this? It’s human-made” be the 2046 version of haute couture?

Let’s talk about the value of the maker’s hand. Are we ready for the era of “artisanal error” as a status symbol? 👇



🖼️ cover image is Sewing Fisherman’s Wife by Anna Ancher

Guipure is the name given to the chunky machine-made lace available today, but it has a massive bobbin lace family tree ...
07/03/2026

Guipure is the name given to the chunky machine-made lace available today, but it has a massive bobbin lace family tree stretching back to 16th-century Italy. From Bedfordshire to Genoa, Guipure lace has evolved as it travelled around Europe. 🗺️

Swipe through to see the evolution! 🧵

I’ve included a cheat sheet at the end so you can identify these in the wild (or at the vintage market!). Which one is your favourite? 👇

28/02/2026

Why the mantua is the most important garment in fashion history. 👇

The fashion industry didn’t start with big designers and fashion houses, but with tailors who though the gowns women liked were too simple for them to bother making. When the simple T-shape mantua gown became the height of fashion, male tailors thought it was just a passing trend.

Seamstresses took the opportunity to build their own businesses, creating a legacy of manual labor and skill that lasted over 100 years.

📖 My book The Labour of the Stitch explores this story, as well as the manual labor that built the Georgian fashionable world.

🔗 Available now from Cambridge University Press

🖼️ Eleanor James, unknown artist,

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