Old York Historical Society
3 Lindsay RoadIf you think getting dressed every morning is a chore, imagine what it took for a woman in the distant past to get ready. From stays, corsets, petticoats, and detachable pockets—to hip pads and bum rolls designed to lift a woman’s skirts and make her waist look smaller—it was no easy task to assemble an outfit in past centuries.
Hannah Hasbrouck and Kristel Henry will delve into the details of dressing in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. As living history enthusiasts, they have extensive experience constructing and wearing reproduction clothing. Using a combination of reproduction clothing and extant examples, they will reveal the complexities of a woman’s wardrobe by examining each layer of clothing, discussing various construction techniques, and comparing the changes to the silhouette through three centuries of fashion.
Hannah Hasbrouck is a seamstress and public historian from Portland, Maine, where she specializes in the study and production of 18th Century New England clothing. As a homeschooled teenager, she became fascinated with researching historical clothing, which led to many years of seamstress training and an apprenticeship with a master tailor. As a progressive reenactor of the Revolutionary War period, she is committed to achieving the highest level of accuracy in historical clothing reproductions, with a particular focus on the technical challenge of recreating foundation garments.
Kristel Henry is a public historian from Rhode Island and has been interested in historical fashion since childhood. She is a self-taught seamstress who learned 18th century clothing construction techniques from Larkin & Smith. She has volunteered her interpretive services with the National Park Service (NPS), and at several museums throughout New England. She is currently a member of several living history groups, including the Pawtuxet Rangers, RIHM and the Lexington Minutemen. She holds a BA in English Literature from Rhode Island College, and after a long career in human resources management, works as a historical interpreter at Old York Historical Society.
Sat, Mar 21, 2026 1:00 PM
Old York Historical Society
3 Lindsay Road
Old York cares for 16 buildings, 20 properties, more than 20,000 artifacts, 50,000 archival objects in the library, and serves thousands of people annually through tours, educational programs, exhibitions, and special events.
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