We are very proud to announce the 2nd Annual Victorian Day Fashion Show by Miss Sharon’s Historical Clothing! The show will take place on the Main Stage at 11am.
This year she will visually bring you back to the years 1805 thru 1907. Miss Sharon has volunteered both her time and energy to this outstanding representation of historic clothing. It is sure to be an exciting and beautiful moment in time!
About Miss Sharon, as told by her
I began sewing at the tender age of three. My grandmother enjoyed doing needlework and I was fascinated as I watched her ply needle to fabric. Having noticed this, my grandmother bought me wooden sewing cards which I quickly mastered. A few years later I found a musical photo album in her attic containing photos of my relatives from 1900. I was captivated by their “old fashioned” clothing and hats! I was ecstatic to play dress up in my grandmother’s clothing or wearing my mother’s prom dresses from the 1950’s imagining being one of the ladies from the 1900’s.
In 1974 I attended my one and only sewing class. Much later I attended one millinery class learning to make hats and bonnets. Other than these two classes I am completely self-taught, which is to say I have studied fashion periodicals over several decades as well as paying close attention to original clothing which was made in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 1988, I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from what was then Centenary College. Having married my late husband, Andy Drysdale, in 1987, I became even more interested in living history as he was a professional historian working in the history field in Morris County. Together we helped to form a civil war unit which still exists today as the 27th New Jersey Civil War Reenactment Group.
In 1990, I founded Miss Sharon’s Historical Clothing. Over the course of 33 years, I have sewn for museums and living history professionals throughout the United States while gathering a worldwide audience on my Facebook page. I have worked at several museums as a 19th century seamstress making historically accurate clothing for 100’s of tour guides. Having spent so many years sewing in front of millions of visitors in the 19th century shop, I’ve grown very accustomed to sewing on a treadle sewing machine which I still enjoy to this day. All of the clothing in this fashion show was sewn on one of my treadle sewing machines.
As you might imagine, I’ve been asked to sew for a multitude of time periods from 18th century “stays” to a 1930’s Zoot suit which won an award for “Best dressed” for the client who wore it.
This fashion show is my gift to the town of Belvidere. I have attended this event for 30 years in a row and have often said this event is the highlight of my year!
With warm thanks,
Miss Sharon
You can contact Miss Sharon at the information below to have her create a treasured masterpiece just for you for the Victorian Day event!
Here is a sneak peek of the beautiful period authentic fashions you will see!!