Do you enjoy shows like Downton Abbey and wonder how many families enjoyed such opulence? The McFaddins lived the glamour of the Edwardian period and we have the family stories and artifacts to learn about their lifestyle of luxury. From fine dining to festive clothing, the McFaddins lived what we see on popular shows of today.
Ida McFaddin’s velvet coat and skirt trimmed in chinchilla was suitable for traveling in colder areas, like her hometown of Huntington, West Virginia. The suit dates to sometime between 1912-14, and was a typical type of fashion for women of society.
The velvet suit’s details were created by hand.
The McFaddins enjoyed “a la Russe” dining, just as the family did on the popular television show, Downton Abbey. “A la Russe” involves a butler or maid serving each dinner guest from a platter around the table. The porcelain dinnerware has Ida Caldwell McFaddin’s monogram and was made by the F. Shultze Company in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Baltimore Rose pattern was created by the Stieff Company in Baltimore, Maryland. The McFaddins entertained formally and often and would have used a proper setting such as this for meals served to guests.
This Edwardian frock had elaborate and colorful hand stitching and beading. Many society women of the time would have had their dresses and gowns custom made for them. Ida McFaddin preferred dresses by Madame Dunlevy, a noted seamstress in Cincinnati, Ohio. On trips home to Huntington, Ida would often stop in to choose fabric and style, and the seamstress would design the new dress in time for Ida’s return trip home. Ida would go in for the final fitting, and the shop would ship the completed garment to her by train.
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