Underneath It All: The Hidden Foundations of Women's Fashion

Way Library's fashion historian-in-residence Kathy Dowd will uncover the history behind women's foundational garments, tracing the evolution of the corset from the stays of Marie Antoinette's era to the tight-lacing fashions of the Victorian period. Through a step-by-step dressing demonstration you'll discover the layers and customs that shaped the elegant silhouettes of 19th-century women's fashion. Way Public Library welcomes Kathy Dowd as our Fashion Historian-in-Residence for September through December 2026. For more than forty years, Kathy Dowd has combined artistic talent, meticulous historical research, and exceptional craftsmanship to bring the past to life through historically accurate clothing and textiles. Her career began in toy and product design, where she refined the creative and technical skills that would later become the foundation of her work as a historical apparel designer. In her pursuit of historical authenticity, Kathy studies original garments, period photographs, paintings, fashion plates, diaries, and surviving textiles to ensure every detail from fabric and construction techniques to trims, fasteners, and accessories faithfully represents the period. Please join Kathy as she presents a variety of programs on historical fashion for the community!