Dressing for a Revolutionary Romance

Watch a Revolutionary War-era outfit come together, as Maria Vazquez, Textile Conservator, "gets dressed" in a period accurate travelling ensemble, starting with the stays and underpinnings, progressing to the outer pieces, and even including the hat and parasol staff. As she dresses, Vazquez will talk about the many layers that made-up clothing from this era and how the articles of clothing worked together to protect the body.

Maria Vazquez is a long time friend of the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society. She has a Master’s of Science in Textile Conservation and three Master Seamstress certificates from the University of Rhode Island. For the last three years, she has worked as the Collections Manager at the United States Naval War College Museum (NWCM). She is also a textile conservation consultant and has worked with many organizations, including the BH&PS, on projects to conserve and expand research on their textile collections.

Dressing for a Revolutionary Romance is a follow-up to The Bristol Romance Con: Ballrooms and Beyond 2026, a historical-romance book convention happening in Bristol, RI, at Linden Place Museum on March 7, 2026. Convention participants are invited to join our members on the day after at the BH&PS for an in-person look at the clothing that some of these dashing heroines wore!

This program is open to the public but space is very limited. For more information, visit the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society at BHPSri.org or email [email protected].

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Bristol Historical & Preservation Society