Black Velvet and Gold Lace: What Highfalutin Brooklynites Wore to the Opera 100 Years Ago

Just in case you needed an example of “the effective use of a gold coronet,” this 1918 issue of Brooklyn Life has got you covered. Read on for more about the Leeming family and illustrations of other “becomingly attired” Brooklyn ladies of yesteryear.

Mrs. Leeming, shown above, was the wife of Brooklyn hotshot Thomas Lonsdale Leeming — a social-scene luminary who racked up oodles of titles and honorary positions. Mr. Leeming was not only a successful businessman, but also board director of the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

The Leemings and their three children lived in a Park Slope mansion — possibly the one that once stood at 90 8th Avenue, which was built for a Civil War General.

The fashionable Leemings were quite involved in Brooklyn’s social scene, and the Brooklyn Eagle mentions their attendance at cultural events hundreds of times in its pages. It’s not surprising that Mrs. L would be a fashion plate in Brooklyn Life.

But what do you think about these outfits?

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