We have all admired the elegant, regal and sophisticated styles of our ancestors. Theirs was an era when there were no clubs and bars and dolling up and going to tea parties and dances were considered as suitable past times as well as a ritual into adulthood. It was a time when the rich owned acres of land and rode on chariots and lazed around in the warm afternoon sun gazing at the endless fields while their horses grazed nearby. The clothing and styles of that era was classic and formal and often reminds of the life of Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone with the Wind”.

It looks like we are not the only ones who dreams more than often about the historical and ceremonious vintage styles. Come Nov. 4 and a lot of fashion loving people will be doing the same. Project Runway is all geared up to revive the historical era through an “1812 fashion show”. The event hosted by The Maryland Historical Society aims to refresh the audience’s memories by showcasing a range of style from the era.

“This is a new way of looking at history,” says emcee Vince Vaise, Chief of Interpretation with the National Park Service at Fort McHenry. “Fashion puts an emphasis not on dates and objects, but rather, on people.”

The show inspired by the 1812 era will showcase a range of vintage clothing right from daywear and evening wear to military regalia on a ramp that had specially been constructed for this event. Models representing Dolley Madison and Francis Scott Key will be featured, as well as sailors and the working classes as a tribute to “the people who built Baltimore,” Vaise noted. “The Federalist era was all about the democratization of fashion - away from ruffles and silk, and with a new focus on tailoring.”

In addition and as a part of the same event, Maryland Historical Society is hosting a bus tour of a wide variety of 1812 historic sites around Baltimore, Nov. 3. Stops include The Battle Monument, the Flag House Museum, Todd's Inheritance, Fort McHenry, Battle Acre, Methodist Meeting House and a special tour of the MdHS exhibit, In Full Glory Reflected: Maryland during the War of 1812. With limited seating, first come first serve basis will be followed.

This fashion and fun event is partially funded through the 1812 Education Committee on Lifelong Learning with additional programming support. The 1812 fashion show will be held at 2 p.m. (Nov 4) and tickets are priced at $30.