We’ve all been there. Standing in an aisle of gorgeous fabrics… swooning at the computer screen… gazing lovingly (and with drool at the mouth) at THE.PERFECT.FABRIC for that next dress. Question is… how much to buy?? Will 5 yards be enough? 10? Or do I have to sell a kidney to afford some unmentionable amount Read More...
Tag: Fashion Plates
1890s Plastrons – Is that a Victorian Bib?
“Plastron” – say what?? It sounds so formal. Or rather gladiator. I mean, it’s traditionally the chest and sleeve pad worn by fencers. So how do they connect into Victorian fashion? (Hint: they aren’t chemisettes but are related in being Victorian accessories.) As with all things Late Victorian with feminine frou-frou and gorgeousness, you’ll come Read More...
Hey, You Have Farm Animals on Your 1880s Dress!
We have a lot of options for fabric selections when sewing up our Victorian ensembles. I personally like to use cotton and silk (taffeta) for most of mine. Apparently, our ancestors had some varied choices, too….. Read More...
The Magic of a Drool-Worthy Costume
Most often people come into making historical costumes because they love a particular antique garment they saw in a museum or book, or because they fell in love with some fabulous costuming in a film or TV show. I like to think that we are all striving (at least in some aspects) to make that Read More...
Flatlining 19th Century Sleeves
Flatlining – or the process of mounting an underlining to a fashion fabric – is a hallmark of garment construction in the 19th century. You find it everywhere in all decades of this era – in bodices, skirts, collars, reticules… and also sleeves. Essentially, flatlining in these antique pieces is what we’d call putting in a Read More...
Selecting Color Palettes for Your Historical Costumes
You look fabulous in red. Or purple may make your heart sing. But green is calling to you recently. In all the colors we have to play with in creating our historical costumes, how do you decide what to use? What shades are complimentary to each other? Will they “look period”? And how do you Read More...
Victorian Dressing Gowns & Tea Gowns: A Brief Overview
We all have our “comfy clothes” we wear around the house. For some that may be yoga pants and a t-shirt; for others, jeans and sweater or cotton dress. If friends come over for a Saturday BBQ we might put on something a bit nicer… like shoes. But in thinking about those who lived in Read More...
Sleeve Shifts of the 1890s
Fashion doesn’t change overnight. There’s a subtle movement when a new thought is presented. The idea is taken to the full extreme over a period of a few years. Then it seems to be discarded quickly; put on the shelf and forgotten. Another new idea is presented and we start the cycle again. This path Read More...