Using original existing garments as inspiration for replication is wonderful. But there’s just something about a historical fashion plate that pushes you to bring it to life. True, a drawing from a century or two ago was the epitome of fashion that was presented to ladies of the time. But as our glossy Vogues and Read More...
Tag: Fashion Plates
The 1871 Harvest Grape Bustle Dress
Hooray for quick bustle dresses! My newest completed (or nearly completed) historical costume is an easy bustle dress made while teaching the online Victorian Bustle Day Dress class. I kept the design pretty basic as I needed something I could actually finish in about six weeks. Below is the fashion plate I used for inspiration. Read More...
Deciphering Sleeve Styles of the Regency
Fashionable dress in the Regency years (1795-1820) is full of uncomplicated styles. Although the bodices and skirts are relatively simple to begin with, dressmakers give their own take on basic forms like with a cross-over bodice or perhaps an overskirt. But what’s truly an area of design here is in the sleeves. I mean, how Read More...
19th C. Pocket Solutions Because You Have to Put Your iPhone Somewhere
Hidden pockets. Wide pockets. Tiny pockets. Welt pockets. Watch pockets. Patch pockets. Pockets with flaps. Pockets in seams. Decorative pockets and functional pockets. Inside pockets. Breast pockets. Back pockets. It truly is amazing the variety and locations of pockets in 19th Century clothing! For easy reference, let’s look at where our ancestors carried personal Read More...
Reducing Petticoat Layers So Your Waist Looks Small
Those of us who make Victorian dresses are all after one particular feature – a small waist. We do this primarily through corset cinching but also a visual trick with wide sleeves and full skirts. Another hidden method is to reduce the amount of fabric layers around your waist, specifically on skirt layers. When you Read More...
A Stroll Thru a French Jardin
Fashion Plate from La Mode Illustree, circa 1886 These lovely ladies are wearing such confections I just had to share! Since I don’t have the original magazine issue with the description of the plate I’ll list my own suggestions for how to make these costumes yourself. Read More...
Creating Skirt Silhouettes from 1820 to 1855
When I first started researching corded petticoats, I realized I must start with what the fashion silhouette looked like at the time. This always begs the question: Which came first – the fashion or the undergarments? So I pondered on why the skirts “belled” the way they did, how they stuck out at the hips, Read More...
How Do You Know It’s a 1870s Bustle Dress?
First off, the girly-girls really get to have a party in the Seventies! If you’ve seen the first half of The Buccaneers you’ll know what I’m talking about. Even if you’re a tomboy and play softball with your skirts hiked up, you’ll still experience what “playing dress up” is all about. My first dreams of Read More...