Lest you think we forget our handsome gentlemen around here… Without them where would our Elizabeth Bennet be? What about Molly without her Roger? Or Scarlet without her Ashley AND Rhett? For these dashing men to be appropriately dressed, they must make a visit to their tailor – who probably dressed them to the T Read More...
Tag: Victorian
How to Sit in a Victorian Bustle Dress
I get asked quite often: “How in the world does one sit in a dress like that?!” No, really. How DO you sit down? To help you all out with that burning question… here’s a video tutorial with tips for how to sit down when wearing a bustle dress from the 1870s or 1880s. Read More...
Pleated Trim to Jazz up Your Victorian Neckline
Want to add pizazz to your Victorian dresses? Well, pleated trim is a fantastic way to go. You can cut strips of your dress fabric or use ribbon. Fold it, pleat it, gather it, or ruche it to make trim that complements your gown perfectly and adds that “Pop!” we all want from the historical Read More...
You Have Made Your Hat… Now what?
Guest Article by Gina White Hours and hours have gone into the creation of your hat. (In my case blood, sweat, tears, frustration, and a few choice words go into the making as well….) You have worn your newly crafted chapeau to your event to the delight and amazement of your fellow event goers, and Read More...
Matching Stripes on a Bodice
Stripes are awesome! (if you don’t know). And they rule fantastic designs throughout the 19th Century. What if you love stripes but the matching part terrifies you? You avoid sewing with beautiful linear patterns because you think the Stripe Matching Game is beyond your reach. I can assure you it’s not. It’s a matter of Read More...
A Christmas Ribbon Rose
In honor of Christmas week, I want to celebrate by showing you how to make a ribbon rose. Perfect for a gift package, wearing in your modern hair, or adding to the side of a mid-19th c. bonnet! 🙂 Although you can’t finish this one quickly, you *can* make it during a fantastic mini-series like Read More...
Identifying Which Way is Up on a Corset Busk
Your corset order has arrived. You rip open that box or cardboard priority mail envelope and out you pull beautiful white bones. And there’s the busk too. How pretty it looks! You examine it’s little bumps attached firmly to the steel bone. The knobs that easily fit through the rounded loops. You figure out how Read More...
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...