{"id":454,"date":"2010-10-28T19:51:22","date_gmt":"2010-10-29T02:51:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.historicalsewing.com\/?p=454"},"modified":"2021-08-28T17:24:32","modified_gmt":"2021-08-28T23:24:32","slug":"not-your-grandmas-nightgown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/historicalsewing.com\/not-your-grandmas-nightgown","title":{"rendered":"Not Your Grandma\u2019s Nightgown"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Don\u2019t think for a minute that Victorian undies are frumpy. I\u2019m talking about late Victorian chemises here. They\u2019re not some long, plain gown with no trim, a conservative cut and b-o-r-i-n-g.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope your frillies make you feel confident. They should because that\u2019s where your time travel begins \u2013 when you first throw that chemise over your head. Welcome to the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you want to make and wear fabulous looking 19th<\/sup> Century clothing? Then begin with what touches the skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re sewing a new ensemble from an era you\u2019ve done before, there usually isn\u2019t a need for a new chemise unless the look of your dress garments will be affected. In other words, a sleeveless chemise is necessary under a ball gown but is still ok under a day dress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But maybe you just want some new underwear.\u00a0 Who doesn\u2019t? Sometimes all you want to do is make a closet full of Victorian frillies. A chemise, being the most basic of undergarments, is a good place to build your skill and add feminine frills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you don\u2019t care about your historical underwear, you\u2019ll still need to put in some effort on the chemise \u2013 3 to 5 hours should do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the majority of your historical wardrobe, you can get by with a basic chemise \u2013 simple front and back, both cut on the fold at center and finished with or without sleeves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When traveling to a new time period, you want to keep that silhouette in mind so you can sew a chemise that will protect your corset and bodice as well as hide under the garment edges (neckline and sleeves).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a comfortable chemise undergarment, try 100% cotton or linen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m serious! If you\u2019ve never worn delicate linen undergarments under a heavy Civil War dress, you are missing the comfort! The cheat here is to use a pattern reflective of the mid-to-late 1800s and trim it as such too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n