Simplicity 8411 - A New 18th Century Pattern!

Howdy!

After many moons we finally get to announce the release of our new collaboration with Simplicity Patterns - Simplicity 8411.

Now right off the bat many of you will be rolling your eyes over the back-lacing bodice, and questioning some of the other choices we made, so I'm here to allay your fears.

Maria Amalia of Saxony, c. 1745, Giuseppe Bonito

Court gown bodice associated with Marie Antoinette, c. 1780 -1787. Musee Galliera

The bodice is based on and patterned from original Robe de Cour (grand habit) bodices. These very special garments were made like stays - fully boned and lacing in back - and were often constructed by tailors rather than mantua-makers. The bodices sometimes had tabs, sometimes didn't, and typically featured a deep center front and back point and broad neckline.

Isis' Wardrobe scanned this in - the interior (drawing and photo) of a Swedish court bodice. Lots more info on her blog >>

The sleeve shape for our pattern comes directly from the mid-18th century. They're full and rather short, pleated into the armscye at the back, and ready for flounces or cuffs to be applied. They're a much more accurate shape for 1700 - 1770 than the tight, darted or two-piece sleeves seen later in the century, plus they're a better bet for those of us with beefier biceps. It's much easier to take sleeves in than let them out! Although untrimmed for the sake of the pop-culture reference, just imagine these with stacked lace ruffles. Yummy!

A very early 18th century court gown - you can see the back-lacing bodice with *huge* sleeves. These are significantly larger than the ones that come with the Simplicity pattern, but I'm including this image for the sake of the point. Sleeves start really wide in the century and get progressively narrower and tighter.  Thierry de Maigret >>

Original Robes de Cour were worn over very wide hoops. The hoops for the Simplicity pattern are large pocket-hoops, very easy to construct, and give a moderately wide appearance. They're not enormous - not nearly as wide as original court gowns - but will serve as a great foundation for this gown as well as your sacques and early-century mantuas.

The skirt is very wide and full, but nowhere near as full as the dress in the TV show. For the sake of commercial sewing patterns, the skirt is cartridge pleated to the waistband and shaped at the top to fit over the hoops, but you can just as easily knife pleat this skirt if that's you're preference (it's usually mine).

In fact, just like with our first patterns, there are loads of hacks for this pattern. Here are a couple quick sketch to show what can be done:

Imagine this dress in silver brocade with a jeweled stomacher and lacy sleeve flounces, like the later Robes de Cour. Your choice of textile, cuffs, and trim will completely transform this pattern.

Perhaps an earlier Grand Habit is to your taste - a brocaded silk in blue, silver, gold, red, or peach, with stacked lace on the sleeves, a sparkly stomacher, and a broad lace collar. Use the sleeve pattern as a lining to stitch the lace to.

All of these are so easy and *completely* change the look of the gown. The "V" in the bodice front is in-seam, which means no alteration is necessary to remove it - just continue the stitching up to the neck edge. Want to change the shape of the front point? Just draw a different shape! Use the sleeve pattern as a lining and stack lace flounces on for a formal look, or simply add a cuff or ruffles to the sleeve and tack in your lacy flounces.

Madame Adelaide of France, c. 1756. Palace of Versailles, MV3801 - imagine this incredible silver-embroidered textile and lace sleeves for your gown.

And don't forget the trim. Oh yes! You'll notice this gown is completely untrimmed - even less trimmed than the OL and Hamilton dresses. This was due to space restrictions on the pattern instruction sheets and tissue, but it also allows each sewist to imagine and experiment with her own trim designs. Load this "blank" up with puffs, ruches, flounces, fly fringe, metallic lace, you name it.

That's the wonderful thing about a sewing pattern - it's a tool to create your own vision. There is nothing that says the dress must be red - you can use this pattern for your own cosplay, or for a more formal court gown.

Have fun! We look forward to seeing your makes. <3

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Oh Snap - A 1930s Photoshoot

A couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to shoot with a stunning woman, Rachel, who transformed from a hip, modern gal into a statuesque Joan Crawford movie star.

Love these shoes. LOVE. Evelyn 1930s Oxfords in tan/brown by Royal Vintage

We shot at the University of Nevada, Reno, in the evening just before the sun went down. The light was soft and lovely and the historic buildings provided a lovely backdrop.

Evelyn 1930s Oxfords by Royal Vintage

The dress was made from McCall's M7153, an "Archive Collection" design from 1933 with fun Art Deco lapped seams. We paired the dress with our new "Evelyn" oxfords in tan/brown for a very '30s sportswear look.

It was a group effort, this shoot. Abby, Rachel, and I all worked on Rachel's hair and makeup. Rachel was a real sport for looking so elegant on a rather chilly April evening here in the mountains.

The Particulars:

Shoes: Evelyn Oxfords by Royal Vintage

Dress: Made by Lauren from McCall's M7153

Sunglasses: Charming Charlie

Model: Rachel Huffman

Styling: Abby Cox

Photography: Lauren Stowell

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Simplicity 8248 1930s Dress - Results and Review

Simplicity 8248 - 1930s Dress - made in rayon-like cotton.

Ever since Simplicity released two new 1930s patterns last Fall I have been just dying to make one up. The timing seemed right with the turn of the seasons and the acquisition of a beautiful rayon-like cotton that seemed perfect for a '30s dress.

I chose Simplicity 8248, a late '30s design with puffed sleeves. I spent quite a lot of time measuring and cutting the multi-size pattern to accommodate my varying bust-to-waist measurement (size 14 bust, size 16 waist) and lengthening the waist, something I always have to do on any sewing pattern.

Simplicity 8248 - I saw this green dress sample in NYC last Fall and it was expertly made. SO gorgeous.

As it turns out, I didn't need to do, well, any of that. For those of you new to sewing, let me introduce you (warn you) to the "Finished Garment Measurements." FGMs are printed on the pattern tissue itself, not on the pattern envelope, and hold the key to making a garment that actually, y'know, fits.

Most patterns have FGMs for the bodice and skirt separately. Simplicity prints them on their respective pattern pieces. This dress' FGM for the skirt was fine, but the measurements for the bodice were a good 5 inches over my body measurements. FIVE inches!

I used the large puffed sleeves from View A on my View B dress. The sleeves make us of a cotton sleeve head inside to maintain the puff. I altered the position of the armscye to get the puffs way up on my shoulder, which I find more flattering.

I had a dilemma. 1930s bodices are meant to be loose and drapey, but how loose is too loose? I went ahead and cut the size 14 according to my body measurements, figuring I could always take it in. In hindsight, I should have cut the smaller size, something closer to a 2 - 3" ease over body measurements, as I ended up taking at least that much out of the bodice as well as shortening it up.

Another major change made was to the width of the shoulders. For ladies who have narrow backs and shoulders, puffed sleeves can be difficult. The key is to get the puff way up on the shoulder, not hanging off. To do this, I shortened the neck-to-shoulder-point length before I cut the pattern. Even with that alteration I ended up taking a dart in the shoulder too. If you have narrow shoulders like me, consider this alteration if you want to avoid looking like a linebacker.

At last I get to wear this epic original vintage hat! I find that garments with large puffed sleeves need an equally large hat or hairstyle. Go big or go home.

The biggest challenge I had with this dress was the fabric. The pattern went together fine, but this cotton needed particularly special handling. I categorize it in the "Jerk Fabrics" category, the kind of fabrics that are oh-so-pretty but need *everything* basted. That the hem is straight on this dress is a miracle.

All in all, Simplicity 8248 took me awhile to finish due to alterations, fitting, and the difficulty of the textile, but I absolutely *love* this dress. It's comfortable, easy to wear, and very '30s.

Simplicity 8248 - a comfy, casual 1930s day dress. Fun and easy to wear and I feel fancy. <3

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Guts - Inspecting the Insides of 18th Century Garments

Vintage Textile, c. 1780s (click through for more). This is the waist edge at the center back of the bodice.

Lauren here >

Historical costuming is a journey. It starts with an interest, grows into experimentation, and somewhere along the way it might turn in to ... well ... obsession. ;-)

For me, over the years I've become more and more interested in the original construction techniques of various garments. I know how things are put together today but how did mantua-makers in the past approach garment-making? We face the same challenges across the centuries - draping, fitting, setting sleeves (ugh!) - but we come at them from different perspectives and experiences.

The back of the bodice, interior - what do you see? There are boning channels at the center back. The armscyes are left raw; there's some top stitching and facing around the neckline; I see two whipped seams either side of the CB; the side back seam was finished in the lining then the outer fabric applied and top stitched. The more we look, the more clues are revealed. Vintage Textile - click through for more.

With 18th century dress I'm fascinated by the "order of operations." The Georgian mantua-maker seemed to do everything in reverse, fitting the lining of the gown first, then building the glorious outer garment atop, making heavy use of top/visible stitching and working from the outside of the garment.

They appeared to give few hoots about interior finishing. The interiors of surviving 18th century gowns are often a hot mess. Many a gown shows raw edges at the waist seam and armscyes. At the same time, some archaic stitch techniques were used to produce clean and efficient seams.

Vintage Textile - gown - 1770s-80s. This is the center back where the skirt is stitched to the bodice. Feel better now?

This idea of efficiency seemed to override everything else - how quickly can the garment be put together, and how quickly can it be disassembled and re-made? How easily can your milliner get that old trim off and get the new, fashionable trims on? 18th century people were an impatient lot - they expected their gowns fast and the milliners and mantua-makers obliged. Fabulous on the outside, janky on the inside.

The interior of a sacque gown, showing the back. eBay listing (click through for more)

So next time you're beating yourself up over the wack interior of your Georgian dress, cut yourself some slack. <3

For *lots* more Georgian gown interiors, check out our Pinterest board.
To learn how to construct these gowns by hand with the original methods, pre-order The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking.

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1820s Green Dress Construction Details - Bodice

Happy Friday!

Abby here again for more yummy 1820s Green Dress construction info & detail shots! If you missed previous posts you can check out the general observation & sleeve details, dating, and the story behind the dress if you just follow the links.

Today, I want to go through the bodice of the 1820s dress....

This is a shot of the interior of the neck. The small stitching at the edge is to hold the piping in place and you can see that the piping seems to have been folded over and whipped down to finish the raw edge. It's all sewn at about 10 stitches per inch.

Moving down from the neckline this is a dart that was taken at the CF in what appears to be the lining only, and carefully stitched down with either running stitches or top stitches at 18-20 spi. This would be done to help shape the fabric around the bust and neck, as it puts the upper part of the bodice on the bias to accommodate curve.

Further down you see a few tacking stitches that seem to connect the lining to the fashion fabric where the piping is. You don't see this stitch on the outside of the gown. 

At the CF of the gown the skirt has been whipped to the bodice waistband lining. There are only a couple of these stitches still in place. I'm also questioning how old the stitches are with black thread, and if they're a later alteration (that I'm grateful for because this meant that the pieces never got separated.) 

The dress was fastened with hooks and eyes in the back that are now gone, but their evidence still remains. There were 11 hooks and eyes used in total. 8 were on the bodice of the gown and 3 were on the waistband, which you can see the evidence in the picture above. The hooks and eyes on the bodice were about 1.5" apart.

My thumb is at the shadow of where the old hooks were on the bodice. You can see that they were inset by about 3/4" which allowed for an overlap placket. 

Some fun piecing on the waistband of the bodice

The bodice waistband is a separate piece that was cut on the straight of grain (1.5" wide w/ 1/4" seam allowance on both sides). It was folded and pressed at the bottom, but as you can see it wasn't hemmed. This is between the waistband showing the amount of fabric that was taken up in the bust dart. The seam allowance on how the bodice is attached to the waist band changes. The CF bodice and waistband have a 1" seam allowance while the CB drops down to only 1/4".

Here's the center front of the bodice, you can see the large bust darts that go out of the shot and the piping that is at the center front. Even though the dart in the lining helps curve the lining over the bust, and it seems obvious that the silk would do the same, I actually had a hard time following the grain line to confirm that. 

Here's a detail shot of the bust dart, you can see that it is VERY long, and is top stitched/prick stitched from the outside. The stitches are about 18-20 stitches per inch!

And finally, we have the back. The curved "seam" is actually just decoration, and is created with folded silk and piping to give it it's structure. 

Here's a better detail shot where you can see a bit of yarn popping out and where the trim is attached to the bodice, between the piping and the folded parts. You can also see how the placket lays in the back too, and how those stitches are visible. 

Ok! That's it for now with the gown (sorry it took so long to post! eek!) Next post will be about the skirt construction!

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How to Research Like a Boss: Part 6

How to be a Boss at Research Part 6: I’ve done all this research & I want to share it with the world - Rules of Engagement

For Review: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Ok, So here we are. You’ve gone down a rabbit hole of research filled with primary sources and some good secondary sources, and you are excited because you really feel like you have something to share with the community. Oh My Lordy – that is awesome! Now it’s just important to keep a few things in mind when you share this information.

1. Absolutes are dangerous. Some things can be absolutes: People need to be able to breathe to survive. People wore clothes in the 18th century. Etc etc, but to try and say “In the 18th century women only ever wore/did/saw/said/tied/etc this one way.” Or “XYZ NEVER happened/existed/etc” is dangerous. When I attend academic conferences you rarely hear these types of statements, and when you do hear them usually the person gets heavily questioned in the Q&A by their peers, and almost always there’s a peer there that has primary source documentation that proves the speakers absolutist statement dead wrong. You know what happens then? The speaker looses their footing, and you as an active listener and participant in this field of study begin to question everything they said. Credibility is lost. So even though that person might have had valid and interesting information, you’re going to disregard it because of their absolutist statements that were quickly discredited.

Here are better ways to express your findings:
“My research shows that xyz seems to be the norm within abc…”
“As of right now, it is my belief that xyz happened…”
“It seems plausible that this could have been a standard seen…”

You get the idea right? You can make a statement about your research in a way that leaves the door open for changes in the future, whether by you or someone else. This is the norm that I have seen in academic papers presented at conferences. Like I said in a previous post, what we know about dress history is changing everyday. To pigeonhole yourself in an absolutism is a disservice to you and to the field of study.

2. Release yourself from the need to make a “name” for yourself. Usually the desire for this results in the pressure to make “absolutist” statements. I get it. I really do, you want to make this your career, or you want to be the “best” in the hobby, and you think by finding an empty tree stump to plant your historic costume flag into is going to get you the notoriety and respect you need to feel validated. I have to be honest, as someone who felt this pressure when I was in school, and had this desperate need to really yell out and stake my claim in this field…it’s just not the best way. Because when you do this, you open yourself up for harsh critique. Then you find yourself alone on your tree stump with a bunch of other people questioning you, and your fight or flight tendency kicks in. If you’re a fighter – then you’re going to alienate people and eventually lose respect because people will see you as someone who is mean and argumentative. (Remember, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.) If you go into flight mode – then you’re feeling attacked, hurt, and despondent…and you might want to throw in the towel and not do any more research again because of how mean people can be. You might be an amazing researcher though and you have lots to contribute to the field! Let’s be honest, both avenues suck. You will make a better name for yourself by being kind, keeping an open mind, and sharing your well sourced and documented information, without the expectation of notoriety.

3. Honesty always commands respect, even if it means acknowledging you don’t know everything or even an answer to a simple question. I’m going to use myself as an example here: I know a lot (not everything – no one knows everything) about 18th century women’s fashion. I know a lot about hair products, hair hygiene, and hairdressing. I know diddly-squat about Edwardian fashion, and I know even less about the Viking Era. Don’t ask me about Rev-War uniforms, cause I don’t have a damn clue…and you know what? I’m perfectly ok with this. It’s not my area of expertise and it’s not my area of study. I know plenty of people out there who can answer questions related to these subject matters, and it' not me. So I go to them or refer people to them when I get asked. Lying about my limits of knowledge just makes life harder for everyone involved. It's ok to not know everything. If you knew everything thing there would be nothing fun to discover down the road ya know?

Not from me & not about your clothes. I know nothing Joseph Ducreux. 

4. Submit your abstract to local conferences, historic societies, CSA, etc to help get experience and get your name and information out there. It may seem super intimating (it definitely was/still is for me!) to submit a lecture proposal to a museum, academic society, etc, but in my experience submitting and vetting papers, reasons vary as to why or why not papers are accepted. Some conferences have a lot of paper submissions and have to reject a lot of proposals, and some have few submissions and they'll accept all the submitted abstracts. There were times when I've been on a committee that received a really cool submission, but it was just ever so slightly off from theme of the conference and so we ended up passing it up. Other times, I've been on committees where it's obvious that the submitter did not really put a lot of effort into their proposal and it was reflected in the quality of the submission....and there were other times where we accepted every paper submitted! The best advice I can offer is to reach out, put yourself out there and try. You might get rejected. It's ok! You also might get accepted...and frankly sometimes that's scarier! It's always worth submitting to local/regional conferences like Costume Society of America's Regional conferences because they are really intended for people who want to practice/share new findings/get feedback etc. It's a much more welcoming and safer environment than what you might assume. (I don't know if y'all have picked up on the fact that I used to have terrible anxiety relating to giving papers. Still do...) ...but...it is really a great way to share your research, meet new people, and make more contacts in the dress history field.

5. Just like giving a lecture: if you make a statement on the Internet (Facebook, forums, blogs, etc) be ready to back it up. I don’t think I need to say much more than that – but just in case. If you’re going to make a statement about something, it’s wise to just share the source where you got in from in that same comment vs. making the statement and skipping away assuming that people are going to take your word for it….because they’re not…and it’ll turn into a Lord of the Flies situation if you’re not ready. (See No. 1 – above and my post on Tertiary resources)  


6. And finally:

Yep.

And that's a wrap for this 6 part (goodness...) series.

-Abby

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How to Research like a Boss - Part 5

How to Research like a Boss: Part 5 - Tertiary Sources & the Changing Research World – Rules of Engagement, or, Facebook with Caution. (For Review: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

1. Facebook groups and forums are not valid points of research. Let’s just call that spade a spade. When you post a question on Facebook you’re going to get a sea of responses. Some will be good. Some will be terrible. Unless the person answering your question is backing up their statements with primary and good secondary sources, take what they say with a grain of salt. There are experts on these Facebook groups, but having a discussion or conversation about something is different than using these groups to post academically viable research.

Keep an open mind & be kind. Dress history is huge right now in academia. With this explosion of popularity comes an explosion of new research and discoveries that are changing how we view the past. What we know now is probably going to change in 5 years. While research from 20 years ago was ground breaking at the time, it’s not always valid today. This is ok! This is good! This is progress! We are learning more every.damn.day. But how do we deal with these changes as Humans With Egos? It is important to be kind and courteous on the Internet. If you're going to engage in Facebook groups here’s a quick list of how to not be misunderstood:

• Add a smiley emoji. (really). If your comment is a statement without clarity of mood or tone, it will most likely be taken as snarky or rude, even if you don’t intend for it to be. We’re a delicate species, and emojis are a good way to easily express whether you mean for the statement to be nice... or not. 
• WHEN YOU WRITE IN ALL CAPS – IT MEANS YOU ARE YELLING AND IT MAKES PEOPLE REALLY, REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE. Please don’t do it. Please. I’m uncomfortable even reading this. 
• If you critique someone, makes sure it’s constructive. Telling someone they did it wrong, without at least applauding them for trying to even do it right, is just mean. They tried; it’s a step in the right direction. Let’s encourage the forward movement.
• If someone disagrees with you, don’t get defensive. Ask questions. Honest, thoughtful questions. Your opponent may have spent the past year researching that subject for their masters degree and may have found some new-to-the-field information. Asking questions gets you a lot farther and keeps the lines of communication open.

2. Are you looking for answers or validation? They are not the same thing. One of the reason I am not a fan of Facebook groups is because I see a lot of people looking for validation to do something that they probably shouldn’t be doing. This isn’t research. It’s the search to validate an inaccurate choice. When you post a question like “Are any of these fabrics accurate?” and you get a lot of “No because XYZ” and you find yourself going, “Yeah but…” or “but I don’t want to spend the money” or “I don’t want to order online” or “Isn’t this good enough?” it’s time to acknowledge that you were looking for validation. People’s time has been wasted, including your own. Think about what you’re making and why you are making it. Are you trying to make a 100% historically accurate gown or a costume for a pretty princess tea? Both are OK! Girl – you do you – but don’t pretend to be historically accurate if you’re not. Just be honest with yourself and everyone around you about what your costuming intentions are.

3. The number of years in this field or hobby do not always equal expert. If you ask someone to back up their statements, and all you get is “I’ve been doing this for 25 years, etc,” walk away. Dress history research is changing every day, and we cannot rest on our laurels and past work. While there is a lot of Ego involved in this hobby, the truth should be our cumulative goal. For example: The past 3 years my research focus has been 18th century hair care: pomade, powder, how it was used, actively using it, reading about it, hairdressing manuals, everything. Do I think my research is the "End all Be all" – never to be improved upon? Hell. No. I think what I’ve done is lay the ground work for future scholars to build upon when it comes to a nuanced understanding of hygiene, beauty standards, and practices in the 18th century. I am proud of the work I have done, and I will stand by it. However, if I am still arguing the same point in 25 years when there is new scholarship and research abound, then I’m the crotchety fool who needs to get her knickers untwisted and realize that the new generation has access to information I couldn’t even fathom in 2014.

4. Some blogs are well researched. Some are not. Back in grad school (2009) I started my costuming blog and it has been the biggest blessing in my life. In 2011 I gave a paper about the commercial power and affect on research that the blogging community had (and has continued to have) on the dress history world. Some people loved it...some hated it...but the fact is that this community has changed the world of dress history, ultimately for the better. With all that being said, does this mean that blogs should be your go-to for all your research? No. Simply put, there is good research on blogs and personal websites but there is also total garbage. Blogs are wonderful jumping-off points and can be amazingly supportive and inspirational, but should not be considered academically viable sources. 

5. Explore the Community. If you have the desire to engage in conversation and learn about dress history beyond Facebook and blogs, the go for in-person experiences. Person-to-person is almost always better when it comes to debates and conversations, as the nuances of tone and intent are better understood. Create your own costumer’s guild in your hometown, join a research-focused reenacting unit, or attend conferences and lectures at museums. Join Costume Society of America (or the UK  equivalent). This is how you meet people. I cannot tell you how many brilliant minds are in this field that are not on Facebook groups and forums. Go to events. Meet people. Talk to them. Grow and learn and make new friends! Weee!

Alright...that's wraps up this edition of "How to Research Like a Boss" next week will be our 6th and final installment of this "How to Research Like a Boss" Series!

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