edwardian – Page 2 – Fashion Through Herstory

Allers Pattern Journal 26 jan 1913

Published on May 13, 2014 by fashionthrougherstory3 Comments

and since we’re still on the subject of early 20th century: Here comes another view of my recently accuired “Allers Patterns Magzines”.

“Allers Mönster-tidning 26 jan 1913”.

Close up of front page.All of these dresses looks so comfortable. Even the coat look like it is really easy to wear.

Some knitting patterns and tips.

I just couldn’t resist incluing this add, its hillarious.It tells you about this amazing beverege called “Hunyadi Ja’nos” to get you “bowels movin”, just drink one full glas a day.

And some embrodery and knitting tips.

Take a look at this tapestry of a hunting party chasing the deer through the woods.

Oh those pretty dresses.

Love the draping on the left gowns skirt.

So beautiful.

Contrasting belts, big draping sleeves and trailing trains – heaven.

The right one in light creame and deep reed… drool.

Great shapes on these skirts.

More knitting patterns.

“Suggestions on tapestries”

Childrens fashion.

A litle boy-man with bowler and everyting.

Sailor suits and sweet dresses.

Misses dresses.

Pretty collars and lacing insertins.

Suffragets in action – Luncheon

Published on May 11, 2014 by fashionthrougherstory6 Comments

Yesterday it was finaly time for the “Suffragett luncheon” I’ve been helping to plan since february – or rather been watching while other planed.

Anyway, I got up realy early yesterday morning to get on the train taking me to the capital, were I arrived in good time before the meet-up.

I walked the 10 min to my inlaws empty apartment, and started to get dressed.Underwear and huge red hair.

Using all my flexibility, I manadged to lace the corset (fairly easy), and to button the shirtwaist all the way in the back (really hard). The “In-door” look: Shirtwaist, walking skirt, swiss-waist and brosch.

And before leaving the apartment (about 40min after I arrived) I doned the huge hat, jacket, chain and brosch.

I took the intercity train to the smal, old house were we was to hold the meeting.

The ones of us who came early, emediatly started to prepar the food and table.Elin and Aggi prepearing the food.

Johanna set the table with yellow napkins, flowers and these lovely place holders, which she made using costuming pictures of all of us.I’m the one at the front.

Then the guest started to arrive.From left: Elin (organizer and cook) trying to sell of some caviar, Johanna (Co. organizer) in blue and Lina in a purple 1910s dress. In the backround we can also glimps Aggi.

Carolina and Hanna.

Hanna is known for only using original garments. And she’s an expert in finding the most faboulus, well perserved, pieces ever.Close up.

When everyone arrived, it was time to take place by the table to start the 4 course “Suffragett luncheon” from a 1914s recepie. (link “Good housekeping 1914” recepie).

And since I’m not a fan of “food photos”, I of course forgot to photograp all the courses.

But here are a few.Chicken soup with croutons.

Celery-canapé with salad and toast.

And some pics of the lovely ladies.Looking modelstly happy…

..and happily confused…

..and then back to modestly interested…

But after a while it got a bit crazy… No I’m kiding but Lina did pose in a rater unexpected fashion.A suffragett on top of a suffraget….

When we finished all the courses, it was time to play the original “Suffragett board game”.

Using famous swedish women-fighters for pieces.

Then some of us took the time to pose for the camera.Emelie in her lovely striped pink, self made gown.

Love this picture – So pretty.

Then it was my turn.I think this pic is hilarious – take a look at the frisky look in the creapy manequins eyes, and you know what I mean.

Carolina gives us a big smile in her cool, self made outfit.

Then we went outside for some quick group pictures.

We manadged to get a young guy to help us photograp – he was very polite and patient, but he must have thougt we were totaly crazy.

“Empire but skratch”

And of course some shoes – oh those naughty suffragetts.

Then it was time to hurry back to the aparment to change (took me half the time taking it of), and catch the train home.

I had such a good time dressing up and spending an afternoon in the company of all these awsome ladies.

Allers Pattern Journal 20 okt 1907

Published on April 25, 2014 by fashionthrougherstory1 Comment

Last week my first real “ancent/vintage” items arrived in the mail. Three copies of “Allers pattern magazine” from early 20th century.

I must confess I’m in love with them all. And I think I might developed a crushing need to get my hands on lots (all) of these fashion magazines.

And today I will give you a closer look at one of them. Hopfully you will find them as wounderful and lovely as I do.

“Allers Mönster-tidning 20 ok 1907”Some lovely separates: skirts, shirtwaists and a fur jacket at the bottom.

Embrodery and home decor. Not my cup of tea, but pretty non the less.

Winter dresses to die for.Lookig at this pictures makes me dream of ice-skating and winter walks. Lets take a closer look.

I adore this whole outfit: the hat, the muff, the fur trimed skirt – I will definetly try to make this one someday.

Two beatiful gowns with lovely sleeves and decorations.

A mother and child (makes me want a litle one, just to dress in dresses like this.)

Elegance overload. I can’t decide which one I like the best, they are both so lovely. Perhaps will just have to make them both…

Some more formal gowns. Love the lace treatment on the light skirt.

Beautiful.

Looks warm and cosy. I do however think I would feel very old and shapeless in a cape like this.

This next page is full of sewing tips and instructions for the cape shown in the left corner. The headline on the page is “Husliga sysslor” (domestic chores).

A love this scheme of childrens clothes.

Pretty young ladies.

I adore the short knickers and long socks worn by the boys.

And the final page is also dedicated to childrens clothing.

Look at that lovely jacket and the kick as attitude on the girl. You wouldn’t mess with her would you.

Some essential night gowns and a cute litle nightcap.

And finaly two sweet school girls in striped dresses and hats.

Edwardian Layering

Published on April 19, 2014 by fashionthrougherstory2 Comments

I’ve been working a lot on my edwardian wordrobe latley. If you got tired of it, I can tell you this will be the last one in a while (I do whoever have some post on this era planed for later).

But before we skip backward a few centuries I want to show the complexity in which the edwardian lady dressed. When dressing for the recent photoshoot my sister/photagrapher exclaimed: Omg, and to think they wore all this every day.

She is not far from wrong. Acctually, the “finer” lady would change into several different dresses in one day (morning, walking, dinner ect.), something that would have taken both time and help from a handmaid/dresses. The women of lesser meens would have to settle for one dress a day (week, month…). And she would not have worn all the extra layers, accessories and padding except perhaps for sundays.

But enough about that. Here is my Edwardian Lady undressed.

As usual we start fully dressed, in: Gown and appropirate accessories like hat, belt/swiss waist, fan, glowes and juwelry.

Once the accessories are removed we find a much softer looking style, wearing only the gown – even though she would never have walked outside this “naked”. Lets do another layer.

Beneth we find the corset cover/brassiere who both keeps the sharp edges from the corset from showing through the dress, and helps create the fashionable “pigeon bust” of the period. We also find the petticoat, which in this period could be very decorative with lots of lace and ruching, but in this case is simply a white cotton one.

When we remove the brassiere, we can se parts of the corset.

And without the petticoat the bum-enhansor/bumpad is visible. I’ve haven’t had the time to make a proper edwardian one yet, but uses my 18th century purple one instead. The bumpads obvious purpose is to enhance the bum and to give a more distinkt S-bend shape.

And then we are down to the unmentionables: The corset with its garter and S-shape, the petticoat, stockings, separate under bodice and shoes. I wear an regular tank-top beneth he corset since I have’nt gotten around to make the proper edwardian combinations yet.

And that was all for this time.

Camille Photoshoot

Published on April 17, 2014 by fashionthrougherstory9 Comments

A couple of days ago me and my sister went outside to take some pictures of my re-modeled edwardian gown and hat.

I tried to capture some of the poses I’ve seen in old photographs but honestly, I both feelt and looked supid. Apperently I ended up touching my hat a lot, and looking very snooty at the same time. Saucy temptress may not be my strongest look. So I’ve mixed it up with some un-edwardian smiley pics as well.

Photo: Maria Petersson

Camilles Picture (Top) Hat

Published on April 15, 2014 by fashionthrougherstory5 Comments

I decide early that I was going to make an Edwardian hat for the HSF ?: Tops and Toes. My original plan was to make a matching hat to wear together with the prevoulsly made edwardian “Farytale”gown, to a upcoming event.

But as you can guess my planes changed a bit once I decided I hated it, and would never wear the “Ariel/Farytale” gown again.

The new plan is to make a hat be-fitting of the faboulus Camille Clifford. And since the dress is now re-styled after one of her dresses, what would be better then to also make the awsome, gigantic hat to match.

The only problem was – I’ve never made a hat from scratch before… Ok, I’ve made a 19th century bonnet, but nothing this complex, and huge.

I started searching for some pattern layouts on the internet, and was just about to start the drafting, when I stumbeled on this hat hanging in a store. Since it was both the perfect size and colour, I took the easy way out and bought it.

Since it was so big I decided it needed a bit of strenghtening to get the right shape. So I grabbed my metal wire and got to work, sewing it on to the brim. Bending the edges of the wire so not to poke through the straw.

Then I did the same thing two more times.

The high crown of the hat neded to be lovered to get the right look.But instead of cutting, I decided to just poke it down on itself.

A few stiches and the crown are now les the half its original hight.And since you will need a hatpin to keep it in place anyway, the low crown dosen’t bother me.

Time to deal with the dcorations. I strated by cuting shreads from some of my black fabric scraps.

Then I gathered them to litle “clusters”, and arranged them beneath the brim.

They look kind of strange sitting on the inside/underside of the hat, but I just follow my inspirtiona picture.Hm a litle weard…

Then it was time for some feathers.I used a feather “boa” I bought for this pourpose.

Triming of those ugly ends.

And carefully stiching the feathers on, cirkeling the crown.

I then realised I didn’t had enough feathers to fill the hole in the crown. So I found some black fabric scraps and made a quick litle bundle.

Which I putt in the crown and attached by a few stiches.

Then I could continue attaching the feathers on to the neewly created lower crown.

And Finished:

Sneak-a-peak of todays photoshoot…

Just the Facts:

Challenge: nr 7 – Tops and Toes.

What: An Edwardian “Picture hat” (ca 1905s).

Pattern: None

Fabric: Nope

Notions: a black straw hat, thread, steel wire, feathers 1,5m, fabric scraps and ribbons.

Historical accuracy: Not at all. Totaly modern construction. It may pas for edwardian but I doubt the laydy of the day would ever consider wearing it.

Time: 2 hours.

Cost: 150Sek (22Usd)

First worn: At easter for a photoshoot. Maybe I will wear it mid may for an event.

Final thougts: I’m pretty happy about it. And it looks even better since I pinned a satin ribbon and broch to it, to break up all those feathers. I just need to get my hands on some hatpins to keep it more firmly on my head.

“Ariel”, meet “Camille”

Published on April 13, 2014 by fashionthrougherstory7 Comments

From the moment I put the Ariel gown on, I’ve been thinking about ways to alter it to make it more flatterning, tous make me like it more.

I very seldom re-work and alter my costumes. If there is some item I don’t like, I usaly just putt it in the bottom of the costuming box and forget about it.

But this time I figured I give the re-working a try. And after reading all the tips and encuragment from all of you, I decided I was definetly going to try to make it into a more lovable gown.

But how?

After some image searcing, for edwardian dresses, on the internet I came across this pic. Camille21 It’s Camille Clifford in a white “pigeon bust” gown accessorized with black belt and hat.

I emmediately decided to try to re-style my Ariel gown into Camilles beautiful dress.

So, I needed to go from this…

…To this. b17-1 (the black line highlighting the low neckline is a later addition by who ever had the picture before me).

I realized at once I was not going to manadge the black colour fading on the skirt, simply because my fabric didn’t had the toning. Nor did it had the flowery design, and I did not had the time to cut and attach several hundreds of flowers to get the style completly right. Maybe that will be something to do later on, if I decides I like it this time around.

But on to what I could do.

I started by ripping my gown appart, separated the bodice and skirt.

Ripped out and re-cut the sleeves to get rid of some of that high pouf I prevously had.

And getting rid of the cuffs.

Then I started to assemble it again.

Attaching a black self made bias tape to the collar, to mimick the high sharp collar of Camilles gown.

Then I got on to the sleeves. Gattering the sleeve head, and changing the design of the sleeve-end from cuff to rusching.

I re-stiched the bodice to the skirt, rising the waist a bit in the process.

I also experemented a bit with the flowers from the previous design. Making them smaler and pinning them to the sleeves, bodice and skirt. But decided to pospone that project to the future.

The finished dress:

When the gown was finished it was time to start on the belt.

I did not had a pattern to use, so I decided to make my own.

I then brought out all the pieces of black fabric I owned to decide wich one/ones to use. I decided on the plain cotton fabric (center top) for the foundation, and the cotton voile/cheese-cloth (top left) for the draping.

I cut the foundation pieces and basted on a second layer as interlining.

Marked and stiched the boning chanels, and inserted the boning.

Then I started on the draping.Pinnig the cotton voile on the bias to the foundation piece while attached to the dressform.

Then I cut of the exess fabric and pinned the tucks in place.

I handstitched the tucks down, and folded the exess fabric around to be covered in cotton lining.

Then I set the gromets (something that caused more trouble then usual due to thick fabric).

And finishing of with some hooks and eyes at the front tabs.

I really like how the curve of the belt looks in this picture.

Finished:

Facts re-making:

What: Re-fashion of the edwardian “Ariel” gown into a new edwardian gown – “Camille”.

Fabric: Scraps of regular black cotton sheets (maybe a total of 30cm), and 30 cm black cotton voile.

Notions: 2x hooks and eyes, thread, 20 cm black bias tape, 1m of boning, 1,5 m black cord and 12 gromets.

Time: To long – ca 8 hours.

Cost: Maybe 20 Sek (3 Usd) worth of stash notions.

Result: I think it looks great (but so did “Ariel” on the dressform), I will have to wait and se how I feel about it until after the photoshoot next week.

Ariel goes Edwardian – Photoshoot

Published on April 1, 2014 by fashionthrougherstory5 Comments

When me and my sister got together this weekend to do the photoshoot of my new “Edwardian Ariel” gown, we were happy to discover that the recent snow had melted and turned into perfect sunny spring weather.

So I put on my akvardly red syntetic wig and my new gown. Then we spent an hour outside by the chanal, playing and taking pictures.

Photo: Elin Petersson

Ariel goes Edwardian

Published on March 30, 2014March 30, 2014 by fashionthrougherstory4 Comments

For the HSF challenge 6 – Farytale, I’ve been working on an Edwardian dress for “The litle mermaid” Ariel. (If you wonder how the heck that works, take a look at my previous post.)

The girl on the left is my main inspiration.

A quick design sketch.

As usual, I started with the draping of the pattern. I pinned the fabric to my dressform (on top of the corset and brassiere) and draped a tight fitting lining.

And a larger outer layer.

Then cut and made a quick mock-up. First I tried on the lining.

And then I pinned on the draping outer layer.

After some minor changes to the pattern, I cut all the pieces. Using a striped cotton voile (same as for my “Chemise a la Reine“) for the bodice, sleeves and skirt. And a dotted polyester organdy for the neck insertion, and decoration.

I cut the skirt as two lenghts of fabric, sewed them together and pleated the wasit to the right measurments.

I made the pin-tucks from a long piece of the organdy, only cuting the front insertion when the piece was finished.

I interlined the bodice and stitched it togehter, then I put it on to determen the placing of the pin-tucked front piece.

And pinned the front draping fabric to the waist.

It does look pretty good ( the skirt and leeve ae just pined on at this stage).

But I do have some minor problems at the back and side, which fortanly can both be fixed by shortening the waist a few cm.

Then it was time to stich on the front piece, collar, sleeves and skirt. Putt in the hooks and eyes, and finishing the whole thing of with some flowers.

The Finished Gown:

Just the Facts:

Challenge: 6 – Farytale

What: An Edwardian (1901s) gown for “The little Mermaid”.

Pattern: Drafted my own, using a picture for reference.

Fabric: 3m of striped white cotton voile, 0,5 m of white dotted polyester organza and 0,5 m regular white cotton sheets for interlining.

Notions: Thread, hooks and eyes and about 80 cm syntetic whalebone.

How historical accurate: Not much, the cotton content is ok, and the colour would suffice for a “nice dress”. But I don’t think I quite got the shape/look right.

Time: About 10 hours – on and of for two weeks.

Cost: About 100Sek (16Usd), everything from stash (bought on sale about a year ago).

First worn: 30th of mars, for the “farytale” photoshoot.

Final thoughts: Sadly I did’t enjoy making this dress.

I was way to tired after work, and to occupied on weekends, to take the time to do the dress right.

Instead I forced myself to make some “baby-step” progress on it for about two weeks, and then pulling myself up and stressing like crazy to get it finished before the photoshoot on sunday 30s.

All that stress would have been worth it, if I at least would have liked the dress.

But No, when I putt it on for the first time (at the photoshoot) I really hated it.

I feelt fat, ugly and ridicoulus in it, and was more then a bit ashamed to go outside for the photo session.

But now, when I’ve been going through the pictures we took, I think I do like it a bit more.

Because I can tell you – we got some awsome looking photos, which I’m dying to show you. (As soon as I can get this damn blog to stop deciding over my picture sizes).

1900s S-shaped Underwear

Published on March 1, 2014 by fashionthrougherstory4 Comments

The item for challenge 4 of the HSF14 was quite simle to decide – Looking at my intended “sewing list” where a 1900s evening gown is the next big thing, I of course needed the proper undergarmnents.

Since this is a new era for me (I’ve done 1980s and 1910s, but they are not at all the same) I needed to start from the bottom. So a corset it is.

Looking through the internet for inspiration I really liked this one.

And amongst my patterns I found the 1901s corset from Nora Waughs “Corset and Crinolines”.

My original thought was to make the corset in ivory cotton sateen, but when searching my stash I discovered it was all gone (I’ve already used it all on a couple of other corsets). And the only other strong ivory colored fabric I had was a rough unbleached cottonblend. So on to the fabric store I went, finding this nice striped cotton upholstery fabric instead.

I had wished to make this a quick and dirty stash busting prject, but found I already had had to many of those lately – thous leaving my stash of notions almost empty (sigh). So I also needed to buy gromets, lacing cord, suspender grips and plastic boning (the planchett and decorational lace thankfully already in stash).

I originaly started this project 9 months ago till the HSF13 “White” challenge – before I realised I had other more pressing costuming needs.

So the pattern and the toile was already prepeared. And since I had absolutly no idea of the measurments I used making the mock-up, I just tried it on.

And as could be expected, it didn’t fit at all.

So I took out a total of about 10cm on the size, and added some lenght to make the front bottom smother. The rest of the fitting isues will be corrected once made up in a sturdier fabric and properly boned (I hope).

After the adjusments had been done, I cut the fabric, linning and interlining. Using as litle fabric as I posibly could.

Then I started to sew it togehter, begining with the narrow side pieces.

And continuing on to the busk…

…and the gromets…

Realising to late I’ve put the gromets to far appart.I tried to fix it by putting some extra gromets at the waist (as in 1880s corsets).

Then I sewed the pieces together and made the boning chanels, using self made bias tape, and sewed them on.

When all the boning was inserted I sewed and trimmed down the top and bottom of the corset, prepeared it for the biastape.

Then I stiched on the pretty lace (which I picked from my “Lace box“).

Finished:

And being worn:

Just the facts:

Challenge: 4 – Under it all.

What: a 1900s S-shaped corset.

Pattern: Nora Whaugh’s 1901s corset from “Corset and Crinolines”.

Fabric: 0,5 of striped cotton upholstery fabric (50Sek), 0,4 m of nougat cotton lawn for lining and 0,5 m ivory cotton satten (used on bed-bolsers) both from stash.

Notions: Thread (stash), 32cm Busk (80Sek), 20 gromets (35Sek), 4m of lacing cord (50 Sek), 2 m of ivory biastape (stash), 5m selfmade biastape for boning chanels (stash), 5m plastic cable ties for boning (30sek), 2m steel boning (stash), 1 m lace (stash), 0,5 m elastics (stash) and 2 suspender-grips (50Sek).

How historical accurate: The fabric and pattern are all good. But the plastic boning and the construction tecninques are modern. so maybe 6/10.

Time: About 12 hours.

Cost: Money spent: 275 Sek (42Usd). Actual cost (including stash worth): about 400 Sek (61Usd).

First worn: For photograps 1 mars. But hopefully on some suffraget events and some summer picknics.

Final Thoughs: I’m pretty happy with it, but I think I will need to add some stuffing at the bum to get a more pronounced S-shape.