Historical Costuming ala 1780s
Dec. 19th, 2012 10:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
totchipandaI made a blog post a couple days ago about the first historical costume I ever fell in love with, complete with loving descriptions of how I remember the way the sun slanted through the windows of the library as I pulled a costume book off the shelf and flipped through it :3
It all started about 15 years ago when I fell in love with a 1775-ish polonaise in Patterns of Fashion. I knew nothing about historical dress beyond the current century and some very specific eras thanks to Christian Bale movies, high school English class, and SCA-going (step)parents. My areas of focus were 14th century and earlier, one memorable gown from Romeo & Juliet, Civil War and one or two Victorian gowns. This highly structured creature with voluminous puffed up skirt was magnificent.
But what did I know about wearing it, let alone creating it? Nothing. Not to mention, I hated sewing. It wasn't until I started making and wearing gothic lolita clothes and Victorian outfits that I started to love it. Now, nearly 10 years after that, I know so much more about construction and the importance of wearing ALL of the layers, but I've still never considered an 18th century gown.
I shouldn't QUITE say that. I did make a dress once, from a now-discontinued Butterick pattern. It didn't fit super-well. This was before I really "got" the importance of underpinnings.
I don't even know what set this newly rediscovered love off, but I am determined to make that gown (or very similar) this year. I don't care that I have nowhere to wear it, I will MAKE places to wear it. I've ordered some patterns to get some ideas of better historical accuracy (I don't feel comfortable drafting out curves in a commercial pattern and I can no longer fit into the Butterick one, and also don't feel comfortable resizing it) and hopefully a decent pattern without too much effort :3 I was hoping they'd arrive before the weekend because I doubt that there'll be any mail until next Thursday, but for some reason, they shipped from Virginia and went to Puerto Rico. Maybe before the new year, if I'm lucky.
Watch this space for giant asses of DOOOOOOOOOOOOM!! Appearing soon in an LJ near you.
It all started about 15 years ago when I fell in love with a 1775-ish polonaise in Patterns of Fashion. I knew nothing about historical dress beyond the current century and some very specific eras thanks to Christian Bale movies, high school English class, and SCA-going (step)parents. My areas of focus were 14th century and earlier, one memorable gown from Romeo & Juliet, Civil War and one or two Victorian gowns. This highly structured creature with voluminous puffed up skirt was magnificent.
But what did I know about wearing it, let alone creating it? Nothing. Not to mention, I hated sewing. It wasn't until I started making and wearing gothic lolita clothes and Victorian outfits that I started to love it. Now, nearly 10 years after that, I know so much more about construction and the importance of wearing ALL of the layers, but I've still never considered an 18th century gown.
I shouldn't QUITE say that. I did make a dress once, from a now-discontinued Butterick pattern. It didn't fit super-well. This was before I really "got" the importance of underpinnings.
I don't even know what set this newly rediscovered love off, but I am determined to make that gown (or very similar) this year. I don't care that I have nowhere to wear it, I will MAKE places to wear it. I've ordered some patterns to get some ideas of better historical accuracy (I don't feel comfortable drafting out curves in a commercial pattern and I can no longer fit into the Butterick one, and also don't feel comfortable resizing it) and hopefully a decent pattern without too much effort :3 I was hoping they'd arrive before the weekend because I doubt that there'll be any mail until next Thursday, but for some reason, they shipped from Virginia and went to Puerto Rico. Maybe before the new year, if I'm lucky.
Watch this space for giant asses of DOOOOOOOOOOOOM!! Appearing soon in an LJ near you.
