It is finally complete! The bluest of bustle dresses, all of its final edges hemmed, and its glorious butt-bow tied, it is finally finished! Purpose I began working on this dress in January, which feels like approximately 10 years ago. I started with the underpinnings: petticoat, bustle, combinations. Those all worked out splendidly, and even though they have their own idiosyncratic details to them, they are perfectly serviceable as underwear. I still need to fix the button holes on the combinations. I still need to fix a spot on the waistband of the petticoat where the ribbon sticks through. But I could never do any of those things and it…

Ok, we’re getting there… With all of the delays lately, it’s been a bit challenging to be productive at writing. It’s particularly hard to write about things you’re doing when you aren’t able to finish any projects. And this is where I am. I have ordered fabric, and I have ordered trim. And I have ordered thread. And some of those things are here and some are not, and I’ve been kind of piecemeal working on different projects as supplies come in, but never finishing any of them. Fortunately, I think I’m reaching the end of this and will very soon have a lot of projects finished at the same…

Part 2 of my infinity-part series on all the layers I need to make to wear one Victorian outfit. Now that I have finished my lobster tail bustle, I need some outerwear to go with it. This particular bustle is not equipped with ruffles or any other fabric that might help hide the boning, so it will require a petticoat to wear over it. I have ordered the petticoat pattern and am waiting for it (oh wait, it arrived just now today! yay!). Over the ruffly petticoat to hide the boning, is the skirt. This can be as plain or ornate as desired. I have ordered a lot of yards…

I somehow still need more historical underwear, lol. This time, I have selected a skirt support that was in fashion during the late Victorian era, known as the ‘Second Bustle Era’. There was a Bustle era, in the mid-1800s. Then the ‘natural form’ era, where they still liked the big bustled look, but wore bum pads instead of cage crinolines. And then, finally, the Second Bustle Era. This was 1880’s ish, and someone decided to bring back those big cage bustles, only make it bigger. And now here we are. I have had such fantastic luck with the Truly Victorian patterns that I picked their Imperial tournure pattern for my…

What is it? Today I present my attempt at creating an Edwardian era (early 1900s) corset. I haven’t made a corset in many years, but I was determined to give this one a go. Most modern corsets are of the hourglass variety, most closely resembling the Victorian corsets of the 1800s. However, there was a blip of time in the early 1900s where someone (definitely a man) decided that corsets should be shaped entirely differently and that this would be “healthier” for the corset wearer. Riiiiight. (Due to the increased lumbar pressure caused by the entire weight of the torso being supported by a single point in the spine, rather…

I have previously written about one of my favorite things I’ve made: the Black and White dress. It was a fun project and totally speaks to my true heart, which is entirely comprised of Tim Burton’s aesthetic. I made that dress 12 years ago and it is still one of my favorites, and something I bring out whenever I “have nothing to wear” to an event. It never fails me. This time was slightly different. A decade after its creation, my life has changed. My skills have changed (hopefully improved). My budget has graduated with me, as I was still a graduate student when I made this dress. And with…

The key to getting the proper silhouette in historical garments starts with the parts you can’t see: the underwear, the hoops and panniers, corsets, stays, petticoats, chemises, bloomers, and…. combinations. Historically, a shift, or chemise, was the first layer a lady would wear. Social or class standing might dictate what that first layer was made of: cotton vs. linen or silk. But from the most decadent ball gowns to the most modest house maid’s dress, they were all worn atop a base layer that was loose fitting and washable. Eventually, along with a chemise, a lady would wear bloomers. And then, even more eventually, combinations. Combinations are exactly that: a…