Edwardian Fashion (Part 1): A Brief History of Edwardian Fashion

     In celebration of my new Etsy store, ACleverNotion, I'll give brief histories and explanations of my garment inspirations!
      First up: The Edwardian Period.
     The Edwardian Period in England lasted from 1901-1910, and was a time of great change in women's clothing. The Period started with the death of Queen Victoria, who was conservative in her dress and presentation. Her son, the fashionable and jet-setting King Edward VII, brought about the craze of Continental Style. This period also coincided with the Belle Epoque Period (1890-1914) in France and the Turn of the Century Period (1890-1914) in America.

     The interesting thing about this Period, starting with the death of Queen Victoria and ending with the horrors of the Great War, is that the contemporary sense of a "leisure class" was born. Wealthy men and women took up outdoor sports, and because of this, women's fashion had to change dramatically.

     During the Victorian Period, women wore corsets and crinolines, which then transitioned to bustles in the '70's. Figures were kept neat and tight, and emphasis was placed firmly on the narrow waist.

The 'belled' shape which marked the mid-19th century.

The bustle dress of the late Victorian Period.

     During the Edwardian Period, women still wore corsets, but the belled and bustled look of the previous era had gone; the new rage in fashion was the long, lean look of the "Gibson Girl".

No crinolines or bustles. Pretty awesome hats.

The "Gibson Girl". Caption reads: "A Northeaster. Some look well in it."

     A low, full bust and wide hips became the epitome of beauty, though the waist remained neat and slender. The S-curve corset became popular. What differs greatly from the Victorian Period is the fact that the hips can be seen, and the bust is over-emphasized.

The S-curved corset.

Full bust and hips.

the "New Figure" looks quite strange next to the "Old Style Corset."

     Near the mid-decade, French fashion houses started designing for the thicker waists, narrower hips and flatter chests we see in the fashions of the Great War.

1910 Fashion Plate.

     Women started wearing tweed "suits": jacket and skirt combos worn with "waists" or blouses tailored like a man's shirt. These outfits were easy to move in, and leisured women wore them while sporting.

A lady's 'Suit'.

A simple shirtwaist.

     After the Edwardian Period, corsets fell out of fashion, and were replaced by the brassiere. And we've never looked back.

     Next Post: Flimsies.
     Cheers!

Halloween is My Favorite.

One of my favorite movies of all time.

You get to dress up, scare trick-or-treaters, bob for apples . . .

This looks like so much fun. 

And the weather is nice. . . ish. In Southern California, Halloween can be blisteringly hot, and there are usually a few brush fires, so it's kinda hard to breathe. But never mind all that.

How can you not be happy on Halloween?

I'm going to make a Halloween costume. I haven't done that in forever. I mean, literally three years. We have a Las Vegas (Spring Mountain Ranch) reenactment every year on the last weekend of October. Which is fun, since I technically have a "costume". But since the 31st is a Wednesday, I can celebrate it day of, or even the weekend after. My dad has a thing about celebrating things after they've happened. "The anticipation is gone," he says. But my pent-up Halloween exuberance could probably have its own party. So either way, I'm making a costume.
"What are you going to make, Megan?" you ask.
"Um, the best Halloween costume ever," I reply.
That's how dialogue works, you see. Questions and answers, questions and answers.
I'm really excited.

Presenting (drumroll, please):

Idris!!!!!!!
If you don't know who this is, you should probably become awesome and look her up.
She's from the Doctor Who episode "The Doctor's Wife". She's not really his wife, but she kinda is. She's the human form of the TARDIS, his flying Police Box Time Machine, the one thing he loves the most in the entire universe (If David Tennant had to choose between Rose and the TARDIS, would it really be a competition?). You should watch the episode. It's one of my favorites.

Not many of the Doctor's new companions are brunette. There's Sarah Jane Smith, Martha Jones, and Lady Catherine de Souza. I was Catherine when I went to the Matt Smith/ Karen Gillan signing in LA, but not many people recognized me (and they call themselves Whovians, psh). I'm not exotic enough to pull off Doctor Jones, and I'm too exotic to pull off Sarah Jane Smith.
But Idris is way more awesome than all of these companions (although Sarah Jane comes close). She's the one person/Police Box Time Machine who could steal a Time Lord!!!!

So I'm starting my research.
Neil Gaiman, the writer of the episode, describes Idris' gown as a "wrecked Victorian party dress", and while combing through my stash ( I nearly wrote stache, lol) of patterns, I came upon this little beauty:

Now, the neckline is all wrong, but the bodice shaping and the petticoats seem like a great starting pattern. So I'll lift and round out the front and back neckline, and make the skirts a sort of high-low style. Of course I'll want to add more volume to the skirts, and make a half bustle. And sleeves. Sleeves would be a good thing.
Wish me luck!

Hello, Again. I Have Some News.

It's been a while.
How are you?
I've been surprisingly busy for an as-yet-unemployed college graduate. Things are steadily coming together. First things first.
I have my first truly prized possession.
                                       Introducing: Clara Belle (she's so heavy. Literally 20 lbs).

This little beauty was given to me by my Uncle Rick as a graduation present. He's the best, he really is. Thank you again, Uncle Rick!!!!!
The needle wouldn't move, so I took it in to my local sewing/vacuum repair, and they told me they could assess it for $170. Too many zeros. So my wonderful, handsome, clever boyfriend offered to look at it, on the condition that he could use it, since his family's machine is on the fritz. Done.

Alex.

So we had ourselves a machine-cleaning party! 

It consisted of me whimpering in the background as he unscrewed the entire thing. I knew he knew what he was doing, but parts started piling up and I was afraid I'd never be able to put them back together. This has happened to me when I feel in the "handy" mood. My favorite watch is in pieces in a ziploc as I write this.

I cleaned and polished all of the enameled and shiny bits. The front piece facing you in the pic above, the brown, sticky-looking bit, was a pain to scrub, but I got it and it's friends to look like this:

I'd say she looks pretty good! Alex got everything working again, and we figured out how to change the foot pressure and the stitch length. Loading the bobbin is a trip.

We did some research, and based upon the serial number, discovered that Clara Belle was born in Scotland in 1916! So really, her name should be Wee Clara McBelle. Alex calls her "Clarice" in a creepy voice. It's quite charming.
So I now have a 1916 hand-powered Singer sewing machine!!!!! I'm so happy! I can use it anywhere! While watching Criminal Minds, in my backyard. Even at the beach. Definitely at the beach. Don't try to dissuade me on this. It will be happening. And then we'll bury each other in the sand and eat ice cream cones.
Until next time!

Split Drawers

Hello. It's been a while. I finished that paper.
And my split drawers!
So, here's the thing about split drawers: they're the best. Imagine that you're at a reenactment smack-dab in the middle of summer. You are probably keeping yourself hydrated (Me: "Water? What is this strange substance you speak of?") and, subsequently, you have to visit the "necessary". Which is code for ridiculously gross port-o-john with a swarm of mosquitoes hanging out on the ceiling. Would you rather contort yourself into a pretzel trying to unbutton the drawers underneath all of your layers, including your corset, while keeping your hoop skirt-petticoat taco from agitating those mosquitoes? Or would you rather have this handy-dandy, accident-proof article of clothing at your disposal?

Yes, it looks funny. No, the legs aren't sewn together, it's just a big gap. But they are amazing. Completely amazing.
Historical Side Note:
Ever wonder why those can-can girls were so risque? Most people don't think of the can-can as scandalous nowadays: "What's so crazy about dancers flipping up their frilly, voluminous skirts to show more frilly, voluminous skirts?" they ask.
Split drawers, my friends. Split drawers.

Paletots and Cloaks

    I'm researching cloaks instead of writing a paper for class. Of course. I'm the world's worst procrastinator. But I'd rather research historical patterns than write a paper on the textual analysis and audience response to gender in media. Or write another chapter for my novel. I'm pretty burned out on writing right now... anyways:

    The Naim Cloak!!! 

     This is the pattern I'm looking at for my reenacting 'cloak' (the name is a little misleading. It's not a cloak at all!). I found it in my handy-dandy 60 Civil War-Era Fashion Patterns by Kristina Seleshanko. I noticed that every other paletot or cloak pattern was made with velvet or silk. As a laundress, a silk or velvet paletot would be pretty impractical, and women wouldn't make a 'fancy' paletot in a plainer cloth. It just wasn't done. This pattern calls for "cloth, velvet or thick silk". Wool suiting is cloth. I'm going with it. 

     I really like the more fitted styles, since the only figure-flattering area is the waist (and especially on me: I have wide shoulders and a long torso, so I like the definition), but these women are wearing loose paletots. 

       Something like the illustration below would be great. It is an 1864 pattern, but I think it would be permissible to take in the paletot a little bit (shh, don't tell).

     And now that I'm looking at outerwear, I've stumbled upon a mid-19th century hood on Romantic History Historical Clothing. 

       

Sarah Jane provides the pattern on her blog, and I think I'm going to make one out of a couple of wool skirts given to me. The skirts don't fit, but the wool is soft and pretty, so I've been holding on to them for a while. 

     Well, dinner is ready, and I really do have to work on that paper (or research 17th-century New England for my novel...), so I'll write again soon. Hopefully I'll have made some sewing/ pattern progress by then! 

     Cheers!

New Projects

Finally! I can breathe. All of my crazy hectic plans have been completed.
So, of course, I'd like to stress myself out again :)
It's really more like starting now before I stress myself out the last week of August, really.
My unit is going to the Huntington Beach Civil War Reenactment the first weekend in September, and I've things to make. Specifically: A third set of split drawers and a paletot.
I'm going to hand sew the drawers, since the machine I use is at the shop, and I'll probably machine most of the paletot. I'll do topstitching and trim for the paletot by hand.
The drawers (and maybe another chemise, actually. It's really humid and gross in H.B. at this event) will be made out of lightweight muslin. I have a 50% off coupon for Joann's, so I'm pretty ecstatic about it.
I have a nice wool suiting that I purchased in L.A. for the paletot, but no lining. So this week(end?) I'm going to the $2 fabric store nearby to pick up a lining fabric. They have some pretty nice twills, three yards of which I bought to line stays, corsets, etc. I'd use that, but it's tan, and my wool suiting is a hunter green/ black check.
Wish me luck!

(History-Con pt.2) Sambuca and Fort MacArthur...

both have the spirit and allure of a Roman night. Or Sunday afternoon. A Roman Sunday afternoon.

From left to right: Lisa, Kevin (brother), Alex, Ron, Me, Kristen, Kevin W. , Faith, Jason

I must hand it to those Romans, they sure knew how to dress. Corsets, petticoats, stockings, hats? What are those? I mean, they had hats, but whatever. Not mandatory bonnets whose strings choke you in the wind.

Latin for "camp [something]". My search results came up with  nil. It probably means "awesome". I don't know why I look these things up, that's definitely what it means.

Roman Camp.

Brother looking fierce. 

But not as fierce as Faith. 

Kevin W. seems unsure of this madness. 

Picnicking. What a strange word. Extra 'k'. Unnecessary.

Looming demonstration. She's weaving a plaid to use as an actual plaid. Amazing craftsmanship. 

Who doesn't love goats? Especially when they're owned by pirates. Legitimate historical pirates. 

Faith and Kevin W. at the Korean Bell of Friendship. 

Faith jogs along on our constitutional. I'm probably yelling at her to  put her skirts down. 

The Korean Bell of Friendship. Which has a sign that reads: "Do Not Touch!!!!!!" . Faith is a rebel.  And she's showing a nice stretch of leg.

History-Con (Fort MacArthur Days) was the highlight of my ridiculously busy summer. Tomorrow I start a summer class, so it was the perfect timing. And Alex and my brother are probably going to sign up with the local Napoleonic War regiment. Which sounds silly when you say it out loud. But it means Regency dresses. And an opportunity to make some regency stays, which I will use in my dream impression: Incroyables et Merveilleuse. Alex would look amazing in a pigeon-breasted coat and a cravat that covers his chin. Maybe not the chin, he has a nice chin. 

Now to help my friend, Caitlin, with her Comic-Con outfit. That she needs done by Friday. 

Will post soon!

History-Con...

...would be more apt a title for the Fort MacArthur Days event in San Pedro. It was amazing. And windy. So windy, in fact, that my boyfriend, Alex, was able to hold his hat on his stomach for the 20 minutes (literally two) it took my brother to take a picture.

He's a wizard.

But, oh, the perils of costuming with wind!!! Modern half-moon bangs look a little silly falling out of their pins. 

That's me.

Alex, Me, and Kristen before being swept away. Super flattering, I must say.

I went with my "laundress" impression for this event. I wore my corded petticoats, pillow ticking corset and calico dress with a gathered bodice and a dog-leg closure. I love straw hats, so I tied (which puts it mildly, I was nearly garroted) it to my head and hoped for the best. I only realized how patriotic I looked after my dad questioned my fashion-coordination, to which I replied: "I'm a working woman. I've no care for your frivolities!" Needless to say, my dad thinks I'm insane. 

From left to right: Kevin (brother), Kristen, Me, Alex, Faith and Kevin W.

Here's a picture of the group before we encountered the cyclone that is San Pedro. Sweeping generalizations are my specialty. My brother is in his reenacting uniform (minus the sack coat); Kristen is wearing my plaid jacket, cage crinoline, and awesome straw bonnet (she's from Georgia, so she won the crinoline contest hands-down); I'm wearing a very patriotic ensemble; Alex is wearing a Civil War Navy uniform and looks quite dashing; Faith is wearing a peach robe a l'Anglaise with my precious bergere hat and a pretty awesome bumroll; and Kevin W. is wearing a Union corporal's uniform. 

We picnicked on the grounds beside some super rowdy children throwing sandals, meandered through several-hundred years worth of military history, and came upon our Civil War reenacting friends! But they were in tunics and chitons. Because they are Romans as well! That should be exciting. You should probably feel that excitement. Another post about the Romans!!!

Oh, Life.

Gentle Reader,
    With the unforeseen birthday extravaganzas (count 4), graduations (count 2), Thanksgiving in June (for my expatriate brother) and Anniversary/graduation/birthday/every-other-reason-to-party party, my Great Mustard Jacket had to be put on hiatus.
    And I'm a little bummed. Accountability, shmamountability. There's always next year.
    But the jacket looks great so far. Pictures when I start working on it again :)
    Right now I'm getting myself (and my friends) ready for the Fort MacArthur Timeline event in San Pedro! I'm excited. Mostly because I have something to wear, and anything else I make this week will be an extra.
I'm going to wear my reenacting getup, and right now I'm fashioning a blue plaid apron.
    More to come!

The Great Mustard Jacket

So, after thinking about what I wanted to make for the fair for an eternity and getting nowhere, I figured I would just make something that I had been dying to make and send it in. I've been eyeing the 1790's red and white striped jacket from the Kyoto collection, since it is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen, and I've decided to make a jacket with the same silhouette.

I'm doing a mash-up, here. I've taken an internet-find pattern ( larsdatter.com, 18th century Women's Jackets) for the general bodice shape, 

and I'm looking at Janet Arnold's pattern for the 1780-1790 "gown with a front fall opening and a vandyked collar" from Patterns of Fashion 1: 1660-1860. I'm adding cuffs and a front placket which will imitate a buttoned front closure. For the fabric, I'm using mustard velveteen, of which I have about a gazillion yards (literally about 4), and I'm lining it in a creamy linen I found on sale. I think things will go fairly smoothly. I've enlarged my pattern(s) with my trusty enlarger that I received from a teacher friend (it's probably a hot enlarger, let's be honest.) and I've created a mock up. The proportions are a little wonky, but I'm making another mock up later today. I'm planning on hand sewing this, because I always love to super stress myself out at the last minute, but I may machine the innards of my french seams if it gets crazy.