What do you get when you take two friends, a plethora of historical gowns, and two large Pumpkin Spice Lattes? A wonderfully fun time with some fabulous pictures to prove it!
A few weeks ago I decided that I wanted to photograph a large portion of my historical gown stock using real life models. So armed with a fully charged camera, my friend Cassandra and I braved the rainy and slightly chilly elements over the past two weekends to photograph some really stunning images! And since there are so many pictures to see, I will just get right to it!!
I hope you enjoy!!!
Oh and one last picture of Cassandra discovering the most perfect fall leaf of all….lovingly named “Leif Erikson”
Sometimes, on my researching adventures, I come across paintings or photographs of individuals that stop my wandering eyes in an instant. Whether it is something about their pose, or their outfit, or the fact that I feel like I can connect with their personality, images like the ones in today’s post just fascinate me.
This first one features the wonderful giggliness of a young girl from the 1850’s! What a sweetheart!!! And a wonderful example of children’s fashion.
This next painting I found to be a fantastic example of late 1700’s styling and fashion. The smile, the gown, THAT HAT….its all absolutely beautiful!
Portrait Of E. N. Arsenyeva By Vladimir Borovikovsky, 1796
This last portrait (c. 1860) caught my eye as the riding gown this woman is wearing has the most amazing placement of tucks. I can just envision her riding a horse with that long, flowy skirt fluttering behind her!
Such beautiful examples of fashion, creativity, and personality!
I see images of individuals from various time periods everyday…hundreds of pictures, drawings, paintings….and yet, only a few cause me to stop and admire. I like to think that it is something from their spirit reaching out to me. I also like to think that if these individuals were around today, I bet they would be close friends!
And then I also wonder, if in a hundred years or so, someone like myself will come across my picture. Someone who has an interest in historical fashion and I wonder if they will think my picture, my outfit, my smile may be worthy of a second glance……. 🙂
I have been sewing since I was a little girl and dabbled in the usual assortment of projects that new sewers try. A few handbags, a dress or two, and perhaps a little quilting. But there comes a time in every sewer’s journey when they begin to discover their particular niche. While they still may sew a variety of things, they often find one particular style, or area, or system that is their most favorite. And that is the beautiful thing about sewing. Sewing is one of those rare hobbies that can be truly for enjoyment while still offering a wonderful service. It will always be a needed talent and one that should be carefully and lovingly cultivated.
I went on my own little journey of sewing during my summer vacations of college. This was of course in the days before Pinterest and my access to historical fashion was limited, but I was able to Google a lot of the various images. Through this process, I began finding gowns that spoke to me and continue to inspire me today (over a decade later.) They are the pieces that really pushed me into historical sewing without having any idea or knowledge on how to do any of it. But like many things in life, sewing is a puzzle with various pieces that must be figured out so they, together, can create one overall picture. So that is how my summer days were spent…figuring out how these gowns were created, how they went together, and how the heck I could do it on my own. Of course all of this happened in between my summer jobs! 🙂
So as I now enter into my 15th year of historical/vintage sewing, I thought I would share with you the pieces that inspired it all…maybe they have inspired you as well!
This late 18th century gown is a true example of how a perfect fit can create a stunning creation.
This Regency era gown was the first time where I looked at a picture and tried to recreate the best I could….it turned out alright! 🙂
This 1850’s raspberry gown has been one of my favorites for years….I adore the vibrant color!
This 1870’s bustle gown is part technical amazingness and part mint-green amazingness…both parts are equally important!
This one you had to pull my chin off from the floor when I first saw it. It’s all about the cut….simply, sleek, and exquisitely tailored!
I am still in the process of trying to recreate a pattern for this 1930’s silk blouse…and when I do, I’ll be sure to let you know!
Someday, I will have acquired enough skill to create this 1940’s dress..not today…but someday!
What has been your inspiration for sewing? Have you been able to recreate that inspiration?
One of my favorite songs from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (which also happens to be one of my favorite movies) is the song “June Bride.” It is extremely catchy and can pop into my head at random times…even when I haven’t watched the movie in months! If you haven’t seen/heard of this musical before, than close out this post and go find yourself a copy!!! You won’t regret it! 🙂
In the meantime, feel free to click the link below to watch the song!
And while getting married in June is not as common today (as I am a May bride), I still thought it would be fun to take a little look back at the do’s and don’ts of bridal wear!
One of my good friends is getting married, and watching her go through the fun of finding a wedding dress makes me feel just as excited as if it were for my own wedding (well, almost!) She finally found a dress through Alfred Angelo after much debate and what seemed like an endless stream of gowns. But she did it! And as I was researching for this post, I came across this wonderful advertisement for Alfred Angelo gowns from the 1950’s. After viewing this gown, I thought about how much wedding gown designs have changed…and not changed, as I feel like I saw this gown on display….just maybe not as fluffy!
But one thing that that hasn’t change too much over time is the color of the gown. This excerpt from a book written in the 1870’s explains what goes into a proper bridal ensemble…and it seems like quite a bit! And just in case you are interested, all sources quoted are listed at the bottom of this post.
“The dress for a bride will admit of such immense variety in materials, style, expense, and fashion, that it is difficult to give general directions. Yet from the millionaire’s daughter to the mechanic’s child, there is always one rule, that the dress must be white throughout. Dress, veil, gloves, slippers, wrapper, or bonnet all must be pure white for a full bridal dress. The material varies; moire antique, alpaca, muslin, or fine bishop’s lawn, are all suitable for the wedding-dress. The veil may be of illusion, lace, or very fine tulle, but should be long, very full, and fine. It is fastened by the wreath, but whether to fall over the face or not, is a matter left to Fashion.
Picture 499
The slippers should be of white satin, and the gloves of white kid, trimmed with white lace or white satin ribbon.
No jewelry is suitable for a bride, excepting diamonds or pearls.
The same variety of selection of material, quality, and quantity, that applies to the wedding-dress, is equally applicable to the trousseau, but for a person in moderate circumstances, we give the usual quantity, which may be varied indefinitely, according to the purse or taste of the fair bride, or her parents.” (1)
Here is a 1920’s chart on bridal wear as created by Mary Brook Pickens. I adore this chart as it gives instructions on what to wear based on location and time of day! Fascinating!! (2)
Taking inspiration from the chart, one can see the changes in these two 1920’s gown pairings based on location and time of day!
And while many brides look back with pride on their wedding day and the choices they have made…one has to wonder if the other members of the bridal party feel the same way. Like this florally group:
To all you brides out there planning your wedding, no matter what month it happens to be in, I wish you happiness and great gown choices!
Sources:
(1)The Art of Dressing Well: A Complete Guide to Economy, Style, and Propriety of Costume by Annie S. Frost, 1870
(2)Guide to Correct Dress for the Bride: Harmony in Dress by Mary Brooks Picken, 1925
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It is hard to believe that a fabric which evokes simplicity, homey-ness, and (if you are me) Little House on the Prairie, has a very fascinating and international history. Originating from Calicut, India, the fabric we know as calico gained popularity from it’s early 11th century birth and well into our modern age. Known for a sold color on which a simply design repeats all over, calico has become a much used piece of fabric.
An example of an early calico fabric
Long used for a variety of sewing projects which ranged from dresses to quilts to kitchen linens, calico is easily one of the most widely used and widely appreciated fabrics around. The other wonderful thing about calico is it’s very affordable price tag. I love picking up yards of happy calico, even if I don’t have a particular project in mind, because of its versatility. While not exactly known for it’s luxury, there are many examples of gowns constructed from calico. In fact, Hollywood has some wonderfully fun samples of calico dresses, even if they aren’t completely accurate:
Little House on the Prairie
Jane Eyre, 2014
So with all these wonderful choices, I had a very fun time creating this month’s inspiration board! I hope you enjoy!
Click HERE to visit my Pinterest Page for more examples.
Have a wonderful Monday,
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My morning routine…..well, I must say I am a creature of habit, but it isn’t exactly a pretty picture. My alarm goes off at 5, and I stumble to take my shower. Once clean, I shuffle off to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee and turn on the Hallmark channel so I can listen to I Love Lucy as I try to get some blogging done. Then I begin the 45 minute procedure of preparing myself to go out into the world. And up until that moment of when I put on my street clothes, I am wearing a very warm, very comfortable, but not very flattering, purple flannel robe. I have tried to switch to something a bit nicer, but after a few days of flying powder dust, wildly applied hairspray, and coffee dribbles, I end up back in something a bit more durable. Of course, this doesn’t stop me from continuing to hunt for a robe thats both comfy and more attractive.
I know I am not alone in this dilemma of comfort versus beauty. And in discussions with fellow friends, I was comforted to realize that while many of us want to feel more attractive in the early morning hours, removing oneself from a warm bed to put on some lacy, thin thing isn’t very appealing…especially during the winter months. And as I further mulled over the morning ritual, I began to search for examples of past robes or morning gowns to see what women in the past would have put on during their morning routines. And based on my findings, there are quite a few I would love to wear!
1860
Known as wrappers during the 1840’s-1860’s, these robe-like gowns were often worn over all a woman’s undergarments (hoop skirt included). While I love the idea of a loose, flowy gown, still having to have on your corset isn’t always my ideal. However, the pattern on this example is simply stunning.
1870
Another example of a morning gown or wrapper, this particular one has a lovely royal blue contrast with tassel tie.
1900
So, this is absolutely, positively, without a doubt, gorgeous!! The lace, the color, the ribbon tie…..sheer perfection….and a little too chilly for me in the mornings. I love it, but I personally wouldn’t wear it.
1920
The Kimono robe, and the robe as we know it today, began to emerge in the late 1910’s to 1920’s. While I would struggle keeping the long sleeves clean, this is exactly the sort of thing I would love to slip on and wear around the house. I probably wouldn’t get much accomplished, but I sure would look and feel great while wearing it!
1930
While these 1930’s options are not exactly robes, they are morning dresses and would be lovely to wear around the house. While I still feel like it would require quite a few wardrobe changes throughout the day, the look is adorable.
1940
Now this is something right up my alley! I love the quilted versions of these robes along with their tailored construction.
So let your morning routine be beautified by a lovely (and comfortable) robe!
Well, Halloween is just a few days away, and I have been spending my extra sewing time putting the last few touches on my costume. I am very excited about this year…but needless to say, it is not a historical costume….I know, I know. But it has still been a fun challenge!
However, as I have been practicing creating the appropriate hairstyle, I began to realize that there tends to be a lot more of “behind the scenes” apparatus to help create unique and well-coifed hairdos. And when I think of unique historical hairstyles…I think 1830’s. The way the hair twists and braids and sticks up is amazing and I’m sure, has many tricks of the trade. But I do have to say that I am glad these hairstyles have not come back…I am very confident I would not look good in them. But perhaps you do, and would like to try a look out for yourself!
