Ooooh, girly.

[rivka]

Bill has been kind - or foolhardy - enough to agree to make me another period costume suitable for English Country Dance.

I really should have pictures of my first costume scanned. We found a beautiful long brocade coat at a costume shop, and Bill made me a full velvet skirt skirt and a contrasting brocade bodice and a lace jabot for a blouse I already had. It's an incredible ensemble, but very hot to dance in, with all the layers of brocade and velvet. So this new costume is going to be lightweight cotton.

I've been poking around online looking at patterns and styles. There's probably a 150-year span of history in which these dances were done, mostly the 18th century, but also including the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 19th. Lots of clothing options to choose from.

Empire-waisted dresses were popular during the time period, especially in England, but they really don't suit my figure. I'm finding myself drawn to American Revolutionary War era dresses, which take this basic shape, or the paniered style which is relatively flat front and back but has side hoops. Here are some other pattern examples: a jacketed gown, a short dress which might be more practical for dancing, another shorter dress (the one on the left), and an utterly ravishing example of what a dress can look like when it's finished.

This is going to be such fun.

Comments

[wiredferret.livejournal.com]

I liked the second shorter dress a lot. It's a little hard to tell without knowing what you look like. ;>

[rivka.livejournal.com]

True. I don't think there are any full-body pictures of me up on the web - I really should get that picture of my other costume scanned - but: I'm about 5'4 and usually wear a size 12. My bust is proportionally large. I have a reasonably defined waist, but I also have a fairly substantial belly below the waist. That's why Empire waists don't flatter me, and why I thought that paniers might.

[wiredferret.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Empire waists are okay if you are either skinny or cylindrical. They don't look so good on me, either. (Statuesque)

Panniers are good for pretty much everyone. ;>

[kjersti.livejournal.com]

Really? I don't think they look good on me, and I'm skinny.

To be honest I can't remember seeing anyone where they look really good.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Bill sews?

Dang!

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Not only does Bill sew, Bill designs costumes - by which I mean, he can sew things for which he has no pattern.

Hey, dear? This is your cue to post some links to pictures. *grin*

Fashion Show...

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Oh! OK. Here are some things I've designed and sewn.

Starting with the deceptively easy, this Roman Senator wears the traditional toga virilis and tunica with laticalvial stripe from the late Republic.

The Irish Merchant Seaman ashore in Elizabethian England wears clothes that are about 20 years out of fashion in London, but perfectly at home in Galway or Calais. Made of the rare Moroccan fabric al godon the doublet and cape are light enough for a summer day even in Casablanca.

Here's a view showing my fencing style and another showing the natural fall of the waist length cape

Count Piotr Vorkosigan appears in his Vorkosigan house uniform, with tightly fitted cavalry jacket buttoned at the throat, cape back over the shoulders, and silver silk chantung sash knotted ceremonialy under his swordbelt. The cavalry saber is worn reversed, hung from the belt to allow close contact.

In this picture the red skirt is another of my creations. It's a linen silk blend, six gores gathered into an elastic waistband. The chemise and bodice are commercial products.

In this picture you see my wife Paula wearing an Irish dress over a white cotton underdress. Both garments, and the cap, are joint projects of Paula, Kat Dyer, and myself.

Re: Fashion Show...

[jilesa.livejournal.com]

Oooh... Want a red dress like Paula's! *drooldrooldrool* :)

/me plots her next sewing project.

Re: Fashion Show...

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Let me know when you get ready to do it, and I'll give you a few tips. The Irish (shinshone) dress is pretty straightforward, and really nothing more than a cold climate variant of the Italian fashion that was popular in the 16th century. The important thing is to include a LOT of material for the skirt. It is gathered to the waist of the bodice, and flares away quickly. One recovered shinshone dress, found in a bog in Ireland, contains some 21 yards of material all told. The woman who wore it might have weighed 100 pounds. (Modern reproductions don't need to be so deeply pleated - and are quite hot if made that way, but still need a lot of fabric if they're to look right.)

Re: Fashion Show...

[jilesa.livejournal.com]

Let me know when you get ready to do it, and I'll give you a few tips.

I'll do that. I'm hoping to be in your neck of the woods in the next few months. If those tips could take the form of helping me draft out a pattern (either on paper or muslin), I'd be most grateful :)

Re: Fashion Show...

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Oh, I hadn't seen the Vorkosigan uniform. That's stunning.

Re: Fashion Show...

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I wish I had a picture of the back of the cape handy, so you could see my interpretation of the Vorkosigan house crest. I did it a bit differently from Steve Saballa's interpretation that you see folks wearing at cons these days.

Re: Fashion Show...

[trinker.livejournal.com]

As I recall at least one someone in your area have a digital camera handy, no?

[pixel.livejournal.com]

"Oh sure... get me thinking on clothing/costuming projects.
I don't have the time (nor $$ for fabric) for the one I want to work on. But now you've gotten me all obsessive again about the greatcoat (esq) winter coat I want to make. Thick wool, ankle length, lots of pockets, collara dn lapels and turned back cuffs. Enough material to both keep me warm all the way down to my ankle but look really cool doing it.
Course I've been giving all sorts of thoughts recently to complately changing my wardrobe, but what I want would require much of it to me custom made. *sigh* but waistcoats, and tunics, and greatcoats, and all that tattered glory..." *sigh* "A kitten can dream anyway."

[kjersti.livejournal.com]

Oooooooo, lovely! I like both the short ones a lot.

Now I feel guilty about that heavy red velvet cotehardie languishing in my closet - it's nearly done, only about 10m of hemming to do...

I don't have a clue where or when to wear it any longer, though, now that I'm not LARPing.

Re: where to wear a red velvet cotehardie

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Local SCA group? Folks doing living history or mideval reenactments? There must be groups around there (you're in Britain now, if I recall correctly) who'd appreciate it and find it entirely appropriate for their activities.

I imagine you could wear it to the local goth club, and nobody would mind.

Re: where to wear a red velvet cotehardie

[kjersti.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm in Britain and yes, there are relevant groups - it's more a case of insufficient time to get involved at the moment.

It's not that anyone would mind if I wore it to a goth club, it's just that I'd die of heatstroke after 1/2 hour :-) This is a very heavy thick velvet dress...