How to Write About Corsets in Historical Fiction

Are you a writer of historical fiction? Do you have characters who wear corsets? Are you someone who pays attention to detail and wants your writing to feel real? If so, then this post is for you! I am a writer, amateur historical costumer and corset maker/wearer, so I'm here to offer my advice on …

Making a 1912 Princess Slip- And Final Titanic Pictures!

Making a early 1910s princess slip was the final step in completing my evening gown ensemble. Historical costuming is all about creating the right silhouette (body shape and proportions), so making the princess slip was a vital step in making the costume look historically believable. This post is partially a fashion history lesson, and it's …

Making a 1912 Titanic Era Ballgown

After a full year of doing on-and-off work on my 1912 gown, I was starting to doubt my ability to get it finished- and now, it's actually done! Imagine that! That doesn't mean the whole project is done. I still have yet to make the petticoat; I wanted to have the circumference of the skirt …

Tiny Corseted Waists of the Edwardian Era

If you research Edwardian fashion online for two minutes, you'll immediately find hysteria about the poor fainting women, oppressed by their corsets and struggling to breathe. This is due partly to all the photographs we have of women with exaggerated hourglass figures that many people today find unnerving. Then we tend to assume that the …

Making Edwardian Combinations (Chemise and Drawers)

One of the disadvantages about living in the Edwardian era is that you never got to show off your chemise, corset or petticoat- even though those foundation garments are absolutely adorable! I absolutely love some of the more "scandalous" photos from the 1900s and 1910s of the girls in their corsets and petticoats. I know …

Analyzing a REAL 1910s Tea Dress!!!

Always go into your local antique store when you get the chance. Always. A few weeks ago, my mom and I wandered into this antique store that we literally drive by all the time. We had never even been in there despite all the times we drove past it! As it turned out, the place …

Lessons from the Past on Making Ballgowns

It occurred to me the other day that we really don't make ballgowns like we used to. And I'm not talking about my nostalgic feelings of the Edwardian days and earlier, where I think the style was so much more elegant and tasteful than it is today-- nope, I'm talking about the raw practicality here. …

A Little Tea-Dyeing Adventure

Now that my corset is done, it's time to move on to the next phase of the Edwardian project: the combination chemise, petticoat and corset cover. As always, I like to prep my fabric before I use it, and that's what this post is all about. For those of you who follow the Facebook page, …

COMPLETED Edwardian Corset!

I can now say I've completed my first GOOD corset! Not made of canvas, not boned with flimsy featherlite boning, not drafted by myself, not something that poorly fits my body. Nope, this is a proper historical foundation garment that is made of coutil and spiral steel boning and it's comfortable and supportive to wear. …

Bizarre Fashion Trends from History: Paul Poiret “Lampshade Skirts”

Once again, I haven't had very much time to sew lately, I'm having trouble accessing the supplies I need, so my progress is kind of halted at the moment! Meanwhile, I've been thinking of ways to make this blog more active. So hopefully you'll be seeing regular posts once or twice a week now, because …