Showing posts with label bathing weekend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bathing weekend. Show all posts

Friday, 27 July 2018

An 1870's bathing suit

Last weekend I attended a Victorian sea holiday, and had a spledid time. And for that, among other things, I needed a bathing suit. I really liked The Mantua Maker's Grecian style bathing suit 1870-1890, and made it up in dark green wool crepe. Strictly speaking this is not period as bathing suits seems to have been made in wool flanell or cotton, and in black, dark blue or pale grey. But I happened to have dark green wool crepe, and deemed it good enough.

I was quite pleased with it, but the pattern run a bit large, so I could have made it one size smaller and it would probably have looked better. As the pattern pieces are all more or less straight pieces I think I will unpick it and size it down. The bathing suit was not difficult to sew, but surprisingly time consuming. I also found the instructions rather confusing, as the instruction for lined versus unlined versions were mixed together, so you had to read very carefully to make sure you were following the right instructions. And some pattern pieces was called the same thing without the added information if it was meant for the front and the back. You had to look at the drawings and draw your conclusions from that.

Lithia and I in the same bathing suit but obviously in different colours and decorations.

Feeling peckish... The hat is true vintage and once belonged to my great-grandmother.

Before and after. It was actually very nice to wear after the bath as the wool kept you nicely warm, if wet. I didn't have time to make a matching bathing cap, but I plan to for next summer.



A gaggle of bathing Victorians

My husband opted out of the bathing.
The photos were taken by Lithis and Myra Lea. You can see more on their Instagram accounts; @lithiablack and @litenkrubba. You should also check out @efridis, and in case you didn't know, I have one as well; @isiswardrobe.

Friday, 11 May 2018

Summer plans; a Victorian weekend by the sea

You can see from the last posts I haven't’ been idle despite my lack of blogposts. I also have plans for
the future. For the fifth year in a row, there'll be a Victorian weekend at Villa Fridhem, a Victorian
boarding house outside Visby. It was built in 1860 for the Princess Eugénie´I have never been there,
but last year a couple of friends went, and had so much fun I felt it was time to go.



The main problem are the clothes. You need a lot; morning clothes, bathing suit, daywear and evening
wear. And I don’t have any 19th century clothes. In fact, apart from the 1830’s, the 19th century
largely leaves me cold. But there are a lot of fun 19th century things going on, and I don’t want to miss
out. The time span for the bathing weekend is 1870-1900, and after discussing wardrobe with my
friend Lithia, we found a solution. I may not be super interested in mainstream fashion, but I’m always
interested in alternative fashions, regarding time. And in the late 19th century we have the often
overlapping Reform Dress movement and the Artistic/Aesthetic Dress movement. So Lithia and I have
decided to go as two artistic ladies, and make our wardrobe accordingly. It’s not a style which is
recreated often; possibly because it's faux-medieval look easily makes them look like badly researched
Medieval clothes.


I’ve finished a reform corset and one set of chemise and drawers. For morning and daywear, I’m using
the Sense of Style pattern. I’m making an overgown in black tropical weight wool, with an undergown
in white cotton batiste.




I’m going the white gown without the overgown for daywear. The inspiration comes from the
Skagen painters who often depicted their spouses in simple white gowns.

A Stroll on the Beach by Michael Ancher, 1896


I’m also making a bathing suit in dark green wool, using The Mantua Maker’s Grecian-Style bathing
suit.




As for evening gown I fell in love with this portrait. I’m making it in green/blue shot taffeta, with
slightly different sleeves.

Mrs Luke Ionides by William Blake Richmond, 1882
And I found these lovely Victorian belt buckle to wear with it!


Even if I will be wearing the reform corset for daywear, I’ll wear a proper corset for this one.

I originally planned to make a bicycle suit too but felt it would be too stressful for now. Possible in the
future! Also, coming up is a 1520's gown.
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