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Victorian Projects
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Victorian fashions have intrigued me for as long as those of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, however, it took me longer to find a decent excuse to indulge my interests. Every year I attend the Oamaru Victorian Heritage Festival with my friends, and I am slowly building a wardrobe that will allow me to attend all the different activities (croquet, dancing, dining out, garden parties, promenading etc) in proper attire. The next planned project is a natural form ball gown so that I can make us of my dance research.
Completed November 2007 Using two complimentary shades of green linen, this rather severe ensemble proved very comfortable, if a little warm for a fine spring day. And, of course, it needs more frou-frouah. Much more. (Plans are, of course, afoot, but hampered by real life.) Sporting relatively fitted wrist length sleeves and a fairly high square neck (edged with a standing box-pleated ruff), this garment extends towards the hips as seen in some of the earlier curaisse bodices. The pale green skirt is quite full in the style of the 1870s, and has a puffed bustle (inspired by my polonaise pattern) that decends into a slight walking train. The walking train was a liability in the crowded fete and resulted in some damage to the skirt, so it will be removed in the near future. While attending the Garden Party in this ensemble I was again approached by the organiser of the Victorian Heritage Festival Fashion Parade and asked to consider taking part in the parade as an example of the fashions of the 1870s.
Constructed one day November 2007 Another hat utilising modern base material. While browsing in a cheap import store I saw a costume pirate hat. Well. I could see the possibilities straight away and resolved to make a hat to match my new green ensemble. The hat base was carefully trimmed to suit my face and echo the shape of period bonnets. The bottom section of the brim and crown were removed and the sides of the brim were pared back considerably with much trial and error. The skull and crossbones was coloured in with black permanent marker before being covered with black cotton velvet. Once the lining was secured, all the edges were bound with black bias binding before the pleated velvet curtain, decorative velvet bow and ribbon ties were added. The feather (pillaged from my earlier green hat), roses and ribbon decorations are pinned in place by brass lace pins and the butterfly is a brooch saved from my childhood. After promenading around Oamaru, playing croquet and facing a stiff breeze, this hat proved to be very comfortable and surprisingly secure.
Constructed November 2006 The polonaise is made using a wonderfully simple pattern from Truly Victorian. I highly recommend their patterns if you want to dabble in Victorian fashions. Using a delightfully stripey furnishing brocade, the hem, neck and wrists of this polonaise are decorated with a fine line of burgundy satin ribbon. It is also edged at neck and wrist with lightly gathered, cream-coloured broderie anglaise. The buttons are replica victorian buttons found locally. For decency's sake, the square neckline is filled with a lace-edged fichu. The polonaise is worn with a burgundy moire skirt. The skirt has since been trimmed with a deep band of the striped brocade, carefully box-pleated around the hem. It really finishes the skirt and pulls the outfit together. The ensemble is worn over all the expected underlayers - corset, bustle, petticoat, bloomers etc. It was also accompanied by all the necessary accoutrement - kid gloves, paisley shawl, reticule, fan, parasol etc. While in line to purchase refreshments I was approached by the organiser of the Victorian Heritage Festival Fashion Parade and asked if I would please consider taking part in the parade as an exponent of the fashions of the 1870s. I was happy to oblige, and thoroughly enjoyed my turn on the catwalk being escorted by a dashing Officer of Her Majesty's Army.
Constructed November 2006 This day hat was created using what I had learned in the green hat shown below. It is inspired by the same fashion plates from the first bustle era as the green hat, only I added more frills, feathers, ruffles, roses and foliage to the back, as seen in the period images. Again using an upside-down bread basket as the base, a length of cream cotton was lightly gathered and sewn to the basket. Several lengths of pink, cream and burgundy ribbon were gathered and stitched onto the cotton base fabric. The lace veil and chiffon ties also help to hide the odd beginnings of this hat. The feathers are pinned in place by a 'mock victorian' brooch picked up from Bling, and several pearl-head pins so that I could alter the arrangement depending on the wind.
Constructed November 2005 This hat is inspired by a number of bonnets depicted in fashion plates from the first bustle era. Designed to sit around the top of an elaborate chignon (one of the defining hairstyles of the period) this bonnet also has a lace veil that sits over the hairstyle. This feature was copied from a fashion plate, and serves the essential purpose of hiding my less than ideal attempts at chignons. While the ribbon helps to secure the bonnet, it actually stays in place fairly well by itself. The ties and a couple of long hat pins keep it in place in even gusty days. The bonnet is constructed using a wired canvas base that is covered in felt and then in the burgundy coloured corduroy. The 'filling' consists of various fabric flowers, leaves and ribbon decorations nestled within a lace-edged cream brocade lining. Between starting construction on this hat and finally having an opportunity to wear it I chopped off my hair and as a result this bonnet just doesn't suit me and has thus been replaced by the pink hat shown above.
Constructed October 2005 Another day hat inspired by fashion plates from the first bustle era. This hat differs from my usual projects in that I didn't construct it from scratch. While wandering around Spotlight, I saw some wonderful little bread baskets that echoed the base shape of the Victorian hats I was researching with a view to recreating. Seeing an almost perfect base for a grand sum on $1.95, I decided to experiment. Flipping the bread basket upside-down in order to use it as a base, a length of green ribbon has been lightly gathered and applied around the base of the 'hat'. Another length has been shaped and added to cover the very top in order to hide the obvious basket base. A lace veil has been added to the back of the hat below a wired-ribbon double-bow. Over all of this a matching ostrich feather has been pinned in place. The brooch is one I inherited from my Grandmother. The only real downside to this method of making a hat, is the later difficulty in finding suitable holes for hat pins to hold it in place. |
1870's Day Ensemble
1870's Bonnet
1870's Walking Ensemble
Victorian
Hat 
Victorian
Bonnet
Victorian Hat