[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I just purchased Fashions of the Guilded Age, Vol. 1 to do some
Victorian-inspired fantasy clothing. It's a wonderful book with patterns
and everything, but I'm bamboozled. I've done SCA-era clothing
("Patterns? We don't need no steeenking patterns!") for years, but I'm a
babe in the woods when it comes to interpreting these patterns. One
obviously has to be conversant with Victorian tailoring for these
drawings and directions to be meaningful.
Do you mean _Fashions of the GILDED Age?_
I'm surprised you're having trouble working with it. It contains more
construction information than similar anthologies such as Janet Arnold's
_Patterns of Fashion_ series, Norah Waugh's _Cut of Men's/Women's
Clothes_ series, Jean Hunnisett's _Period Costume for Stage and Screen_
series, and Robb Shep's tailoring reprints. (H-costume members who are
unfamiliar with our books and want some idea what they are about should
visit our web site, http://www.lavoltapress.com. In addition to the
information given for specific books, the FAQ shows samples of interior
pages, including patterns and instructions.)
Although, if you've been making only T-tunics, I can see how the styles
would look really different. Women's garments of the 1870s and 1880s are
inherently among the most complicated ever made. There is no getting
around that if you want to make them authentically. If you just want a
modern garment with aGoth-y flavor, you might be better off adapting a
modern pattern from Vogue, Butterick, Simplicity, or McCall’s.
If you do want an authentic outfit, I suggest that you start with a very
simple garment such as a chemise (there are 19 different chemise
patterns in Volume 1), a petticoat (there are 4 petticoat patterns), or
corset cover (there are 2 corset cover patterns). You're going to have
to make the underwear first anyway and fit everything else over it.
You're also going to have to make the corset early on (there are 7
corset patterns in Volume 1, 5 of them designed to be enlarged with the
apportioning scales in the back of each volume to the wearer's exact
measurements). A corset is more complicated than a chemise, but that's
just the way it is. The “natural form” era is actually one of back
emphasis, it’s just less pronounced than that of the preceding and
following periods of big bustles. So unless you use flounces on the
dress or petticoat—Volume I contains information on the former, and
patterns for the latter—you will need a bustle constructed with bones or
steels. (Volume 1 contains 3 such patterns.) The dress has to be fitted
over the bustle too.
I also suggest that your first project be one of the simple "princess"
dresses in Volume 1; the ones that consist of one main garment instead
of a bodice/skirt/overskirt combination. For example, the Princess
Dress, the Grenadine and Gauze Dress, the Loose Watteau Wrapper, the
Grosgrain Wrapper, the Morning Dress, or the Double-Breasted, Long
Morning Dress.
However, the skirts for the bodice/skirt/overskirt type outfits are
usually simple. Volume 1 contains 4 separate skirt patterns. Three more
are given as part of complete dress patterns, and those can be also used
with other bodices in the book.
While the bodices need to be well fitted to the body--which may seem
strange if you're used to T-tunics--most are not inherently mysterious
in terms of construction. Volume 1 contains 42 day bodice patterns and
11 evening bodice patterns (in addition to several provided with
complete dresses). Most of these are designed to be enlarged to the
wearer's size with the apportioning scales, which helps in fitting.
So it seems like your "it's all too complicated" reaction relates to the
draped overskirts and polonaises typical of this era. They're very
different from medieval and Renaissance styles, but they can be made.
The patterns I provide were designed to be used by home sewers of the
era. Granted, you were not born in that era; which means you need to do
a little research. If you're starting to costume or use patterns from an
era new to you, that's just something you have to do. I have provided as
much information as I possibly could to that end. It was drawn from 17
books (some quite rare) and several hundred issues of six different
fashion magazines of the era (all sources are listed in the bibliography
given with both volumes).
You should read the 44 illustrated pages on enlarging and using the
patterns, and the detailed information on fitting, given with both
volumes. You could also try buying Volume 2. It contains the dressmaking
manual for the anthology. This is 87 pages long and illustrated, and was
researched and rewritten from over a dozen sources of the late 1870s and
1880s. It includes sections on draping polonaises and overskirts.
You need to read carefully not only the instructions given with the
pattern you are using, but the pages of construction information from
fashion columns given at the beginning of the chapter focusing on that
type of garment. Volume 1 contains about 15 pages of such information
(2-3 pages per chapter), in addition to the instructions given with the
pattern. I rewrote all those for clarity. For some patterns I provided
specific additional information or instructions for that type of
pattern, from other sources.
The pattern marks are transferred from the originals. I went over all of
them several times to make sure they were all there and to figure out
how each garment worked. I added some additional marks and notes. The
directions are all from the originals, and rewritten for clarity. All
the fashion plates given with each pattern are provided, and all these
were restored and edited. You need to examine the fashion plates
closely, because sources of the era expected readers to derive some of
their information visually. The 10-page glossary given with each volume
may also be helpful.
I had to split up the anthology into two volumes. Volume 1 contains 469
8 1/2 by 11-inch pages; patterns for 160 garments; and 200
illustrations. Volume 2 contains 541 pages, patterns for 184 garments,
trims, and accessories; and 541 illustrations. It was just too much
information to bind in one volume.
I use a book format because it can include a great many patterns and
styles at much lower cost to readers than sized paper patterns in
envelopes. The patterns in Volume 1 work out to 31 cents per garment;
the ones in Volume 2 work out to 27 cents per garment, trimming, or
accessory pattern. It can also be distributed much more widely to
readers: There are a great many more bookstores than outlets for
patterns in envelopes.
There's more construction information for this era in both Volumes of
_Fashions of the Gilded Age_ combined, than you are likely to easily
find anywhere else. However, you do need to read the information I
provide. You need to learn something about the era's styles, and you
need to think about the construction for each garment you plan to make.
I've provided everything I can. If you don't make use of it I can't help
you.
Fran
Lavolta Press
http://www.lavoltapress.com
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