The chemise is the first thing you put on, so it's the first garment I'll be discussing. As in other eras, the chemise was used as an underlayer to soak up the wearer's oils and sweat and protect the rest of the clothing. Throughout history, they have tended to be pretty shapeless, but there are … Continue reading Hyde Hall Planning: 1830s Chemises
Category: undergarments
The Art of the Lingère – Chapter IV: First Part of the Works of the Lingère
The Trousseau. Two great events in life exercise the art of the lingère more than any other: marriage and birth, and it is not to be doubted that marriage precedes legitimate birth. When a marriage is decided, fathers and mothers, a relative, etc. ordinarily prepare the trousseau for the wife. "Trousseau" means everything that is necessary to … Continue reading The Art of the Lingère – Chapter IV: First Part of the Works of the Lingère
Heavenly Half-Slip
Lately I've been having a really hard time sewing anything, in part because I'm fairly busy (reading and researching, writing podcast episodes, writing answers for AskHistorians, just moderating AskHistorians) and in part because the project I was working on, a green cotton shirtwaist dress, was just not happening. It frustrated and discouraged me, and stood in … Continue reading Heavenly Half-Slip
HSM 2016 Challenge #5: Holes
Sorry, I've pretty much given up on trying to get a good background in a photo in this apartment. The Challenge: #5, Holes - how would a corset function without the eyelets to lace it together? Fabric/Materials: Off-white cotton twill from my corset stash and heavy white twill tape. Originally I was going to cover … Continue reading HSM 2016 Challenge #5: Holes
Vintage Lingerie (2011) by Jill Salen
As I've gotten into vintage sewing alongside my regular historical work, I decided to buy Jill Salen's book on vintage lingerie - Corsets is very good, so I was fairly sure Vintage Lingerie would be as well. And it is! This book is an excellent resource for both vintage enthusiasts and fashion historians/collections managers who … Continue reading Vintage Lingerie (2011) by Jill Salen
Mimic of Modes 