One of the first things about historical costuming is that in order to get each time period’s look right, you have to start with the underpinnings – all the supportive undergarments that give your body the right shape. These underthings allow you to make clothes to fit their shape and look authentic.
For the 18th century, this means stays, and they seem to be the hardest thing to make. To procrastinate on making them, after an overstimulating couple of weeks researching my stays pattern options, construction, and hacks for the pattern I eventually chose, I freaked out and decided to make a set of jumps first.
I’ve been adding a bunch of boxy pieces to my handmade wardrobe lately, all while not wanting to look pregnant and being a little ambivalent about the style. I saw the Luna Jacket bobbing around in the Instagram sewing community during Me Made May, but it took a while for me to decide to give it a try because of that familiar, boxy silhouette.
One of the things that won me over is that the shape reminds me of an 18th century European bedgown. It felt like a natural stop on my foray into historical costuming.
When I first started pursuing costuming in earnest, I could barely find any events for costumers in my area, at least, not if you didn’t want to be a re-enactor.
I gradually started discovering events, like this one in Troy, NY, for steampunk folks.
But I always seemed to find out about the events days after they happened, and I knew I’d never be ready in time for the couple of other costume/masquerade-type of events I discovered locally ahead of time.
Then, I found not one but TWO Victorian strolls near our house scheduled within a week of each other in December.
The week after sewing camp, as I was slowly finishing up the Forager vest I started there, I saw a movie set in the early 1900’s in Hawaii.
For the first 20 minutes, it featured this little guy:
He’s so cute I want to squeeze him but I’m sure even if I wasn’t a stranger, he’s old enough that he wouldn’t let me.
Do you see his clothes? They are tattered, yes, but they also look like they are handmade. So beautiful. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. The many Japanese migrants in Hawaii during the movie’s setting wore these beautiful blue and white clothes. They tended to wear layers and multiple blue and white patterns at once, and it was stunning.
I determined to hack the Forager Vest into the vest above.
With all the clothes I’ve made, I’ve never had as many fit problems as I did with the Wiksten Shift. It is made for upright folks who don’t mind lots of ease. I have rounded shoulders and don’t want to look pregnant. But hey, problems with a pattern are an opportunity to keep adjusting the pattern until it fits.
So I did.
