I've never made secret out of the fact, that I don't really like "the" turn of the cenury, that is the time around the very late 1800 and the very early 1900, or, as the you'd call it in English, Edwardian period (with a few years of very late Victorian years).
I could never really put my fingers to the reason, just why is that... Maybe because it is already the same century I was born? Maybe, because it is too close to us, and I do not feel the "escape from our time" layer of costuming and reenactment? Maybe, because I see my grandmother in the mirror, when I am wearing those period clothes? Or maybe simply, because of the extra weight I carry around (thanks thyroid), I simply do not feel pretty in those cothes, and in this period one can play a lot less with silhuettes and proportions like in earlier times?
I have tried, I really tried. My friend Roland made the first skirt of this period for me, and I wore it with a loaned shirt (the hat was already mine, there was a post about in 2019).
Looking at the picture it was not bad, not bad at all, but it was not-made-by-me (do not ask me, why do I hold this one against it, LOL), and also it has a train. I had it on for an Old Car Show, and by the end of the day my wrist hurt like hell, trying to hold that train, and I swore that I will NEVER make anything else with a train... Right, I held that position until I made the black Maria Theresa dress, but that is another story.
Later that year, I made another skirt, which was not thought through, I used "some" fabric, that seemed suitable (spoilers: it was not), drew up the skirt pattern.
(picture: Sári-Győr Gizella)
By then I had my own blouse, I found in a second hand shop, with the proper petticoat, it was not bad, and my hands were finally free, it was... meeehhh.
Even though then I used it for years. I even made a self-sewn blouse to go with it when I found myself quarantained out of the old one.
Still mehhh, but still could not put my fingers on why.
However, earlier this year I did loose some weight (finally, though far from "enough"), and I was still thinking. Once again I watched The Nevers, and remembered, that I actually liked the costuming of the first six episodes. (On the other hand it is such a shame what they did with the second half, it would have worth so much more. I felt like someone was deliberately tryingto ruin what was built up in the first half.). Then I looked a lot of pictures and patterns again, because I was determined to solve the issue, especially, as we had an event coming up in the fall. Last year we did a guided tour in the Róth Miksa Museum (he was a well known glass artist of the time), and we were about to reprise that. What if I go just a coupe of years earlier, and do 1898 instead of 1903?
Forever long I wanted to try the bluse/waistcoat combo, so much that the waistcoat pattern of the Black Snail company was one of the first I bought from them years ago. I knew I had several fabrics to make it from, however, I could not find the dark red grow-grain woth polka dots that would have been my first choice, but I found a few meters of cotton velveteen with a color that was between aubergine and bordeaux.
When I cut out the skirt, I had enugh for the waistcoat, so I rushed out and got some lining, and then I went on sewing.
I used the McCalls/Angela Clayton pattern (M8231) for the shirt and the skirt, and the Black Snails for the waistcoat (0220).
The waistcoat turned out great, so much that I almost immediately made another one, for which I did photograph most of the steps, and I will write up a post as soon as we manage to make photos of the finished outfit.
As for the skirt and the shirt... Before I started, I asked two costuming Facebook groups about these patterns, and how good that I did. Some other members pointed out problematic areas with them. I planned to add lace insertions to the shirt, but reading how many problems others had, I forgo the idea, and decided to treat the first iteration as a wearable mock up.
I am not sure what is the reason, maybe Angela is much taller than the average woman, or the pattern company messed up the upsizing, but the yoke part of the shirt was way to long. Ideally, it should be just above the bust, so the gathers give space for the boobs.
Now, this reached down almost below to mine... and the armhole was waaay to long. I simply chopped off about 5 cm from the shoulders. I think it could be still a cm or two shorter, if I make it again. The sleeves were also way too loose and too long, at my lower arms, I took out a couple of cm-s and added a different cuff. The collar was a straight up rectangle, for the lower edge (that is sewn on) I cut the arched shape usual for my collars.
There was one problem with the skirt: it was way too long (Angela really must be very tall). I chopped off about 10 cm, turned up another 15, and it was still long, I had to redo the hem). The original had a train, it would have been REALLY helpful, if they draw a line (not more, just ONE LINE, where should be cut off for the straight, trainless version.
The hat... From time to time I look through the FB Market and a local used stuff site, and if I find a hat that could be modified to use for historical costuming, and not too expensive I buy it. So I do have some hats waiting to be made into something. I did order some real girardi style hats, but they did not came in time, so I HAD to look for something else. My other Edwardian hat had blue and white flowers, and it is rather summery, I wanted different mood. I found this had to big, but I thought I could pin it to a bigger, edwardian hair, so I gave it a temporary decoration (Nothing was sewn on, the flowers were just tucked under the ribbon, but I ended up liking it enough to decide to properly finish it).
I feel much better in this set than any of the previous ones. Is it very different from the others? NOT. So why? I do not know. Will I make more turn of the century stuff now? Definetly. But they will be probably lean toward very late Victorian, than Edwardian though.
Modeled pictures: Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto (except where noted)
Work photoes from my phone.
