The Thrifty Regency Hat-trick!

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Suzan Lauder

No rabbits are involved in this type of hat-trick! However, once in cricket, four times in NHL hockey, and twice in rubgy, three hat-tricks, or three sets of three goals scored by the same player, have taken place in a single game. Other games also use the concept of a hat-trick.

Our Thrift Shop Regency Costume Experiment is also doing three tricks with hats this week—well, two are technically bonnets, and you’ll have to wait for them until next post.

You say, “What? You said three hats this week, now it’s only one?”

I reply, “Yes, because the post was a million years long, and your eyes would have glazed over. Instead, I’m doing two posts this week, and the other hats will be in the next one!”

And you say, “Two posts? YAAAAAYYYY! You’re our favourite!”

Of course I am. And every fine lady holds a parasol in a Regency ballroom, too.

~~~

Capote Hat

This is the most common type of hat at Regency costume events, probably because it’s fairly easy to make and is quite cute! It’s not nearly as common in Regency fashion plates or paintings, though; that’s where the poke bonnet shines. The capote is the one that looks like a tea cosy or shower cap over a brim that’s narrow in the back and moderate in the front, or goes about ¾ of the way around. The proper description is “a firm brim with a soft cap.”

I found the perfect shaped brim in a green and natural-coloured straw visor with a mid-weight cotton band and bow. You can see all the fabric and trim options for all my hats above, along with this hat. Some are too bold, others too plain, and some too matchy-matchy.

I’m not using the little green velvet hat, as I love it for everyday modern, and won’t modify it. I may dress it up as a turban, but I like the table-runner turban, which goes well with the gown I like best for the ball at the Louisville JASNA AGM this fall.

I chose one of the pair of 19″ square gold silk dinner napkins as the soft cover for my capote.

I removed the bow from the hat, but not the fabric, choosing instead to turn it up to help support the new fabric.

Here are the steps used to make the cover, with accompanying photos (click on thumbnails to see larger image):

Cut the napkin into a circle (procedure for an easy way to cut a circle is at the end of this post).
Cut a matching circle of your lining material.
Measure distance around hatband level. Cut a length of 1″-1½” wide ribbon about an inch longer.
Place 1½”-2” strips of double sided tape about ½” above where the brim meets the crown of the hat (under where the hatband would sit) in four equal spaces; scrub/burnish with your fingernail to ensure they’re stuck.
Align the grain of the napkin fabric circle front to back and attach to the front and back pieces of tape; burnish with your fingernail. Repeat with the tape at 1/4 marks.
Place another 4 pieces of tape half-way between the first four and press down the centre of the fabric between them. Scrub with your fingernail to make sure tape holds.
Continue putting tape half-way between previous positions and pressing down cover until tape is continuous or gaps are less than ½”.
Fold in half and position fold at front centre, then wrap around to back. Fold one end under and tape underneath to ribbon below it.
Adjust folds in napkin fabric as needed to get the look you like.

My hat was lined under the brim, but it was unattractive. It added stiffness, so I decided to leave it and cover it. A pale gold 3” wide wire-edged ribbon was about the same width as the front of the brim, so I chose to use it, removing the wire edges first. It will be easier if your fabric is wider than the space you want to cover.

Here is how I attached a pleated lining to the underside of the brim:

Mask off the areas you don’t want to glue: masking tape works well for narrow spaces, and paper for others.
- I covered the interior circle of the hat with a loose piece of paper, then made loose arcs of paper about 6 inches wide to tuck under the brim to protect the napkin cover.
- I used 2″ strips of masking tape to cover the edge that matched the top.
Put newspaper on the floor of your work area at least 3 feet square.
Spray glue on the area you wish to cover.
Wait 5 minutes. The glue should be sticky enough to hold fabric in place, but not so sticky that it can’t be peeled back and adjusted: a bit stickier than “Post-it” notes.
Start at the centre front of the underside of the hat brim and fold pleats in opposing directions, with the outside of the pleat slightly wider than that at the crown part (centre). A nice size is finger-width. The stiff net material I worked with kept its fold nicely, so I would recommend a stiff but not heavy fabric.
Continue down each side, aligning the outside edge.
Cut a ribbon the same size as your hatband ribbon and fold in half. (You can also use bias binding tape, a cloth tape with lots of give.)

If you are not lining the hat:

Trim the brim lining to just inside of the hole for your head (inside of headband).
Run double-sided tape along the inside edge of the pleats, just barely on top of the pleats, and continuing past them inside.
Start at the centre front with the middle of the second ribbon or bias binding tape, and attach the outer edge of this ribbon along the edge of the tape just to hide the edge of the pleats.
Ease around curves, that is, slightly compress the short side of the length of the ribbon edge without folding, so the long side can match the curve.
At the end, fold the edge of one end of the ribbon under. Use double-sided tape to attach it over other end for a neat finish.

To line the hat:

Take the circle of lining fabric that was cut the same size as the napkin circle and place pins at each ¼ around the outside edge.
Using the second ribbon or bias tape as above, run double-sided tape along the length of the ribbon along one edge only. Mark ¼ lengths with pins.
Attach the circle of lining fabric to the ribbon about 1/3 of the way up, pinching pleats in along the way. Leave the ends free in case you need to adjust when attached to the hat.
Continue from the third point in the section above. Remove pins.

To add lace or ribbon to the outer edge of the brim:

I wasn’t crazy about the look of the unfinished edge of the pleats, so I decided to add lace.
This can be done from above or below.
Tape the brim edge with double-sided tape the entire width that you expect the lace to cover.
Start the middle of the lace at the center front, similar to how you’ve attached the ribbon in the previous section. Ease in the lace (push edges together slightly but don’t fold) so it does not “roll” over itself.

Final trim:

I used some small bouquets of fabric flowers purchased on sale at a fabric store, a bit of ribbon folded accordion-style, and a stick pin with a petit-point rose in it, made by Grandma Lauder!

~~~

Total cost for this hat: Under $10!

The visor was $1.99, and the napkin was in a set of two for $1.99, both from Value Village.
Value Village was also the source of the ribbon, in a “grab bag” of more than a dozen bits for $3.99, as well as a 2m piece of cream lining satin for $1.99.
The lace came from the spaghetti straps of a “Frankenstein” dress that was $14.98 and still has about 4m of other types of lace, plus some large panels of embroidery I plan to use on an evening gown.
The little flower sprigs were $.50/each times three.
I used a half package of double-sided tape for $2.99.

~~~

Trimming your hat or bonnet:

Flowers, foliage, feathers, and such are common on the sides, and sometimes on the back or the front of Regency headwear. We can’t tell from photos whether both sides of the hat were trimmed the same, if they were asymmetrical but both trimmed, or if only one side had adornments.

These days, it’s really up to the wearer, as long as you make an effort to have a Regency look. Like gowns, the amount of fussiness and elaborate details increased as the Regency went on.

A little garnish does go a long way, so here are some ideas to whet your appetite.

http://historicalsewing.com/trimming-regency-bonnet-ideas-instructions
http://www.janeausten.co.uk/trim-your-regency-bonnet/
http://www.songsmyth.com/hatsandbonnets.html

~~~

To cut a circle from a square:

Fold into quarters.

Keeping centre point on top and open edges towards you, fold again, twice.

Cut off uneven ends at an angle so two long sides are about the same length from the centre point (top).

Unfold and look where it needs to be trimmed. Refold if it will make it easier to trim. It doesn’t have to be perfect for this situation. Press out the creases before you use it.

~~~

NEXT POST: the Pink Hat goes all bonnet on tTSRCE!

~~~

Regency Bad Hair Day? Wrap a Turban!

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Suzan Lauder

Mihrimah Sultan, daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent and Roxelana of Ukraine

When Regency fashionista Lord Byron was invited to visit Topkapi Palace in 1810, the Ottoman Turks refused to recognize his peerage and, as a non-diplomat, he was ranked behind everyone else. In hopes of changing their minds, the well-known dandy arrived in the most impressive “scarlet regimentals topped by a profusely feathered cocked hat,” but the Ottoman Turks were not swayed: he would take his place at the end of the line, behind all the staff of the embassy.

Woman in Turkish Clothing–Jean Etienne Liotard

According to Stratford Canning, the embassy secretary and a good friend, Byron shot them a “look of scornful indignation which so well became his fine imperious features” and stormed away to sulk in his chambers over the ordeal.(1)

Marie Therese Princess von Esterhazy (Almack’s Patroness)–Alois Maria Martignon

I visited Topkapi 15 years ago, and Byron should have counted his blessings for the chance see the inner sanctum, which at that time was rarely seen by outsiders. Obviously, he wasn’t the fashion scout who brought back the turbans shown in numerous fashion plates and paintings in the late 18th and 19th century, including the Regency. Marie-Louise-Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun was partial to them; they’re featured in many of her paintings.

(Click on thumbnails for larger images.)

Self-Portrait (1800)–Marie-Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun

Mlle du Pront (1812) –Marie-Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun

In the twenty-first century, the turban is a great alternative to a fancy Regency hairstyle for those of us with short hair or unable to style our own complex up-do. You’ll need an attractive silk panel long enough to wrap around your head twice and wide enough to cover your hair while doing so (such as an oblong scarf), lots of bobby pins and safety pins, and decorative trim.

I had a choice of a number of scarves, table runners, and a pareo, as shown. Some fabrics and prints didn’t look Regency, so I didn’t use them. Dresser scarves; a length of smooth silk or similar fabric 10-20” wide and 4-5 feet long, with neatly finished ends; a small, light silk shawl or wrap; or similar fabric finds will work. It’s nice to have fringed, tasseled, or otherwise decorated ends to dangle, but not necessary.

For my first turban, I chose two oblong scarves in complimentary fabrics, one with a lace pattern on the end, and the other with fringe. They were purchased at Value Village for $5.99 and $3.99.

After trying to create the look a couple of times, I realized a hairband was a helpful cheat—the kind that has elastic threads woven through so it’s a bit “sticky” both sides—when set just behind the front curls of my hair to hold the slippery fabric from sliding off my head. Here are the steps I used for this turban (for larger images, click on thumbnails):

Anchor the lace end of the lighter-coloured scarf to the hair band using bobby pins; cover the crown of the head.
Arrange the second scarf so it drapes behind the front curls on one side; tuck bobby pins under it to anchor it to the temple.
Drape this scarf across top of head, attach with bobby pins hidden underneath.
Use a safety pin or two to join both scarves at that point.
Loosely twist scarves and wrap around the head.
Use bobby pins hidden under the edge to anchor the first turn and hidden safety pins to anchor the second turn.
Near the end of the wrapping, twist the second scarf back so the second fringed end drapes alongside the first and tuck the other end of the lace scarf around the turban so it looks nice.
Secure with safety pins hidden within the folds.

Attach your choice of decorative trim: I used some curled ribbon, an elephant from a card holder, and some floral stamens, tied together with fine wire, with a safety pin attached behind to pin the arrangement to the turban.

Upon scrutiny, when I sorted my photos for this blog, I realized this turban is a bit small and under-decorated. I suck at the latter, and you’ll see that when we get to hats, too. But I try, and no excellence is acquired without constant practice! **Squints eyes in suspicion that Martha Stewart may be channeling Lady Catherine de Bourgh!**An interesting piece of cording or ribbon can be attached to the scarves when you first join the two, then twisted along with them; ideally it will make a full circle with them. A third scarf, or sturdier/heavier fabric, would make a more noticeable head dress, and lighter coloured, bigger trim would help.

Aside: A couple of weeks ago, I was in Mexico and scored a couple meters of ribbon, parasol fringe, wide lace, braid for my spencer, and an ostrich feather, for $5 total, but misplaced the ostrich feather, or I would have used it to dress this up. I’ll find it and use it later!

The materials for my other turban can be seen: I scored a Pier One lined silk table runner with cool thread-wrapped ball tassels for $7.99 at Value Village. Someone had tossed it because of a small amount of candle wax, which I removed by placing an absorbent cloth over the wax, then using a hot iron to melt the wax.

I’ve shown extra trim ideas: “jewels” from a pair of broken thongs ($1 at Value Village), an old barrette of mine with a topaz-coloured leaf design, dried and gold painted seeds, and a $5 hat pin from Salvation Army.

Be imaginative when looking for trim. You can attach a safety pin to your decoration with sturdy tape like duct tape.

The heavier fabric was difficult to work with, and I struggled with it for a long time, even though I used a simple wrap method in the video link below. Had I used a lot more pins and the hair band, I think it would have taken less effort. The end product looks nice, though.I used a bobby pin to secure a fan of guinea fowl feathers (never tasted it—apparently it’s quite good!), and a Swarovski crystal stick pin I got as a freebie years ago in Innsbruck when I bought a crystal kitty. I used double-sided tape to add a sand dollar medallion that I think came with a bookmark that fell apart, but I can’t be sure—there were short pieces of ribbon still attached. I’d tossed it in with buttons and beads. I do keep some stuff!

Lady Charlotte Susan Maria Bury (née Campbell) (1812)–Archibald Skirving

These three links show alternative ways to wrap a turban, and some nice trim ideas:

Lynn McMasters shows three ways to make a turban. There used to be a video for this but I can no longer find it.

American Duchess has a video of a simple technique for wrapping a turban. I used a similar technique for the table runner turban. You don’t have to do the end twisting steps if you like your turban simple—just pin them to hold.

1810s Eléonore de Montmorency

Jen Thompson makes her turban like a cap, so you make it and then put it on, rather than twisting it on your head. Sewing is involved in this one.

Portret van Catharina Valentina van der Kun (1811-1813)–Gijsbertus Johannus van den Berg

I have a brimless soft velvet hat that I used on a visor for the hat mock-up shown in a previous post with my morning gown; it looks a lot like the first part of Jen’s tutorial. A fringed silk scarf wound around it, and perhaps my wayward ostrich feather, and it would be just the thing!

A follow-up to my last post: The rat on the door knob in the photo of scarves on the door is a clamp-on hairpiece I purchased for $9.99 at Value Village, then shampooed and conditioned. It’s got a nice wave and it’s a good match to my hair—and my hairdresser could make it perfect for an event. At my age, “redhead” is either memories of my youth or an hour at her salon!

I had a little time yesterday, so I tied it into a ponytail (which looks like a bun over the hair clamp) and then pinned the waves into curls, letting them curve the way they wanted to, and sprayed everything liberally. Then I put most of my own bobbed hair into a ponytail, and clamped the thing over it. The bun looked odd, so I tied a ribbon around the base of it. This weekend I had my 30th wedding anniversary, so I thought I’d show you the roses along with my ‘do.

Had I more time, I’d have fussed with the loose ends of hair at my nape to make pin curls. One could tie a twisted pair of scarves around the hairline and in behind the curls—essentially, the turban I made already, but without covering the back of the head.

This hair-do is huge compared to my intention. If I decide to wear it for real, I’ll have to figure out how to do it so the curls wrap around the base rather than look like a pouf on top of a bun. That’s a look reserved for pâte à choux and crème fouettée. Yeah, that emoticon! Hey—it looks a bit like… like… a turban!

Here are some more turbans, and some sleeve ideas for that dress!

NEXT POST: For the married woman or spinster, another sneaky way to hide your hair is to wear a CAP! When you go outdoors, you plop your hat or bonnet over it. It’s not a dressy enough look for a ball, where the turban is a better choice, but for day-wear, it rocks! PLUS a sneak peak at HATS! Be there or be square.

1. Richmond, Steven (2014): The Voice of England in the East: Stratford Canning and Diplomacy with the Ottoman Empire. London: 2014 I.B. Tauris and Co. Ltd.

NEWS FLASH!! Edited May 4 9:27pm PDT to add Livia (Guiggioli) Firth’s Plastic Bottle gown!

The Thrift Shop Regency Costume Experiment started as a project to obtain a more affordable, nicer style of gown without designing it and sewing it myself (although the design part is coming into it in a big way, and my stitch ripper is getting a workout!). I’ve always been a sustainability advocate, so it was natural to re-use beautiful “found” materials. As I delved farther into this project and started to get feedback, it became evident that the repurposing/upcycling aspect was huge to others. I started to pay attention to it, rather than just assume it was an ordinary thing to do.

I’d love to snag Livia’s Antonio Berardi gown after the Met Gala, to remake. (We love the Met historical costumes on this blog!). She’s so tiny, even with the beautiful trailing wrap, I doubt there’s enough fabric there for my back gathers! A sketch of the back detail of her gown is shown with this article and in this photo. She sure looks like she’s having fun!

May 26, 2016 update on tying the turban:

At the Louisville JASNA AGM, a vendor showed Author Linda Beutler and I an easier way of tying a turban than the method above or in some videos. Women often start from the back, like we tie bath towels on wet hair. The vendor said a Canadian showed her that if you first position the middle of the turban scarf across the front of your hair, just behind the curls, it’s easier.

You cross the ends at the nape of your neck and loop them back over themselves. Pull the ends forward and twist the fabric as desired. Bring the ends up over the first bit, cross them and loop back over themselves again. Tuck or safety pin ends to hold in place, or tie in an attractive knot. It’s nice to leave one or the other end dangling, especially if it has fringe or an attractive design, such as that of a Kashmir scarf. Fold and tuck in the parts you don’t want loose and pin where needed, hiding the pin in the fabric folds. Secure to hair with bobby pins as needed, though I didn’t need near as many with this process.

My turban looked good on the first attempt, whereas the other way, I had many lumpy failures. For the Grand Ball at JASNA, I started with the fabric (the same silk table scarf as above) slightly off-centre (one end longer than the other) so the final tie of the fabric was off to one side of my head. There’s lots of inspiration for how to tie them in Madame Vigée Le Brun’s paintings.

The finer scarves in the first attempt at a turban (above) are nice for those wearing their hair in “The Titus” or hiding the pinned-on portion of a hairpiece.

Were Regency gowns worn on the Titanic?

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Suzan Lauder

Hey! There’s an Alfred Angelo prom dress at “Vinny’s Second Wife’s Closet” in your favourite colour! But before you buy it, rip it apart and remake it, check the prices of custom-made Regency gowns. They start at just under $100, and an appropriate, good-quality morning dress can be purchased for $150-250, a pretty ball gown will cost around $200-450, breathtaking concoctions go for up to $1000, and the sky’s the limit for exact reproductions of specialty gowns.

All of a sudden your $200 used, strapless polyester with the fitted waist and sequined empire bodice seems a bit dear. Think of the fun, though! Trying to adjust it to get gathers in back, shopping for fabric that’s a reasonable match for sleeves, never mind re-working the bodice to attach them. And you just cut a hole in the nipple area while removing that sequin!

One thing I learned is that a suitable re-purposed dress is not that easy to find in thrift and vintage stores, in fact, that’s how I made the list of what not to buy: those dresses were in the majority. In order to make this blog as authentic as possible, I didn’t depend on others and stuck to my “rules.” But the reader can freely ask friends and relatives to raid their attics, get advice or assistance from a seamstress, or buy a product.

I set my upper limit for a used gown at $100 for a dress with little modification required. The most I’ve spent so far was $50 for a pelisse gown, which I admit was a bad purchase. My morning gown cost under $35, and needs less than $10 worth of modifications, plus my time, and though not perfect, it will be close enough in style, with better fabric and yards more lace than a $150 made-to-order one on eBay or Etsy.

As with anything, you get what you pay for, and the cheapest purpose-made Regency gowns are not worth buying. Gowns under $150 are usually machine-made using inexpensive fabric and simple construction, are not fitted properly—and are being sold as Victorian/Regency/Steampunk/Pioneer/Hippie/Jane Austen/Titanic dresses! What happened to Downton Abbey? Author Melanie Schertz found one with that on the list, too!

However, a strict budget and no time to shop in vintage stores changes things; if so, buy a simple pre-made Regency gown and augment it. For example, a white dress with simple gathered neckline and sleeves can be dressed up with ribbon and lace and pretty accessories. An overdress or robe can be purchased in a colour you like to make it into evening wear. (Click on thumbnails to enlarge.)

I still love the idea of vintage, though, because it affords a budget opportunity to have a gown that doesn’t look like it would be at home on the Titanic! In addition, I have a bit of a crush on Colin Firth, and his wife, green fashion advocate Livia Guiggioli, would approve of a re-purposed gown. She’d approve of Pemberley, too. Maybe he’ll buy it for her!

In an earlier post, I had a list of items to avoid in purchasing a vintage dress or re-using a dress from your closet. This time, we look at what to shop for and examples of good vintage dresses.

When I shop for a potential Regency gown in a vintage or thrift store, I walk down the dress aisles looking at the floor. Depending on the hanger bar height, if the dress touches or puddles on the floor compared to its neighbours, it has length. If the fabric and colour look okay, I pick up the skirt. Often the fabric looks okay from farther back, but is knit, and I drop it. Then I look at the whole dress, evaluating for necessary modifications. I’d guess that 90% get rejected due to unworkable designs.

The last thing is size. As we all know, marked sizes are inconsistent. In a second-hand situation, a clerk may have guessed for the tag, and the dress may have been taken in or home-made. I’ve always had problems with size, because my bust is a good size larger than the rest of me, so if the shoulders fit, the bust doesn’t. It’s important to try it on. I know it sounds creepy, but it’s rare for anything to be smelly, and I wash the clothing as soon as I get it home!

Ideal characteristics for re-purposing a gown:

Minimum 8” wide extra fabric at the bra-band level as you pull it out flat while wearing the dress (16” actual length since the fabric is doubled up) for back gathering; more is better. The early Regency hem brushes the tops of the shoes, so if a fitted dress is too long with your ballet flats, pull up the skirt to see if this gains extra fabric width for gathers at the top.
Regency fabrics or visually reasonable facsimiles (Jessamyn’s Regency Costume Companion has some great examples).
If no Empire waistline, there should be no sewn waistline front or back, or if so, the skirt should be long enough when pulled up under the bust. Later Regency was ankle length, and ribbon or lace can be used to add a couple of inches.
Bodice should be a close fit, but not too tight—you should be able to remove visible zippers and replace with ties, laces, or buttons and loops.
Puffed sleeves about 3-6” long (underarm) that don’t puff high. This is the most difficult requirement, as they were only common for short spurts a few times in our history. See photos below for alternatives that work and, in a later post, I’ll show some examples for faux-puffed sleeves using minimal spare fabric from your gown.
Non-Regency details should be easy to remove, hide with trim, or modify without being obvious.

Other details for Regency:

Back bodice either flat and fitted or gathered to mirror the skirt.
Front bodice style varies a great deal in Regency.

I’ve shown a few bodice examples, and while you’re looking at them, enjoy the sleeve style variety, too. You can click on the thumbnails to enlarge the image.

Dresses requiring very little modification:

Hippie dresses.
Empire waist “round” dresses: gathered all around.
80’s dresses, though the puffed sleeve may be large and high and the dress may not be long enough—but there’s nothing wrong with adding lace to the hemline, and we’ll look at other tricks in a later post.
Empire-waist gowns with straight skirts, but not fitted and flared. Then another dress can be used for an overlay or robe for the skirt with the gathering at back, and perhaps sleeves.
Regular-waisted dresses, if the skirt is long enough to be lifted up to under the bust and still barely brush the tops of the shoes.
Gowns that work otherwise, with sleeves large enough to be made into puffed sleeves.

The Thrift Shop Regency Costume Experiment is intended to be a minimal-sewing project, but in case some readers have greater ambition, there are more gowns that will work.

Sewing and fitting will be required:

Caftans, with a single fabric, not too heavily patterned. You’ll have to fit the bodice, modify the sleeves, and gather the “skirt” fabric in the centre back.
Too-large evening gowns, if the top of the skirt is big enough to make gathers in the back and the bodice suits being pulled into back-gathers with the skirt, or you do not mind fitting the bodice.
Sleeveless or strapless gowns with enough skirt fabric for empire with back gathers, plus other extra fabric for sleeves (a matching shawl or wrap, a bodice overlay that can be removed leaving an attractive bodice, a lining, or extra skirt fabric). It’s difficult to buy a coordinating blouse or fabric to make sleeves, because it’s almost impossible to match colour and texture.
A skirt from one dress and bodice from a blouse or a short dress—it’s better if the darker colour is on top.

Some bodice enlargement insert ideas *(click on thumbnai**ls to enlarge)*:

To add a few inches to get extra fabric for gathering (click on thumbnails to enlarge):

Notes on adding trim:

If you want to tie a bow in a waist ribbon, it needs to be about five feet longer than your waist measurement. If it is a wider ribbon, you can attach it to the dress to keep it flat, but I recommend a loose whip stitch unless you never want to change it for another look. An alternative is reinforce it with a second ribbon or stiff fabric of matching width an inch short of your waist size, attached on both edges with fabric tape in the middle section of the ribbon, to keep it from folding over.
If you intend to add lace to the bottom of the skirt, it can be flat or gathered. Pre-gathered lace can be bought in several widths, though colours are limited. If you find flat lace you want gathered, you need 2½ to three times the length of your hemline. Run a baste stitch and gather (hand sew ½” long stitches near the top edge for about 2-3 foot intervals; tighten the baste stitches uniformly to match the skirt edge). Attach with the fabric tape. If you attach outside, you should then attach a ribbon with fabric tape over the top edge to hide it. Overlap the ends the width of the fabric tape and secure.

That’s it for the three-post introductory series on Gowns. My initial plan for this Experiment involved one complete outfit by the end of June, so I have success with my morning gown, and we’ll see the rest of the items in future posts. I also said if I had time, I’d include a ball gown. Counting forward, and knowing I can’t post every week, my time is tight! But I will continue posting my projects beyond the initial Experiment, and a ball gown and spencer are in my plans!

NEXT POST: HEADWEAR AND HAIR, WHICH WILL LIKELY BE 2-3 POSTS. I HAVEN’T ENOUGH COURAGE TO TACKLE LYDIA’S HAT YET, BUT THERE WAS A SNEAK PEEK AT MY FIRST TRY AT A CAPOTE WITH THE WHITE MORNING GOWN LAST WEEK!

Cool links:

Fashion examples from 1808 to 1828 from E.K. Duncan.

The Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions and politics, published in 1809 by R. Ackermann

The Mirror of the Graces, a ladies’ etiquette book from 1811.

Images are from Pinterest, most originating from museum pages. If interested in the source of any particular image, contact me for more details.

Update:

Another site with examples of Regency fabrics: Reproduction Fabrics.

A Morning Gown plus some Frankenstein Gown Parts

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Suzan Lauder

Poll time: Another instructional post on what to buy, or The Big Reveal: my Regency gown purchases to date? Okay, here’s the boring list… just kidding!

I started shopping for my costume for the 2015 JASNA AGM in July 2014. Early on, I decided my top dollar was $100 for a gown that required almost no modification to make it Regency-appropriate.

My second and third purchase for this blog, along with a $3.99 reticule, was a dove grey coat dress (far right) for $49.95 at Value Village, the most expensive item I’ve purchased to date. The pelisse-like style of this dress could not be passed up: the bodice has a double-lapelled crossover in front while the skirt has a faux front opening. It was intentionally purchased 4 sizes too large to allow modification for gathering in back. In the photo, the skirt is turned back so you can see it’s fully-lined.

I consider this purchase a bit of a mistake that I hope I can wiggle my way out of! Even with the large size, it has minimal additional fabric at the under-bust level. The bodice is huge, and since the front opening is faked, it has an invisible zipper in back to make additional reworking complicated!

The skirt is flared, so between it and the bodice, there’s plenty of extra fabric to make a faux-puffed sleeve atop the long, straight sleeves. However, this flared skirt will look odd with the tiny amount of gathering. To make the grey dress into a pelisse that fits will be a lot of work—and might not even be possible.

A navy blue strapless gown was purchased at Value Village for $19.95. The generous skirt has a pocket-pleated top edge that sits just above natural waist, so it’s about 2” too short for floor length at empire waist. This is easily remedied with a bit of lace at the hem. The bodice is tight, fitted and spaghetti-strapped, laced in back in a V-shape. The skirt has an underskirt; the top half is lining fabric that’s not an exact match to the gown, with the bottom two feet in black net crinoline (see photo above). These can be used to make sleeves and modify the bodice to attach them.

Unless I find a simpler solution, the blue gown will be my evening/ball gown; however, this gown will need to be almost entirely remade: remove the skirt at the top pleat cuts, then reattach with a flat front and back gathers, add lace to the bottom, add about two inches to the bodice to close the V-lacing for my comfort, make shoulder straps to attach sleeves, and make sleeves trimmed to disguise the fabric mismatch.

I made a bit of a panic decision when I bought it, as it seemed I’d never find anything suitable, it was cheap and had lots of fabric, and I had just realized my parking meter was expired! But completed, it will be unique!

My collection includes three short dresses for “spare parts” hence, the Frankenstein reference. I bought two garments for their trim from the Salvation Army Thrift Store. I spent $14.95 for the cream silk mini-dress, which has fabulous embroidered panels (perhaps instead of the lining and black net for sleeves and bodice trim on the navy gown!) as well as enough Vandyke (pointed) lace for a good-sized skirt bottom (navy, navy, navy!). The orange silk Indian blouse has elaborate pointed lace for $6.95. The fabric won’t work for anything Regency.

I already owned a multi-coloured paisley print silk dress with gold thread, a potential bodice and trim for a ball gown. I’m watching for a nightgown or slip dress in one of the main colours.

The star of the show is my most prized purchase: a white Swiss-dotted lightweight cotton 1980’s “Prairie dress” vintage wedding dress (on the left). This gown was $33.95 at WiN (Women in Need) Vintage and Thrift Superstore. I found it just after I had the difficult episode of social anxiety described in an earlier blog post, and it perked me up!

It features a lace-trimmed high neck; long, puffed sleeves with matching lace on the cuffs; lace-edged petticoats attached with the skirt (see photo above), and a separate, plain camisole. There are lovely lace insets and narrow pleats for subtle detail. The skirt is at the natural waist level, and well-gathered all around.

The dress fits well except for a tight bust area, and it’s back zippered, which means if I remove the zipper, the resulting relaxation of the fabric over “the girls” will result in a gap in back. I’m torn between being more Regency-correct and the work involved in figuring out a way to modify the bodice without too much work.

This is intended for my morning gown or day/walking dress. I’ve shown the simplest modification.

The skirt was raised without removing it, and re-attached to the under-bust. I’ve safety pinned it every three inches or so, and when covered by the matching white waistband with ties (left of dress) or a ribbon for colour, it becomes a close enough facsimile to a Regency gown.

For a neater finish than safety pins, no-sew fabric tape alone will not suffice, as it is not strong enough. The skirt can be tacked in place with the fabric tape, then either machine sewn or whip-stitched for strength.

No matter how the skirt is attached, if you keep the zipper, you must leave a width equal to the depth of the pocket of the zipper on each side, so you can operate it. I’ve propped it open for the photo, but it doesn’t droop since the zipper is stiff. I’ve been told you can hide the zipper with a shawl!

1815 muslin morning gown, Bath Fashion Museum. Note the gathered skirt front that fits at the bottom of the waistband rather than at the underbust.

If raising the skirt makes it too short, you can add lace to the bottom of the dress or the petticoats as shown above, and/or raise the top edge of the skirt to a position where its top edge would be at the bottom of the matching waistband, as in the 1815 gown. However, around 1815, gowns were shorter!

Detail of the back of a Regency gown bodice, showing shoulder seams several inches behind the top of the shoulder, diagonal seams to help fit the bodice, and sleeves fitted much farther back than a modern gown. This creates the a classic “diamond back” shape typical of the era.

A great deal more could be done with this dress: the skirt could be removed and all the gathering moved to the back, and at the same time, the petticoats could be attached to the camisole to make a separate garment that can be used elsewhere. The sleeves can be modified to look like a top puffed sleeve over a straight sleeve, from as simple as attaching a ribbon level with the bottom of the bodice, to as complex as adding lace panels to make them longer, with a slimmer cuff, which is more Regency. I mentioned the zipper earlier. Dare I go whole-hog and make a classic diamond-back? Yikes!

The thing is, the dress is close enough, in my estimation, with perhaps the exception of that zipper. What’s a Frankenstein without a zipper somewhere?

Newsflash:
Since I prepared the photos for this post, I bought a 1960’s jonquil dress (such a popular Regency colour!) that may need less work than the navy! Woo-Hoo!

Trouble is the bodice fits perfectly, but the skirt is 2” too tight—everywhere! I know! Who is built like that?

Good thing is a ton of sheer overlay plus a cape-like draping begging to be made into back gathers. I can put a period-style decorative panel along the centre front to accommodate my tummy and butt—I hope I can find the right fabric!

Also, I bought a cool hat, thinking it looked a lot like museum Regency ones, then realized the nice square-woven sections between the swirly fabric parts were made of synthetic ribbons—pretty much plastic! So I’m Lydia, with a very ugly bonnet that I’m going to rip apart as soon as I get home. Good bones, though.

NEXT POST: THE LAST IN THE THREE-PART INITIAL SERIES ON GOWNS WILL DISCUSS THE VALUE OF PURCHASING A CUSTOM-MADE REGENCY GOWN, AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN SHOPPING FOR A USED GOWN TO BE RE-PURPOSED FOR YOUR UNIQUE REGENCY GOWN. THERE WILL BE MORE GOWN POSTS IN JUNE TO SHOW THE FINAL PRODUCT AND SOME EASY TRIM TECHNIQUES TO MAKE YOUR GOWN SPECIAL AND FAKE SOME REGENCY DETAILS. BUT WE MUST MOVE ON TO HEADWEAR AND HAIR, RETICULES, JEWELRY, AND MORE UNDERWEAR KIND-OF-STUFF IN BETWEEN!

Floor length, Empire waist, and what else? Anne Shirley?

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Suzan Lauder

A summary of a Regency gown is like a list of what constitutes a good car. Past a few key items, it starts to become possible for variations too complicated for a simple post.

I don’t know how I decided upon my version of the simplest summary of the elements key to a Regency gown. I suppose I read enough different accounts by others, then looked at enough fashion plates, paintings, and photos of actual museum pieces from the era and formed an opinion. That’s what you do when you buy a used car, right? Preferences figure into it, but there are only so many cars around, and we don’t hitch horses to them or fly them.

I’m not an expert, but I’ve tried to learn as much as I can, and that’s what I’m passing on in this blog. A warning: I’ll overlook some construction details until later, since they won’t be found in a modern gown.

Elements of a simple and respectable gown for an 1811-1820 Costume:

Floor length. Surprise, surprise! Toes of shoes can be shown for early Regency; the entire shoe and even a bit of ankle in the late teens.
Empire waist: The skirt of the dress starts just below the bosom.*
Fitted bodice (see neckline for different dresses below).
A ribbon or narrow panel of dress fabric may be added at the high waist.

Skirt shape:
• Not fitted too close to the body’s curves.
• Front is one flat panel, with perhaps some easing, but front gathering is rare.**
• Rectangular shaped front panel, sometimes with a slight flare at the hemline.
• Front and sides fall straight to the floor, just large enough to skim past any wider parts.
• Back may also be based on a flat rectangle but tends to be flared, sometimes into a slight train for early Regency.
• Back is heavily gathered between the two diagonal back seams (back darts for a re-purposed gown) or full width.
• No flounces; they didn’t come into vogue until into the 1820’s.

Some gowns had overlays:
• A slip dress with the above dress as a sheer overlay for a ball gown.
• Robes that look like floor-length vests, worn over a plain gown.
• Sleeves could be part of the overdress or the underdress.
• Skirt overlays, if any, are never diagonal, draped, pleated, ruched, etc.

Sleeves and bodice for “full dress”: an evening or ball gown:

Short sleeves:
• I love a puffed sleeve! It must be an Anne of Green Gables thing. After all, I had red braids until grade 3, when Mom had three little ones to get ready before she went to work. I got a Pixie cut and cat’s eye glasses that year!
• It pleases me to say the most common shape in a Regency evening gown sleeve is a short, puffed sleeve with length to match the high waist, and a narrow cuff.
• Sleeve puffs have gathers at top and bottom, and go straight out, not up or droopy.

1811 Silk evening gown sleeve detail, Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Especially in the later Regency, ball gown sleeves had keyholes, insets, scallops, loops, layers, knots, bows, braiding, petals, piped fabric, self-covered buttons, beads, gemstones, etc., as well as ribbons, lace and embroidery! I’m out of breath reciting that list!
• Short, straight, fitted sleeves or very short cap-like puffed sleeves were less common. Sheer, long Juliet sleeves were sometimes seen below the top puff.
• Sleeves just to above the elbow with a slight puff, or straight and slightly wide (similar to the sleeve opening), are early 1800’s.

1805-10 met front for good general example cropped

1805-1810 patterned evening gown, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bodice:
• Very low cut in front and slightly low in back.
• The opening is wide, to the point of almost no shoulder straps in some cases.
• Many shapes are acceptable for the top front bodice, but most common is square or near-square. Princess and halter are not seen.

Sleeves and bodice for “undress”: a morning gown or day dress:

1814 Swiss dotted morning gown, back view to show ties and gathers.

Long sleeves:
• Most common is a Juliet sleeve: a long, straight, fitted sleeve to past the wrist, with a short, puffed sleeve over it (or a similar look).
• Other styles for long sleeves may be peasant (long puffed top and bottom with cuff), fitted, or shirred (multiple puffs along the length).
• Length can be ¾ to so long they scrunch up the arms and end at the base of the fingers.

Bodice is simple and neckline is high: from a few inches from base of neck, to high-necked or, in the later teens, rows of ruffle up the neck. We’ll talk about “Regency dickies,” in a future post.

Fabric:

• Fine, sheer or near sheer cottons and linens, gauze, voile, broadcloth, sari fabric (without heavy sequins), heavy but smooth silks, taffeta, organza, polyesters that look like silk or satin. Fine rayon may work to mimic muslin or silk.
• Almost all colours were stylish at one time or another in 1811-1820, from vibrant to muted, earth tones, and lots of pink. Avoid black as it was solely for mourning. Lavender or grey were used for half-mourning, but also show up in fashion colour palettes. Obviously fluorescents are out of the question, but not acid green!
• For day dresses, prints or embroidered patterns should be small and widely-spaced White-on-white was common, as was a coordinating print on colours. Avoid prints that scream modern. An article in “Jane Austen’s World” has some examples.
• Some patterns work for a ball gown, but it’s safer to go one colour. White-on-white fine cottons or similar; or solid, rich-coloured silks.
• Striped cottons for day wear; sheer striped overdresses or monotone stripes for ball gowns are fine. Stripes are always vertical on the skirt.

1817-1821, from the Bath Fashion Museum

Trim:

Early Regency:
• Trim was minimal.
• On the main field of the skirt, embroidery patterns were no more than a wide pattern of a small size.
• More elaborate trim would be at or near the bottom border of the skirt, on short sleeves, and all over the bodice.
• Does not have to match the gown, though that was common.
Later Regency:
• Trim was more obvious, and there was just more of it!
• An optional line of trim down the centre front of the skirt.
• Skirt bottom trim may be as wide as one foot, in large patterns.
• May include large fabric flowers, ribbon, lace, embroidery, piping, chenille, Vandyke (triangular points), pleating (both horizontal and bound vertical), piping, ruching, beadwork, ball fringe, etc.

Aspects of vintage gowns that will not work:
• Knits, coarse cottons or linens, loud geometrics, fuzzy textures, obvious polyesters, leather, corduroy, raw or coarse silk (duponi), lamé.
• Large prints, dark prints, animal prints, random geometrics, patchwork or multiple print panels.
• Sewn-in details that would be hard to remove without leaving a shadow (e.g., long darts, long pin-tucks, studs) or without a lot of work (lots of sequins).
• Large buttonhole fronts, either partway or all the way.
• Lapels, cowl or boat necks.
• Fitted and flared multi-panel skirts. This is the most common problem with modern empire gowns: there is not enough fabric for the gathers in back, even if you buy many sizes too large. You need lots of fabric in the bra line to waist area.
• Pleated skirts, drop skirts, uneven skirt bottoms, flounces.
• Low cut backs.
• Ruching or draping of additional fabric on the skirt. If you can get beneath all this stuff, the dress usually is too fitted for the back gathers. Regency skirts are dead plain. Yes, they can have overlays, but they’re fairly simple until the hemline.

Compromises if all other aspects of the Regency gown are met:
• Raglan sleeves are not the right shape, but okay if not too noticeable
• Too-short skirts: up to 4 inches can be added with trims
• Avoid sleeveless. You can add sleeves, but it’s just as hard to find a puffed sleeve blouse as it is to find a puffed sleeve dress, and it’s ten times as hard when you’re trying to match them.
• Halter bra or brief spaghetti strap bodices require not only sleeves, but shoulder straps and either an entire bodice or significant modification. If the skirt is not too closely fitted and has enough fabric for gathers behind, plus extra fabric or great details, it may be worth it, but it could be a huge sewing project.

NEXT POST: ELEMENTS TO LOOK FOR WHEN SALVAGING A GOWN, AND THE GOWNS I’VE PURCHASED SO FAR!

* Between the last decade of the 18th century and 1810, the line between skirt and bodice (“waistline”) of gowns rose from the natural waist to close under the bust and stayed high. The neckline dropped as well, so in the late 10’s, the bodice tended to be what Austen called “abbreviated.” The waistline dropped again in the early 20’s. There were exceptions during that period, but this blog will only focus on the high empire waist most characteristic of 1811-1820.

** Gathered-front gowns started to fall out of style by the late 1700’s, and by the Regency were uncommon. Even though most Regency gowns had a flat skirt front with the gathering behind, some examples can be found with gathers all around. This blog will focus on the flat-fronted gown, but recognize that if a gathered-front gown is found, it does not have to be made over.

A follow-up to last week’s post: How to fit Regency corsets and stays, by the Oregon Regency Society.

A Footnote: Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne Shirley wanted to become a writer, and so did I for most of my youth. Sometime in my teens, someone told me it would be too hard and would never pay the bills, and I was uncertain of my ability. My path took me down the road less traveled for a while, but I finally made the detour and came back around to the busy intersection where I belong!

Gratefully, Suzan Lauder

“Party Central in the Regency”—My Guest Post on “Peculiar Ramblings”

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Suzan Lauder

When a small JAFF web site decided to offer a story contest to add to its roster of invited-only authors, little did they know the snowball effect it would have on fellow Meryton Assembly Chat Chit and author Sarah Johnson. As they hoped, she was inspired. The writing bug bit her hard, and it was not too long before she posted a huge story on that site (Darcy and Lizzy.com) and on A Happy Assembly: Leaving Bennet Behind.

Seeing the excitement of fellow Chits who had published recently, including Meryton Press’s Linda Beutler and myself, Sarah became interested in having her story published, but was advised it was too long. She and I brainstormed a little, and when I realized the core story was about Mary Bennet, a less common main character, I suggested a re-write to focus on that story, and perhaps add to the balance of the story to create another novel, or even two to make a trilogy. Sarah surprised me, and now plans to make Leaving Bennet Behind a series of five books! She’s a hard worker: she home-schools her children (she has six, though not all are school age), is constantly writing new material (in addition to the first two books in the LBB series, she has self-published three novellas), assists other authors with cover design and layout of their novels, leads an authors-only facebook group to discuss issues of concern and share information, runs a bookstore on her web site, “My Peculiar World,” and edits the newsletter “Peculiar Ramblings.”

In the March 2015 edition, I’m a guest writer, on the topic of “The Season,” and the article’s title is “Party Central in the Regency.” Check it out, and while you’re there, check out the other parts of Sarah’s web site!

road trips with the redhead

a blog by Suzan Lauder

Tag Archives: Regency

The Thrifty Regency Hat-trick!

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Regency Bad Hair Day? Wrap a Turban!

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Were Regency gowns worn on the Titanic?

Ideal characteristics for re-purposing a gown:

Other details for Regency:

Dresses requiring very little modification:

Sewing and fitting will be required:

Some bodice enlargement insert ideas *(click on thumbnai**ls to enlarge)*:

To add a few inches to get extra fabric for gathering (click on thumbnails to enlarge):

Notes on adding trim:

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A Morning Gown plus some Frankenstein Gown Parts

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Floor length, Empire waist, and what else? Anne Shirley?

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Ideal characteristics for re-purposing a gown:

Other details for Regency:

Dresses requiring very little modification:

Sewing and fitting will be required:

Some bodice enlargement insert ideas (click on thumbnails to enlarge):

To add a few inches to get extra fabric for gathering (click on thumbnails to enlarge):

Notes on adding trim:

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Some bodice enlargement insert ideas *(click on thumbnai**ls to enlarge)*: