historical costuming Help for Glass masks version of Little Women

By Victorian Couture. 20/12/10, 06:40 am

I was re-reading glass mask the other day and was struck by how beautiful Maya Kitajima's costume for Beth from Little Women was.

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So i has think "IF" i get my current cosplays and garments waiting for me to finish them before uni starts, i would love to make Maya/Beths

Now I'm trying to work out how i would make it,
Background history
Maya Kitajima is playing Elizabeth "Beth" March in their theaters production of Little Women
Background history of little Women, set during the American Civil War 1861-1865 (i hope i got that right) Which Costumewize puts it in the Hoop era, for example the Elliptical Cage Crinoline used during later- and post-Civil War period of 1863-1868

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the book was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869 which still puts it in the hoop era just more of the transitional bustle period of 1868 to 1872 which looked alot like this

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The main problem i have at the moment is that mayas costume changes shape every few pages
From this shape that looks more like the elliptical cage

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to a shape that is like the what truly victorian calls "natural form" where there was very little bustle late 1870 - early 1880

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back to the early bustle form

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Then straight to hoop skirt

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then when i looked at everyone elses outfits in the play they are all very close to the early bustle

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If I went for being more historical closer to the times i was thing about using
truly victorians
1865 Elliptical Cage Crinoline and the Elliptical Skirt to go with it,
the pros and cons of Elliptical
Cons
harder to make
more expense if i used hoop steel
more fabric need 12-14 metres min
much harder to sit in
NOT very good for a packed Convention and would be very dangerous with the second floor stairs and seating at wellygeddon

i cant think of any pros apart from being
"historical closer"
more WOW factor?

If i went for being closer to the manga, I was thinking
Truly Victorians
Grand Bustle and the Grand parlor skirt to go with it.
Pros and Cons of bustle
Pros
easyer to make
cheaper to make and wouldnt have to sub the hoop steel
less fabric needed 8 metres min
WAY easyer to sit in
easyer to wear in a packed convention and wouldn't be so dangerous at wellygeddon
"closer to manga"

Cons
cant think of any cons apart from
not "historical closer"

I know the pro/con list is heavy balanced to the bustle but i get what i'm trying to get at is
Do I be Historical "closer/correct" to what Beth or people during the Civil war would have worn ?
OR
Do i be "closer/correct" to the mangas Version of Beth which is more just "LIKE" the victorian era?
OR
Is my whole point a "Moot" point?

When i try to work out which one to be truer to my head keeps getting twisted in to knots :sadcry:

I would REALLY REALLY LOVE anyones advice on my thoughts puppyeyes

P.S sorry if i posted anything wrong it's my first time posting a topic and not a reply

By neimhaille. 20/12/10, 08:07 am

Don't to the grand bustle :) it's for the second bustle period which is from is quite different to the earlier bustle. I don't know if TV does an early bustle type.

The elliptcal is going to be much better but you can acheive that shape without going all in for a pattern and hoop steel. See if you can get a copy of Corsets and Crinolines by Nora Waugh (in most of the major libraries). The patterns in that are great and work easily. I'd suggest using plumbers coil in place of hoop wire/steel as it is infinitely cheaper and can be got from most dollar stores. It's also known as drain cleaner, drain snake etc. It's flat steel about 3m long.

You could also make a corded petticoat and or a hair canvas petticoat (I've just made one for the 1830s and it works really well)- hair canvas can be found at Spotlight with all the interfacings. Lots of tucks and ruffles help :)

And as for how historically accurate to go, that's totally up to how you want to interpret it :) Oh and if you make this for Wellgeddon I am planning on an afternoon tea with a Victorian theme :)

By Victorian Couture. 20/12/10, 08:47 am

Truly victorian has patterns for three cage crinolines
in her hoop era section

and two bustles she uses for the rest of the Bustle eras

I found this dreamstress Tutorial about how to make a hoop skirt with poly piping but wasnt sure if it would translate to an elliptical

before i posted i did a search to see if there were any old topics about hoop skirts and found the old one where you suggested plumbers coil, i had a look in the asien stores by me but i couldnt find it, but maybe i wasnt looking hard enough,

I've read and heard about corded petticoats and using horse hair in ruffles but the stuff i read didnt expane why to make and use them? are they more stiff for keeping the shape of the dress/skirt?

Is there a pattern for an elliptical in corsets and crinolines?

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