victorian costuming!

By **seraphik**. 06/11/11, 01:51 pm

with the upcoming oamaru victorian fete, michaela and i agreed that there needed to be a thread for this on cnz for those who do victorian costuming, or are looking to get involved with it! there are any number of events around new zealand to do with it and we're actually quite lucky our country is so diverse so that so much involvement is possible. (: of course if you're in the south island you're more likely to find things to do with victorian costuming in oamaru (steampunk capital of new zealand!), or if you're in the north island, as i understand it MOTAT runs quite a few events in this vein?

so this thread is basically for discussion, pattern-sharing, event-sharing-- steampunk is all good too! (:

By neimhaille. 06/11/11, 02:05 pm

yes! It was Victorian (specifically the "natural form") period that got me into costuming in the first place :) It's a ridiculously fun and challenging time and can offer you everything from ruffles and ruffles and lace and ribbons to sever tailored lines to flowing (what inspired LotR) Artistic/Reform dress :)

You can do pretty much anything! Will pattern link dump tomorrow :) And I may have files, files that are good.

Motat and Howick both have interactive days and I have an "in" in both places ;) haven't yet pushed in to the posher places ;) But The Falls is out west and is very pretty too for a picnic :)

By Static. 09/11/11, 05:18 am

I have a question related to victorian costuming! I'm designing an outfit for the fete in Oamaru, and as I suspect it will be very very warm, I'm trying to minimise my layers. I have a day outfit in mind, and I have only found one reference to an 1893 day dress that didn't have long sleeves. Am I correct in assuming that outside of evening wear, it simply wasn't done? Or am I just looking in the wrong places?

I'd like to base my outfit on this image: http://www.collectiblejewels.com/VictorianDress.jpg but the sleeves look like they're an idea of what a victorian dress should have, not what they actually had! Help, victorian enthusiasts!

By neimhaille. 09/11/11, 09:40 am

Ahhhh, I sent some links on twitter but yeah, that dress is circa 1900, a few years before or after, so just the very end of Victoria's reign :) I know the sleeves are a little incongruous but I do have a few examples that look similar, but they tend to be on very sheer gowns rather than mid weight or heavier.

Books to recommend:
Patterns of Fashion 2, Janet Arnold
Cut of Women's Clothes, Nora Waugh
Corsets and Crinolines, Nora Waugh

Extant examples patterned and graphed, or at least drawn to scale.

Jean Hunnisett's Period Costume for Stage and Screen (the 1800s on one) is really good. This one and the 1500-1800 one are a bit more historically accurate than the earlier book but works better for those used to modern patterns.

There are some books published by Lavolta Press which I think are available in some libraries here.
http://www.lavoltapress.com/
Fran is on H-Cost which is one of the oldest costuming e'lists and still very active. So she is able to answer any questions pretty easily and quickly. I haven't used them myself but I believe they are based on the patterns available at the time.

For dress above:
http://www.costumes.org/history/galleryimages/c1899thompsonssystem/index.htm
I learnt patterning this way, and is how I graph my own :)

These are a little later:
http://www.costumes.org/history/galleryimages/1911ladiestailor/index.htm
http://www.costumes.org/HISTORY/100pages/1912thornton1.htm
Just to illustrate how the cut changes so quickly over this time.

By Highlander. 09/11/11, 12:43 pm

Just pointing out there is/was a Victorian Dance Group in Christchurch. A good excuse for people to costume for the balls, as well as having fun dancing. I can soon find out if this group is still active if anyone is interested. And I assume that they can advise you somewhat on costuming for this too.

By Static. 09/11/11, 01:42 pm

Said it before, and I'll say it again - you are AMAZING, Michaela! Thank you, so so much. Still trying to raise funds for some of Waugh's books, can't wait. I'm quite fond of the later, post-bustle styles (the Belle Epoque? Is that the correct period for the term?) with the exception of THOSE SLEEVES. Good God!

By neimhaille. 09/11/11, 03:01 pm

Pm incoming :)

I got my start in costuming because of this period :) And because of Phantom of the Opera, ignore the movie, lookit the pretties!

Ehem. Anyway, yes the sleeves of epic ridiculousness. They did the same thing as in the 1830s though. Once the pouf went from the top it wound up drooping at the elbow. Kinda crazy fun.

https://cosplaynewzealand.forumotion.com/t5187-free-patterns
I dob't have anything new in that thread but there are lots of patterns in there for this period :)

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