HSM 2022 #7: "Reverse Revers" pockets

Pockets with "revers".

Intrigued by a pair of late 18th century French pockets of an unusual model, that narrowed at the top even though there weren't any side seams or pleats, I searched for photos of other pockets that might explain what they looked like underneath the trim.

Blue linen at Ikea

Ikea's "Aina" linen in blue-grey

 We visited Ikea today (we're fully vaccinated, but still very cautious, and do most of our shopping online), and I was delighted to see that their linen fabric now comes in a nice shade of blue as well as the white and natural they've carried for a long time (there are also a couple of other colors, that are less useful for historical sewing). 

It instantly made me think of the extant 18th century blue pocket hoops and panniers in Sweden and Germany, so of course I had to buy some for future needs!

Ikea's linen is 150 cm (59") wide and has 15 warps and 11 wefts per cm (about 38 warps and 28 wefts per inch).

HSM 2018 #8: The trimmed underpetticoat

My project is inspired by a petticoat in the collections of the Chester County Historical Society, depicted and patterned in Sharon Burnston's book "Fitting & Proper".

A partridge petticoat in a pear plum tree.

In Germany, tailors made women's clothes

For a long time, tailors made outer clothes for both men and women, while female seamstresses and home sewers made linen undergarments. Then in late 17th century France and Britain, female couturières and mantua makers got the right to sew mantuas and other women's clothes. The tailors continued to make stays, stiff-bodied court gowns, and riding habits for women, in addition to menswear.

Similar changes took place in Germany and Sweden too, but the tailors there hung on much longer to the privilege to make women's clothes, so the transition from tailors to dressmakers was delayed for a century or more. In the meantime, tailors in the German tradition continued to develop cutting methods for women's clothes as well as men's; J.S. Bernhardt's two-volume book from 1810‒1811 is the earliest and the most well-known printed example. Sewing techniques also differ between extant garments, depending on if they've been made in a tailor's or dressmaker's tradition. 

Book review: The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking

"The American Duchess Guide to18th Century
Dressmaking", by Lauren Stowell and Abby Cox

Yay—I got "The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking" for Christmas. :) It provides a wealth of information on how to hand sew British-influenced fashion. As I'm living in a different cultural sphere, I wanted to see to what extent this book's patterns are applicable in countries that were mainly influenced by French fashion.

I'm especially interested in how women's clothes were cut in the 18th century, and as I haven't seen any reviews that have focused on that aspect, I'm also going to share my thoughts on how the book's patterns compare to patterns from extant gowns.

Vive la différence!

One of the things that fascinate me about period fashion, is the range of variation. Styles didn't just change over time—they varied subtly from country to country (or region to region), as well as across the social scale, and between everyday clothing and Sunday best. There were multiple reasons for this, including tradition, economy, climate, and legislation.

I'll be using the 'vive la différence!' tag to highlight such differences. Kudos to organizations that encourage people to research local clothing!