I made Victorian yoga pants!
I have always loved wide-leg pants, from just about any era of historical fashion. So of course, I had to sew an 1890s split skirt to try out what Victorian women wore as athletic pants. And then, because apparently working out in historical dress is just what I do, I did yoga in them to prove they’re functional athleticwear. (spoiler alert, they totally were.)
The history of thrifting : the Victorian way to fight fast fashion!
The Victorians loved thrift shopping, and it goes back a lot further than the Victorians! Time for a deep dive into the history of the secondhand clothes trade and its role in fashion history. As usual, a lot of the problems of the modern fashion industry (like low-quality fast fashion) are not as old as we think . . .
A “transformation” day bodice for a Victorian dress
I'm transforming a Victorian dress from a ball gown to a day dress by sewing a second Victorian dress bodice. Watch me make a Victorian dress bodice to finish off the outfit I’ve designed for Mirah Lapidoth, the heroine of the Victorian novel Daniel Deronda by George Eliot.
Can I sew a corset in under 14 hours?
How long does it take to sew a corset, and can I make a new Victorian corset in time for a party? Join me for a corset making speed run vlog and we’ll find out.
A Victorian ball gown bodice for Mirah Lapidoth
I finished the Victorian ball gown for Mirah Lapidoth from Daniel Deronda! It was so much fun to make a Victorian bodice for this evening gown, and then wear it to a Victorian Christmas party with my friends from the on-strike cast and crew of Dickens Fair.
Sewing a Victorian evening gown skirt from 1865
Daniel Deronda by George Eliot is a remarkable work of Victorian literature, and the BBC's Daniel Deronda 2002 adaptation is a classic source of inspiration for historical costumers interested in Victorian dress. This Victorian skirt is the first part of making a Victorian gown for one of the characters.
A Victorian hoop skirt with no hoops?!
A Victorian hoop skirt isn't impossible to move in, but this corded petticoat will be much easier! I’ve worn more traditional hoopskirts before and they’re not as bad as they’re made out to be. But even a steel crinoline petticoat is too much for me (my back problems have serious hoop skirt trouble), so I decided to sew a corded petticoat to take the place of a crinoline under my Victorian crinoline dress.
Why Victorian etiquette about dresses is so ridiculous
The Victorians etiquette was complicated, right? Victorian etiquette rules meant the wrong dress was social death? Let's bust some Victorian dress myths, see why we think the Victorians changed clothes 10 times a day, and talk about why Victorian era rules of etiquette seemed so riduculous.
I made an Edwardian Morticia Addams costume
I love the Addams Family, and Morticia's iconic look translates perfectly to a historical Edwardian skirt. Since I already owned a goth Edwardian Gibson Girl blouse, this easy Edwardian skirt was all I needed to make my Morticia Addams Halloween costume complete!
Comparing Victorian fashion magazines to Cosmo
Fashion magazines like Cosmopolitan and Harper's Bazaar aren't new, they've existed since Victorian times! But what do they tell us about fashion history, and about what life was like over a hundred years ago? I compared two modern "womens" magazines to two Victorian ones : Godey's Ladies' Book from 1857, and Harper's Bazar from 1897, to see how different fashion magazines and the parts of life they talked about are— or aren't.
A Victorian corset for scoliosis and back pain
While sewing a historical corset for my scoliosis, I dove into how corset myths connect to Victorian medical history, sexism, and disability justice. Spoiler alert : it's a familiar web of ableism, corsetry health scares, questionable Victorian medicine, and so much more. Oh, and in the meantime I drafted, adjusted, and franken-patterned an asymmetrical corset pattern to fit around my scoliosis curvature, avoid back spasms or aggravating my fibromyalgia, and support my shoulders and posture.
I sewed lacy Edwardian underwear without getting out of bed
I'm on partial bed rest, so I made hand-sewn Edwardian combination underwear with tons of lace insertion. Combinations were a Victorian underwear fashion, but this style is from the 1900s, covered with frothy ruffles and lace trim everywhere! I cut out and sewed these combinations entirely from bed, so I could take care of my disabled self and still create beautiful things.
Historical Costume vs Catcalling : Feminist fashion trends men hated
"Fashion Trends Men Hate" isn't a new thing. Nor is street harassment or catcalling. Hoopskirts, hat pins, and more of these feminist historical fashion trends helped fight unwanted advances and catcalls by maintaining personal space, keeping men at a distance, symbolizing womens' power, and even LITERALLY STABBING men who grabbed women on the street.
The SWEETEST Irish Cob horse convinced me to sew a Victorian riding habit
What's a bored historical costumer to do when introduced to an adorable Irish Cob horse? Sew a Victorian riding habit, of course!
7 Easy Historical Hairstyles for Naturally Curly Hair
Two easy Victorian hairstyles, Medieval braids, Renaissance hair taping, simple 18th century hair, a Regency updo, and an Edwardian Gibson Girl, all on naturally curly hair! This tutorial for easy everyday historical hairstyles is perfect for historybounding and historical working women, and will work for straight, wavy, curly, and coily hair textures.