Corsets, and Obscure Cosplay

I've been working hard on translating the German corset pattern and it seems pretty simple. Evenmoreso if I buy ready made boning channels. The hard bit is going to be making it fit me.
I'll make it in white cotton coutile with black bias binding, a black pleated ribbon at the bust, black lacing and dragonfly flossing; dragonflies were popular motifs in Art Nouveau and occasionally popped up in Art Deco.

I have had another idea for cosplay which should be fairly simply, if utterly unrecognisable due to Mary Oliphant (revolutionary and Patriot) being from a radio show. Simple lower to middle class 1770s dress, with an apron and hat, I imagine her wearing a sort of rusty reddish orange, but blue would be just as apt. If i feel up to a challenge I could make stays (corset) and try and find the buckled shoes they wore at the time.

Hats! Dresses! Corsets!

One of my livejournal friends reccommended Lynn McMaster's hat patterns, so I'm thinking perhaps a low crowned asymmetrical boater sized hat.

I might have to buy some hat pins, and I really need an antique button hook as the buttons on my gorey girl blouse are awkward.
I have decided that I shall wear a large bow for that outfit rather than bunches.

The university library has Norah Waugh's 'Corsets and Crinolines' and as that seems to contain the only English language 1910s corset pattern I'm going to borrow it.

There is a 1910s corset pattern online, but with instructions in German, I've done a gist translation and might have a go at it.

Ageless Patterns has fascimiles of a old french pattern (Corset Nouveau 1910) for sale, but I'd have to pay.

I've found a new resource for 1910s fashion plates , 100 of them.

http://dressmakingresearch.com/1910s_dress.htm

I've also looked at

http://marquise.de/en/1900/index.shtml

http://www.scottish-wedding-dreams.com/historic-edwardian-gowns.html

and of course googling designers of the period such as Erte, Paquin and Poiret.

Hats

My hat for the Sunday Promenade is going to be art deco inspired, so I shall be using abstract shapes rather than the traditional feathers and flowers.

It's going to be a round, fairly flat hat, which will perch on my head at an angle, I shall probably use strips of sinamay, tubular crin, curled quills arrow quills, maybe porcupine quills and, as a nod to the Orientalism of the time, some kanzashi which I feel are stylised enough for the look.

I may add some veiling or guaze depending on the exact placement on my head.

Like the dress it'll be white with black accents.

Fabrics

Well I had a look round United Textiles today, and no sign of any toile de Jouy, or any suitable flower prints. Instead I am quite tempted by a white fabric with narrow black stripes.
If I chose this I shall make the godet at the back from a black fabric with white dots, just for fun.

I have seen the black lace I want in Asim's and I already have some black velvet.

The only things I haven't sourced are a ready ruffled trim and hooks and eyes.

I also found a fabric that I might use for the Gorey skirt, grey with woven stripes, however there was another fabric which was grey with white flowers woven in that also looked nice, but was a bit heavier, also the stripes wouldn't go so well with the pintucks in the pattern i want to use.

Sunday Promenade patterns

Simplicity 864o is almost a perfect copy of the 'flying gown' but it is almost impossible to get hold of, so I am going to mash together an outfit from the top half of View C of Simplicity 3723
and a simple skirt that I will draft by hand.

In terms of authenticity it's more a facsimile than a replica, but the overall look is recognisable as 1910s.

Vintage Vixen has a article on the key points of 1910s fashion and I have a few of them covered

I don't think my fabric print is very authentic, I don't if toile has ever been in fashion for clothing.

The overall silhouette should be fairly 1910s, although the waist will be lower than was fashionable as I'm short and have bosoms so it'll make me look dumpy. A lower waistline will acutally look more authentic as the proportions will be closer.

The elbow length sleeves and square neckline of the Simplicity pattern are correct, but the body shape less so I will have a cummerbund-like sash probably made from velvet to give more horizontal layers.

The skirt will also have a layer of black lace on it in a similar shape to the flying dress, I might try the lampshade shape, I'll experiment.

Shape wise my skirt will be quite narrow, I'll probably put kick pleats or just slits at the bottom so I can actually walk. might show some shocking ankle though ;)

I won't be wearing a corset, but might purchase a waist nipper just for some structure.

The full information from Vintage Vixen is here