Independent Study

To augment my thesis, I successfully convinced my professors to let me build a dress from the mid-1890s--for credit. Since this will require research into appropriate fabrics and construction methods, etc, it will be a welcome respite from statistics on turn-of-the-century middle-class spending habits in Chicago, and will of course inform a lot of the other work I...will do later.

A true minority of Marie Anna's clothing has a tag denoting a tailor or department store, and since I have not done better research into who put tags where--or didn't--I will continue to assume that our great tagless majority was home-made. Definitely a mix of machine sewing and hand-sewing. And quite a few cotton housedresses, seemingly from the same two or four patterns. One of those brilliant realizations that make this project so exciting.

That would be easier to "replicate", a sort of loose Mother Hubbard style (I've tried to find good pictures but can't quite find the right google search terms--too much "went to the cupboard" etc), but I think I will try for something "more exciting". Some sort of fitted, puff-sleeved taffeta....or maybe even OTTOMAN.....snappy little number.

Potentially against better judgement, I have decided to build a corset first. Marie Anna bought her corsets (the corsetmakers certainly made sure to tag--and patent), and seemingly barely needed them. She was so slim! Did most women buy their corsets? Again, no hard facts yet--my apologies.

But for my project, it is neither cost-effective nor advisable re: fit to buy some ready-made corset, and I have the skills, so here we go! The irony of my past experience is that I have built a corset before--an early 17th century corset. Nothing like this; much straighter, leaning toward conical, and with straight(er) pattern pieces, layers, and many more bones to help create that shape. The current corset (pattern from this book) will rely more on the shape of the pieces, especially those cut on the bias, for its hourglass effect....we hope, anyway.

Halfway pinned:


I'm out of pins....and it's time for bed. I will keep updating as the project moves forward, of course, and I would love any comments or suggestions!!