r/HistoricalCostuming

I just decided to sew this shirt on a whim, to be occupied and with that came the spontaneous decision to abandon my sewing machine... And while I am at it why not smock the sleeves, instead of gathering them?

And I am so very pleased with how it looks so far. I've never smocked anything before and it's such a calming task (made extra funny by me listing to metal music while doing it) and definitely keeps me occupied with 70cm of fabric to gather with 1x1cm smocking.

This project is truly keeping me afloat at the moment and I am very thankful that some cotton fabric and thread can be such a delight :)

i’m looking for this kind of style dress (the green and blue) but i’m not sure what to search for.

I have 0 patience, am completely fed up with the fabric, and sleep deprived - SO you get unglamorous mirror shots before I go for the proper photoshoot 🤣🤣🤣

I finished my Regency gown (actually, I made 2, 1 to test the pattern lol and it worked great, so I now have two dresses for the suffering of one) - I had this silk chiffon for years, you can't see, but it has these tiny golden dots and olive branches (historical repro print, apparently from an Empress Josephine's dress), and I had a ~vision~ for it based on a few fashion plates.

WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN that chiffon is the literal devil's bumhole of fabrics, I can't even breathe when sewing or this thing shifts. 'Nyways, a lot of swearing, screaming and hissing at the machine later, I actually hemmed it by hand because, believe it or not, it was less suffering.

Now it is done and I am actually obsessed with how good it looks - it's entirely impractical, the train is gorgeous and a nuisance, but that's all besides the point.

I was going to add trim to the hem and sleeves, but after putting it on I realised if I do it will impact the flowiness, and I didn't sacrifice my soul just to lose the chiffon-y aspect of it after all...

I did change the pattern, and ended up with what I had drafted years ago anyway 🤣 I am always a bit annoyed that modern even repro regency patterns have a low back waist, instead of the high and narrow, so I shortened the back quite a bit, and re-angled the side back seams.

From https://youtube.com/shorts/gFKnwxota1Q

What is going on with the president's tie here?

Im interested in trying my hand at a hat of this style, and from what iv found poking around it might be a chaperon hat! but, when I go looking for reference I find that most chaperone hats have this, stuffed tube around the head? that I do not want for this project, but its all I can seem to find! So my question is, is this a chaperone hat? If yes then can anyone point me to its specific style? if no I would love to know what it actually is! And if any of you have made one before (or know of a good guide) I would be most thankful!

I've been looking through the (unfortunately small pool of) French portraits from the 1600s-1610s for the purpose of recreating these styles for a game, and I've noticed these oval-shaped metal ornaments pop up a few times, but I haven't quite been able to discern what they are. Initially I thought perhaps they're pomanders, but that doesn't seem right as all surviving pomanders I'm seeing are spherical and often have holes for the fragrance to emanate from. The only other thing I could think of would be timepieces, since they seem to be the appropriate thickness and size for that.

* In the third portrait I included, of Marie de Medici, I'm not sure if it's also one of those same ornaments or if it's a portrait miniature.

Can you help me date this dress? I am looking to re-create it. I found it but there is no database or information on this dress. Any help would be extremely useful!!

Inspired by the Tempelhof Altarpiece by Jost Haller

I wore a gown to a masquerade ball, with a pannier underneath — shown. It only came with stays for the 4 semicircles on each side — not the vertical tapes, or the horizontal tapes laying across the hips. Throughout the night, it kept collapsing (the semicircle stays would tilt up like smiles, and the skirt would fall flat). It was SO ANNOYING and I was constantly tugging at it to keep it in place.

Has anyone else had this problem? How did you fix it? I think I could add boning to the vertical tapes at the front and back near the hips. But the boning from the store comes in rolls, and I worry it will stay curved and won’t be straight enough to keep the pannier down…help?

Been doing some war of 1812 and Creek War reenacting.
The pictures were taken at Fort Toulouse/FortJackson during a muster!

Oh my gosh what do I do?? I looked online but all the advice I see is dry cleaning and freezing. I have a big collection and I can’t afford to get everything dry cleaned. I’m pulling everything out right now and brushing and inspecting. I do have a freezer but it would probably only hold 1-2 garments at a time and I’d have to take all the food out first. Any advice is appreciated, I’ve been building my collection for 18 years and I’m kinda freaking out!

This amber and bronze breast ornament was excavated in Kompolje Croatia and dates to 600-400 BCE. I'm wondering how it might have been combined with clothing. I suppose it could pin directly to a tunic. But i can also imagine it on one of those "viking style" apron dresses. Or perhaps it pinned onto something more drapey like the stolas of ancient Rome.

For this time and place we don't have any extant garments, and I'm not even sure if we have extant figurative art. I'm still researching. I'd love to hear anyone's opinion about how this jewelry combined with an outfit :)