1840’s Skirt Improver

Also known as a bustle, bum pad, faux rump and a number of other things. As I’m (rather slowly) working towards making an 1840’s outfit, and felt a tad low about not having completed a HSF challenge for ages, I decided, two days before the # 12 Shape & Support challenge was due, to make said skirt improver. I believe watching ‘The Young Victoria’ that evening inspired me. As I thought it would be a quick and easy project it was perfect. I had a few examples of period bum pads on a Pinterest board, so I had a look to decide which style I wanted to do, considering the little time I had. 

A corded petticoat and two ordinary ones provide all the fulness on the left.

On the right the bum pad gives a nice little back thrust to the petticoats.

As with everything else I’ve made this year, I only used things already in my stash; off white cotton sheeting, cotton/polyester blend batting (70 and 30 percent respectively) left over from making the babynest, and cotton tape. The night before the challenge was due, I quickly measured how big I wanted the pad, and cut out the desired shape in cotton and batting while baby was sleeping. I then stitched it by hand during the intervals of sleep between the frequent evening feedings. The day after I put the batting in, whip stitched the padded crescent shut, and added ties. Done in time! 

The shape of my bum pad.

The evening after I finished it I managed to get some pictures. As I took the pictures of myself in our badly lit bedroom, and with self timer, they turned out so-so, but they give you an idea. 

Sitting a little too high, but it sank a little with the weight of the petticoats.

I have big enough hips that they don’t really need any emphasis (more 

pronounced once I get my waist back), so the bum pad only reaches to the sides.

As I have a less than flat behind, I only needed a little extra oomph, more a pad than a roll. It has only two layers of batting. The pad has the very desired bonus of preventing the petticoats dipping in the back, as they often do, especially the corded one who has an adjustable waistband, and gets the extra width pushed to the back. 

 Even in the back pictures you can see how the petticoats fall 

more nicely over the bum pad (right) than they do without (left). 

The Challenge: #12 Shape & Support

 

Fabric: Cotton.

Pattern: None, just measured and cut.

Year: It would roughly fit during the 1830’s through 1850’s, but at this time I was mainly aiming for the 1840’s. 

Notions: Cotton thread and cotton tapes, cotton/polyester batting.

How historically accurate is it? Tolerably – there are quite a few variations on skirt improvers from this era, this is just one of them. The materials are ok, except for the regrettable blend batting. The sewing is done by hand with period stitches.  

Hours to complete: About two.

First worn: For the pictures.

Total cost: None at this time as everything was in my stash.

Why Historically Correct?

I’m pondering a future blog post (EDIT: now published) for my medieval blog and my 19th century blog (both in Swedish), aimed at beginner living historians/historic costumiers, or those who haven’t even started out yet. While I know there are many reasons for choosing to make historical or historically inspired clothing, for me personally historic accuracy (or as close as we can reasonably get) is important for several reasons:

- Almost everyone who sees you in “period” clothing will assume it’s correct. That may well spread old misconceptions further, or create new ones, unless you’ve done your research and made good interpretations of what would have been worn. Also, as clothing usually reflects a country’s economy, political and religious views, traditions, current events and how they view people (men and women, adults and children, rich and poor, natives and foreigners, etc.) at any given time in history, wearing the wrong things will also add to fabricating history. As we see enough of that in most “historic” films and TV-series, we don’t really need any more….

EDIT 2015-05-12
- Historically accurate vs. historically inspired - this is really a spectrum in which all of us are located. If you for some reason don't have the inclination, opportunity or skill to make tolerably historically accurate clothing, it would perhaps be more fitting to call your outfit historically/period-of-choice inspired, as opposed to the plain historical/period-of-choice. If you have deviated from what was done in period, it's no longer historical. That's a fact. Be honest about what you've made, and most people will be fine with it. It's when you try to pass something inspired of as accurate that even the kindest and most generous of those who try to be accurate begin to be miffed, as it, no matter how beautiful your item is, does lessen the value of all the research and hard work they've done in the eyes of the largely undiscerning public, who usually give most attention and appreciation to the thing most appealing to the modern eye, not necessarily the most correct one. See the above point.
END OF EDIT

- You will never really experience what a historic fashion feels like unless you actually wear it: that you use the right materials, the right cut, and combine the garments (all layers) in the proper way is crucial. That experience will advance your understanding of how it felt to live during a certain time: how people moved, sat, what posture was desired etc. It will also deepen your knowledge of why all those layers where used.

Jørgen Roed, "Haven med den gamle døbefont" 

("The garden with the old babtismal font"), 1850.

- Doing it wrong may not only be unsightly, it can also be uncomfortable or even dangerous; a wool/polyester blend coat getting too close to an open flame and melting into your skin; heavy petticoats without stays or corset to take the weight of your waist and hips; man made fabrics getting too hot in summer or too cold in winter; the wrong hairstyle throwing of the delicate balance of a fashionable look; a bosom unsuported by stays or corset making the prettiest dress look frumpy.

- You’ll save both time and money doing it right, as many beginners want to upgrade after a year or two anyway. Invest time in researching now, and save time and money redoing everything later. Mind, research is never completed, and you’ll always find something or other in your wardrobe that needs changing….

- The resale value on good, period accurate items are reasonably high, if you decide you don’t like the hobby, the period or just want to have a new something.

- It’s fun! It’s an interactive way to learn history, it's creative and will teach you new skills, and perfect the ones you already have. While spending time browsing blogs, forums and homepages you’ll get new friends all over the world, as interested in this as you are. The knowledge in the collective hive-mind of living historians and historical costumiers in the world is vast and ever increasing. Not taking part is missing out on a lot of knowledge and well needed help.

EDIT 2015-05-12

Those of us who have gained some little – or a lot of - knowledge of a certain period will do well to remember that we were once new too. We’ve made mistakes. We still have lots of things to learn, and that is a humbling thought. Our will to help others improve should never lead us to be unkind, snarky or condescending. Openness, gentleness and a willingness to hear what the other comes from will be a lot more effective in showing them what there is to gain from historical accuracy, as well as lifting both them and ourselves up.

EDIT 2015-08-07
Those of you that are new to historical costuming: don't be afraid, you can do this! I have seen quite a few people who, with the help, advice and cheering from others, achieved really good outfits on their first tries. (I wasn't one of them, having no one to ask for advice, and mostly outdated library books for reference.) It's all about willingness and determination, and being humble enough to ask for, and accept, help. Yes, there is the odd person that is unpleasant. I'm sorry if you encountered (or will encounter) one of them. Try to brush of whatever acid comment they dropped on you, and move on. Don't let them get you down. I believe in you. Getting dressed up at all is more than most people do for an event, so one point to you for even getting started! 
END OF EDIT

I’m sure there are plenty of other reasons why period correctness matter and I want to find as many as possible. Please share your thoughts on the subject, be they continuations of mine or something completely different!

Another Recomendation

I'm sure many of those of you who, like me, love costume dramas, have noticed that some costumes appear in several productions. There is a website dedicated to finding as many as possible of these recycled movie costumes, and it's called (surprice) Recycled Movie Costumes.

You can do a search by era, and submitt costumes if you know of any that's not listed on their site (I've submitted a couple some time ago). It's great fun, and some costumes have been used far more times than you'd think.

One thing you'll get comfirmed is how truly different looks you get, depending on corsetry, hair and accessories, even when the same outfit is worn - just look at these pictures:

Jennifer Ehle as Elisabeth Bennet in Pride and prejudice (1995).

Jemima Roper as Amanda Price in Lost in Austen (2008).

This could serve as an exellent example for all girls and women who (would) like to wear period clothes in historic settings: no matter how pretty and accurate your outfit is, if you don't do your hair in a period way it'll just look weird. It's all in the details :)

Just a Short Post to Recommend...

... the Casualty 1900's series. Well, I don't think it's on TV anymore (or yet - it hasn't broadcasted here in Sweden anyway), but it's available on DVD.

If you like BBCs costume dramas, and also happens to like series like ER, Chicago Hope etc. you will love this. It's about the lives of the doctors, nurses and patients in London Hospital in 1906, 1907 and 1909. It's based on journals, newspaper cuttings, diaries and so on from the people who worked there, and from the little I know about Edwardian England, and nursing back then, it looks accurate enough. As a lover of history, and an RN myself, this is just perfect. It's recomended from the age of 15 here in Europe, as it's rather grafic in the ghastliness of illnesses, injuries and living conditions of the poor of East End. It's interesting, sad, and yet encouraging.

The problem with good costume dramas is that I get a sudden and strong wish to make clothes from that era - so in future I might make a Sisters uniform from the early 20th century...