Hat Making How-To's - Millinery Lessons from the Edwardian Era 1900's

1912 Illustration

I am quite intimidated by the prospect of hat making but I still have dreams of making a complete Edwardian ensemble from head to toe, inside to out ... except the shoes.  For those with more courage than I have, please check out these Lessons in Millinery from 1902.  Though they presume the reader is experienced, they are great illustrations of style and materials.

 

 

To read the fine print in the lessons, open photos in a new window and click on each to enlarge.

I found these great images at the NYPL Digital Library, an amazing resource.  Like many public libraries, the New York Public Library has suffered severe funding cuts; please consider making a donation if you use their resources.

Happy Sewing and Hat Making!

La Belle Epoque and Edwardian Eras ... Sewing Inspiration from 1910

First, a little education and edification; then, a bit of indulgence.

Edwardian Era:  Strictly speaking, this is the period during the reign of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom from 1901 to 1910.   I don't think I am alone in thinking of this period as extending into the second decade of the 20th century.  For me the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912 puts paid to the era.  It seemed the harbinger of great changes ... but that is just my opinion.

Le Belle Epoque:  "A period of high artistic or cultural development," as define by Merriam-Webster, it began in 1890  and continued through 1914.  A time of relative peace and great industrial strides, many consider it a "Golden Age" and the last moments of innocence before the onslaught of World War I and the "modern age."

I love this period when almost anything seemed possible.  As I was searching for inspiration, I somehow settled on 1910, and stayed.

Poiret's "Oriental" Influenced Fashion

Not only do I love the wonderful draping and the range of dress styles, the hats are a sight to behold.  And speaking of hats ...

Royal Ascot 1910

The hats! The coats!

The dapper gent!

Princess Louise with her daughters, Princesses Maud and Alexandra

Three Ladies courtesy of La Costumeuse.

I love this photo because it so clearly shows how strictly fashion was dictated by age.

Far left, a girl before her 16th birthday.

Far right, a young woman between 16 and 21 years-old.

Center, a woman over 21 and, most likely, married.

What I find most interesting is how the clothes on the younger women seem to foreshadow the fashions of the coming years.

Thank you, Jennifer of Ohio is My Dwelling Place, for letting me know who these lovely ladies were.

1910 definitely seemed to be a time when fashion - and women - were on the brink of change.

Natalina "Lina" Cavalier

Less extreme than the silhouettes of the previous decade, her gown, posted on Au Feminin still emphasizes hourglass figure and perfect posture of the time.  I love the geometric pattern on the bodice and sleeves.  I wonder if it was done with fabric or beads ... or a combination.

Lina Cavalieri was a renowned opera singer in her day and Pretty Petals wrote a lovely post about her life with some wonderful photos.

Actress Kitty Gordon's evening gown is a wonderful example of the transition from old style to new, with touches of both.  I love the earl beading.  Dame Doudicca posted this photo and a nice description of this era in women's fashion.

This lady of 1910 seems so much more relaxed than the more tightly corseted ladies.  The dress looks fun and I love the hat!  I have trouble believing she's wearing an S-curve corset.  She looks too relaxed.

Another photo found on Les Garconnettes.

Prince (and psychoanalyst) Marie Bonapaparte

I love the sleeve treatment and tiara.  Both seem to be a nod to one of her new homes, Greece.  From her posture, I'm sure her corset was more than tight enough.













I had to include some bridal wear in this post. This is Lady Violet Manner, whose veil is absolutely beautiful brocaded with white velvet.  Apparently she had her and her husbands family crests embroidered on them ... the day before the ceremony.  I wish I had a better view of the dress, which was covered in lace. 

This photo was published in "Every Woman's Encyclopaedia" which can be found at Chest of Books.  You can read a description of this an other gowns of the time as well.

Here is another wedding gown from 1910 in satin and lace. I am not a fan of the square train that was so popular at the time but I still love the simplicity of this dress.

 Here is a detail of the bodice and the shawl sleeves.

Thanks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we have many wonderful examples of fashion through the ages.  I'll only include a couple in this post.

Gown by the Mrs. Osborn Company

This Gown is as beautiful going as coming.

French Gown 1909-1911

I'm not sure this gown was a product of 1910 but, as the Met lists it as being from the years 1909-1911, I thought I'd sneek it in.

It looks as if it may have been inspired  by both Greek and  Roman art.

The peacock theme is almost over the
top but I don't care.  Th combination of charcoal and turquoise is one of my favorites.  The two peacocks are down in such detail and seems both elegant and fun.

This is not in the Met's collection and it is not vintage.  It is a recreation of the 1910 pattern found in "Patterns of Fashion 2."  I think this is a wonderful and inspiring dress. The dressmaker's attention to detail in the beadwork admirable.  The entire post can be found at the Costume blog.

Well, I'm worn out but inspired.  What inspires you?

Happy Sewing!

Okay, I couldn't resist a p.s. because when I found this photo, it just made me smile.  What were they talking about?  What were they eating?  How did they make those wonderful bows in their hair?

Three Girls on Street by Hine Levis - 1910

Edwardian and WWI Eras ... A Little Inspiration

I just needed a little inspiration and sought them in some of my favorite fashion years. I thought I'd share them with you in hopes that you find a little inspiration too.

I found these illustrations on the NYPL Digital Gallery site. It is a terrific resource.

I love these color illustrations as they offer wonderful insights into the color combinations and prints of the times.

<-- c. 1912

c. 1914 Ladies' Evening Gowns and Coats -->

<-- c. 1915 I love the different styles of draping and check out those hats.

c. 1915 Lovely outfits with parasols -->












<-- c. 1917 Cold weather is no reason not to look lovely







The draping, the colors, the details ... ahhhhhh ... I need to improve my sewing skills ...quick!


If you like this post, please take a look at my other posts on these eras.

Happy Sewing!

Those Lovely Edwardian Blouses - In Praise of Mary Brooks Picken and the Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences

As a vintage sewing enthusiasts, I am sure I am not alone in being somewhat intimidated by patterns and sewing techniques of the past. Those wonderful vintage patterns of the early 20th century often assume a knowledge I do not possess.

Enter the wonderful Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences and the brilliant Mary Brooks Pickens, whose instructional booklets are a real find. If you have any other them in your sewing collection, you know what a treasure they are. As they are designed for young women learning the art of sewing, they an excellent tool for the 21st century seamstress and seamster.

I have been lucky enough to find a few of these books at thrift stores and one very lucky eBay auction win. One for my favorites is: Tailored and Lingerie Blouses - Part 2 (I hope to find Part 1 one day). Published in 1921, the designs are from Edwardian Era and include blouses that could have been worn in the 1900's or 1910s. I hope you enjoy these images from the book.

I have started photographing and scanning my copies and I am offering .pdf copies on eBay. If you are interested in the content of these books, rather than in collecting the originals, I hope you will take a look at those I have on offer here. This is a slow process but I hope to get all of them finished and available by the end of summer.

Can't you just imagine wearing one of these beautiful blouses to a garden party or dinner party?

Happy Sewing!

La Belle Epoque, Edwardian and WWI Eras ... Sewing Inspiration from Photos and Portraits Past

Another sleepless night; I started surfing for inspiration and found some great photographs and portraits. Though the details are not always as clear as the ads from these eras, I love seeing the women and fashions against the backdrops of the times.





<-- c. 1902 Princess Irene of Hesse from Ann Lauren's blog.












c. 1902 Winifred Duchess of Portland. The collar of her dress looks as if it was inspired by the Elizabethan Era. I wonder what it was made of. It looks so delicate. -->











<-- c. 1905 Portrait of Maria of Romania. I think this gown looks so romantic and relatively comfortable, considering the era.











c. 1908 Mrs. George Jay Gould with her maid. Even the servants of the day seemed to take care and time with their own hair. How did they find the time? -->








^ c. 1910 Les Createurs de La Mode - 9 Salon de Vente - Doucet from Edwardian Era.







<-- c. 1910 Deux Createurs de La Mode, also from Edwardian Era. Please check this site. There are great images on it.










c. 1910's Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Younger. -->
















<-- c. 1913
















c. 1914 Princess Irina of Russia in her Wedding Gown. -->














<-- c. 1915 Quilted Silk on Chiffon Dress from the Library of Congress Bain Collection. This is another terrific resource.















c. 1915 Mrs James McCresap and Bridesmaids from the NYPL Digital Gallery. I wonder why the bride looks so sad. -->





^ c. 1916 Mrs. Edsel Ford and Bridesmaids. Also from the NYPL Digital Gallery.






c. 1916 Dresses by the Dennison Manufacturing Company from the NYPL Digital Gallery. -->





I hope you've found some inspiration too!

If you like this post, please take a look at my other posts on these eras.

If You Love the Fashions of the 1900's and 1910's ... or, Thank You Wilhelmina

I wasn't planning to write an inspiration post tonight but then I found that the wonderful Wilhelmina of Wilhelmina's Antique Fashion has posted a 1900's and 1910's post for me. This was such a sweet and unexpected little gift.

Please check out her blog if you haven't discovered it already. She chooses lovely photos and often includes detailed close-ups, which are great for research. BTW, she covers fashion from 1200 to 1959 so she has a little something for just about everyone intrested in vintage fashion and vintage sewing.

Wedding Gown c. 1907 from Wilhelmina's blog.

Inspired by the photos on her post, I want to share with you and her a few gowns I love from the Antique and Vintage Dress Gallery. They have many museum quality fashions and they include many detailed photos of each outfit.

This is just a little tease:

A Beer of Paris gown from 1905. This is one of two photos of the gown on the original owner. Notice that she is posing on a lion's hide rug. When you see the gown as it is now, notice how the sleeves have been altered and the bodice embellished a bit. Perhaps she had the dress "updated".





This gorgeous gown from 1910 was made for Madame de Bittencourt for a Regency Era costume ball. It's great to see the Edwardian interpretation. Please check out the embroidery and rhinestone embellishments.




<--- A pink assymetrical evening gown with beautiful lace and beading.




This La Femme Chic gown from 1917 is another gown inspired by a past era - "Celtic" or "Medievil." --->

There are many more beautiful fashions on this site, dating from as early as 1750, but I am tired and must get some sleep.

Sweet dreams.

La Belle Epoque and Edwardian Era - The Luna Moth Dress by Dreamstress

For those who love these eras and who are not afraid to sew inspired gowns and outfits, please see The Dreamstress. I mentioned her dress in my last post on this era but I think she deserves her own post.


Not only has she created a beautiful gown, but she has posted her diary of its creation from inspiration to completion ... well, almost done.

Posts include (this is not the complete list):
Initial Inspiration
Initial Design Sketch
Draping the Fabric and the Toile
Under Support and Construction
The Beading
Almost Done



I do not know Leihomi Oakes but I love her blog and I am really grateful that she takes the time to outline the process. She also has great research links and photos of period gowns.

I'll definitely be using this diary as an inspiration and guide when I get the courage to tackle this era.

If you like this post, please take a look at my other posts on these eras.

Happy Sewing!

Edwardian Era and La Belle Epoque - Sewing Inspiration

Though I'm a long way from tackling an outfit from this wonderful era, it is hot and rainy today and I need a little inspiration. So off I go into cysperspace, circa 1910's ...

Beaded Cotton Gauze Dress, c. 1914 - 1916. This was posted at the Past Perfect Vintage Blog. As I was searching for inspiration, I saw that this post from 2008, which happened to be posted on the day after a rainy day.

Gowns of Queen Maud of Norway, c. 1910 - 1913.

Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown on her wedding day, 1912. I found this photo and a brief bio of this wonderful woman on the Mulatto Diaries blog.

Olga Nicolaevna Romanov, c. 1913. -->

Tea Gown, c. 1910's from The Great Basin Costume Society blog.

A 1912 Ball Gown also shown on The Great Basin Costume Society blog.

Irene Castle in a Tea Gown, c. 1914.

The Tunic Dress, c. 1912. You can see more photos and a detailed description of this dress at the FIDM Museum Blog.

<-- Worth Gown, c. 1907 - 1910.

The wonderful Dreamstress posted these on her blog from the Brooklyn Museum Collection. Click on the link to see the other great photos she has posted.

Worth Gown, c. 1910.-->

Actually, the Dreamstress is the perfect conclusion to my search for inspiration on a rainy day. If you love this era, you should check out the making of her Luna Moth Gown, inspired by this era.

I hope you've enjoyed this little stroll into vintage wonderland. These are only a handful of the beautiful fashions from this era. I do feel inspired and have set a new goal for myself:

To sew a gown inspired by this era to wear on New Year's Eve 2011.

That gives me a little less than a year-and-a-half to develop the skills to make the gown and to develop enough socials skills to be invited to the kind of party where I can wear it. (hehehe)

For now, it's time to back up my computer and do some house work.

I'd love to see your inspiration photos or your sewing projects.

Happy Sewing!