Thursday, March 26, 2015

A Rumor in St. Petersburg

This outfit is rather a comedy of errors...

A couple months ago I got the insane idea that I needed a WWI-era outfit for Military Through the Ages this year. It didn't help that Nicole was all for it! Even though I should have been using the time to thoughtfully finish my Felicity sack gown for the Francaise Dinner, I went whole hog and started from undergarments out.

I made an envelope chemise (no pictures, sorry...) and a corset, based on the 1917 pattern in Jill Salen's "Corsets." Unfortunately I got overzealous in taking it in because my mockup of the pattern straight from the book was too big, and the corset ended up a tad small. Still wearable, but I also got the stomach flu days before the event (more on that later...) so I actually decided not to wear it because I was still recovering when Nicole and I went to MTA that Sunday.





I bought a reprint of an original pattern and had perfect fabric in the stash for a darling dress. And then it snowed like CRAZY and I was terrified of being cold, so I begged Michael to give me some wool plush from his stash so I could make a nice warm suit instead. He conceded, and I drafted my own pattern for a 1916 skirt and "Russian" or "cossack" coat, although Michael kindly did the sleeves for me as the deadline drew ever nearer.



Things were going well until I got the stomach flu, at which point all bets were off. But after getting some amazing  anti-nausea medication, I jumped back in the game with two days left. As a result, the finishing is rushed and there are things I want to finish properly before wearing this again. There are no pictures of the blouse that is under the coat because it has no buttons!

I wanted more than just to be a WWI civilian, so I decided to add "suffragette" to the impression. I designed and ordered "Votes for Women" buttons to hand out, and Michael hand lettered my "Votes for Women" sash (bless him!).

And as for the title of this point, I realized my outfit bore a resemblance to 1997 Anastasia... ;-)

Here are some pictures!








A couple that Angela took:


10 comments:

Gina said...

Le Sigh...I adore this outfit on you!!! You look so stunning. The Votes For Women is so fun as well! Job very well done! (As usual!)
Blessings!
Gina

Bianca Esposito said...

Gorgeous ensemble! I love the color of the corset too, even if you din't end up wearing it. The warm brown suit is also divine!

The Quintessential Clothes Pen said...

This period is fun, with the tall hat decorations and the silhouette of the clothes themselves. And of course I also support women's suffrage! You look great.

Best,
Quinn

Emileigh said...

Amazing!!! This is so beautiful! I'd love to have an event to wear WWI clothing to.

Esther said...

Beautiful!! Such gorgeous outfits! :)

Cynthia said...

It's absolutely perfect! Both of you girls look lovely. I love the "Votes for Women" theme. . .

Anneliese said...

Samantha - Your suffragette outfit is jaw-dropping gorgeous (like everything else you make, of course)!! I am always so impressed by your ability to pull together just the most splendid ensembles - every detail, from the buttons to each accessory, is always perfectly placed! Keep inspiring us, Anneliese :)

L. R. Stern said...

You look fabulous! I am so glad you decided to be a suffrage supporter with this look, and handing out buttons is a nice touch :)

Raven

OldFashionGirl said...

The dark buttons on the light suit looks so nice! Great job!

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