1910s photo shoot

My photographer friend and I had a day out some weeks ago, first taking photos of the walking dress outdoors and then in the studio, photographing the 1910s evening dress. My friend is still working on the studio photos, but I have the outdoors photos and I just wanted to share because they turned out very nice. My home town has several early 20th century buildings, built either before 1910 or in 1910s, so we could take our pick really :)

Edit: I got the studio photos today and added them here :)

Onwards to photos! All photos @ Suvi Korpi

It was very sunny and very windy too.

There's this late 19th century wooden gazebo in one of the parks in town. I think it used to be a kiosk.

Wetplate edit :)

We had a bit of trouble with the 1910s houses in the city centre because there are so many cars everywhere. In the end we took a couple of photos in the gateway of one of the more impressive houses and moved on to quieter streets.

A sudden musical number :)

The house itself looks like this, it was built in 1910-1912.

It has the most amazing bug decorations.

This is on the front steps of a local upper secondary / high school. It used to be a girls only high school until the 1950s.

It looks like I'm hailing a taxicab.

A taster of the studio photos.... :)

But wait, there's more!

I sort of get the fuss about ankles now.

There's an Art Nouveau painting/drawing like this, I'm certain, but can't find it now.

I love the train on this dress!

1910s project: corset cover

Another short post about my 1910s project. Here's a corset cover I made. There's nothing special about it, it's a very typical shape for the time, though I didn't want to make a drawstring waist which is a very usual feature in the 1910s corset covers. I made the waist solid here.

1910s project: gaiters

In addition to the 1910s evening dress I made for the Independence Day centennial last year, I've made a walking dress which is roughly 1914 style but could with a bit of imagination work also for 1918. I thought to write bit posts about the different parts of the suit before doing a proper photo shoot of the entire thing. I still need to make a hat (or two) to go with it and until I find an affordable hat block in right size I don't want to take pictures of the suit.

I've fallen completely for the 1910s styles, and I especially like the 1914 fashion and also 1918-1919 styles. 1915-1917 are not as attractive in my opinion, I'm not a fan of the wide frilly skirts of those 3 years. One accessory I've always wanted to make and which went very nicely with this project are gaiters (or spats). They come up in fashion plates and mail order catalogues of the time, though sometimes it's a little difficult to tell if they're gaiters or button boots.

I made my own pattern by draping it directly on my foot and leg, while wearing the shoes I intend to use with the suit anyway. I made a toile draping with some scrap cotton fabric and then cut the actual gaiters with that. The gaiters have seams at centre front and back and a button closure on the outside of the foot. they also have elastic straps that go under the shoe and attach with a button on one end (the other is sewn on, obviously). I found really nice tightly woven wool fabric (it was cheap too) and I cut all the pieces on the bias to make the gaiters fit nicely around the ankle and foot. These were mostly machine sewn and I'm especially pleased how well a special edge stitch worked on the top and bottom edges of the gaiters. I'm very happy with them and can't wait to wear them with the suit!

1910s project - discernible progress

I've been a bad blogger, I know, but I have some progress to report. If anyone still remembers, I set up a 1910s challenge for myself and some costumer friends to commemorate and celebrate the centennary of independence this year here in Finland. The plan is simply to make a garment from any year of the 1910s and eventually get together to admire our handiwork and toast the 100-year-old nation.

So far I've made undergarments and an armistice blouse which I'm planning to complete with a walking suit, but the most progress I've made with the evening dress. I thought I'd share some of the in progress photos now, but leave the final reveal and in detail post for later, possibly until December. We are planning to dine in grand style on the 6th of Dec., the Independence day, so I won't show the whole dress until then :)

In preparation for this particular dress, I rounded up some fabrics from my stash, recycled some pieces for the under layers, and bought some new fabrics too.

I had this second hand embroidered saree I had bought ages ago:

The colour is yellower than what the photos show.

I used the unembroidered bits of it plus some taffeta and satin I had in stash for the undermost layer of the dress:

The petticoat doesn't actually show like this, the hem of the dress is just clinging oddly.

I have this one extant evening dress from 1914 that I'm using as my reference and inspiration, and it had a lace midlayer, so I followed suit. I bought sequined lace fabric on Etsy and I have since sewn more sequins and beads on it.

The front of the dress.

The lace layer covers the front closure of the underdress.

The lace layer of the bodice attaches to one side with press buttons. I officially love those things after all the hooks and eyes and ribbons and pins that come with 18th and 19th centuries' clothing...

Half of the lace bodice on the front of the dress is not attached to the hem.

The back of the bodice. I like how the pattern on the lace lined so nicely with the darts.

I've added extra beads and bigger, shinier sequins to strategic places on the lace. More bling, I say!

The top layer of the hem, train and part of the sleeve I made out of the embroidered bits of the saree.

There's also a sash in contrasting colour.

It's silk!

And that's all you'll get for now :)