I want Edwardian

[Daisy Buchanan]

Over the past few months, I have fallen in love with Edwardian dress. It started with the purchase of one dress, and it has grown quite quickly since then.
My question is, does anyone know of any place I can find some Edwardian clothing, or what some people might call "Titanic Dress". The stuff I have found on ebay is either way too small (no, I'm not a 22 inch waist!), or it is much too expensive. I wouldn't mind having something made, if it is somewhat affordable. Has anyone who doesn't sew ever commisioned someone to make them a tea dress or walking suit? If so, who? How accurate is it? I'm working on a hat, and hope it comes out OK, but I'm longing for some dresses. Please help!!!!!
Thanks,
Daisy

 

[decodoll]

Revamp Vintage has some pieces which are late Edwardian/WWI/"Titanic Dress" reproductions.

 

[Lauren]

With the exception of some armistice blouses and some tougher cotton skirts, most Edwardian today is not wearable- and if it is, it shouldn't be worn with frequency. The best bet is most likely to buy repro or have some made, as Decodoll pointed out. The Revamp stuff looks ok- pretty good for off the peg. If you purchase a pattern you can most likely get a seamstress to make up the dress for you. Here's some companies who make patterns from those eras:
Decades of Style
Folkwear
Vintage Pattern Lending Library (Repros of actual vintage patterns available in one size only. Check measurements before ordering)
Sense & Sensibility (also click her Edwardian link for earlier styles)
Wingeo
Laughing Moon Merchantile
Past Patterns (some multi sized and some repros of authentic patterns. Check the individual pattern before ordering).

Keep in mind that sizes vary from pattern company to pattern company. Take your bust, waist, hip measurements and match them up to what the pattern company's size chart is. If you're in between sizes go with the one that matches the largest measurement (if a size 16 is 34 bust and a size 18 is 36 bust, and you're 35 inch bust bet the size 18). Your seamstress can help you take your accurate measurements so you make sure you have the right size. And if she has pattern recommenations, make sure she's not sending you to Joann, Hancock, or any other large fabric chain. They have patterns masquarading as Edwardian, but no mattern what her urgings they did not have zippers and did not make things from polyester!

Best fabrics are cottons, silks, linens, and wools for this time period. A good idea is to look at painting from the era to see what sort of color sheme or pattern to get for fabrics. The seamstress you choose should help you tell how much of each fabric to get and the types she recommends.

 

[mysterygal]

oh, I love those kind of dresses! I think I fell in love with every dress the main character wore on the movie 'Titanic'.

 

[Tourbillion]

Edwardian is very lovely. Since I am my own dressmaker, I get to try to reproduce these things on my own.

Has anyone tried www.patternsoftime.com? I noticed that they have most of the patterns that Lauren mentioned plus about 3,000 others, but many only in one size. Some I know are taken from the French magazine Mode Illustree, which would otherwise only be available as tracings only and in French. Are they scary?

The sizes are sometimes a bit difficult, I especially love the "dress for stout lady" bust 42" waist 28," and I know that is with a corset, still it seems that dress for "busty" lady would be more appropriate.

Ditto the late Victorian riding habits (never mind that I don't have a horse), with bust 38" and waist 23." Sounds painful, and I am used to wearing corsets.

 

[Lauren]

I have ordered from Patterns of Time and they were not only speedy in shipping, but very understanding when I ordered the wrong size and shipped me back the correct size and I only paid extra postage. I highly recommend them!

 

[Lauren]

Totally forgot about this! Have you looked at the Victorian Trading Company? They have some dresses that pass well for Edwardian/WWI that you could wear out and about.

And this company has some nice things as well, which is where I think Victorian Trading might get some of their dresses...'

 

[Robert Conway]

Knock, knock...

Sorry to barge in here ladies, but I thought this would be of interest, especially for those of you in southern California.


http://www.paris1900.com/

 

[Lauren]

I have been to that store and while out of my price range, her things are absolutely amazing. She focussed primarily on the "whites" if my memory serves me correctly and she has amazing lingerie dresses from the early 1900's to the 1920's. When I was last there she had the most amazing S-curve corset on display. It was like looking at something right out of a museam. And I she had a 1920's lingerie dress by the Callot Soeurs, I believe.

Here's a link to history of fashion directory of information links from 1900-1911. And here's one from the same site of 1911-1920. The Edwardian Era started in 1901 at the death of Queen Victorian and Prince Edward came to the throne. It technically continued until the outbreak of WWI and then fashion is known as WWI as well, but many people refer to Edwarian as the period of 1901-1919.

 

[Atomic Glee]

My question is, does anyone know of any place I can find some Edwardian clothing, or what some people might call "Titanic Dress".

Pardon the intrusion, ladies, but figured this might be of interest. J. Peterman bought the originals from the film and created reproductions of them, which he sold through the catalogue. Would be neat to have some of those today:

http://www.sensibility.com/titanic/peterman/

 

[Paul]

They say that the hem line started to rise as a result of Price Edward been made King here in the UK as he had more liberal view on life in general than Queen Victoria who was in her latter years a very ouster Queen .
I cannot imagine that this accounts for the US or French fashion houses watching so closely as that then just following just because what was happening here.
WW1 fashion here was different again because of ladies having to replace the men in the factories, shortage of cloth etc, some would even wear trousers because of the type of work. My grandmother worked for a while making air craft wings. It's also said that this kick started the roaring 20's because of the number of ladies earning money in their own right for the first time, this was stalled a while because the men retuning were given priority over women for the jobs,Women having the vote by now as a sort of begrudging thank you to them by the government for the effort in the war work.

 

[Lauren]

Thanks for the info, Paul! I had never heard the bit about Prince Edward. I always heard it was because of the War Work and because of the Suffrage Movement here in the US, though they were really copying of course the Hemlines that rose and fell in France. The Bon Ton and other French magazines of this era had the most lovely pouchoir or gravure illustrations which show a shocking amount of ankle and short sleeves. A lot of these were highly influenced by Roman, Grecian, and even Regency clothing and the textiles were colored in the "oriental" style- due a lot to the Ballet Russes which were all the Mode at the time of Poiret. The colors are just lovely.
Here's a link to some

This is the book I have on Amazon. It is quite a lovely book and it's in three languages throughout.

For other fashion plates on that site click here.

 

[Warden]

Pardon me ladies for being here, but our friends and I have started to put together an Edwardian impression.

Below is our friend Louise, the image was taken at a historical fashion show we put on for the National Trust. The fashion show covers the decades from the Edwardian period up to the 1950s.

Image of Louise

Image of Nigel and Louise

Warden Harry D

 

[MissQueenie]

Pardon me ladies for being here, but our friends and I have started to put together an Edwardian impression.

Below is our friend Louise, the image was taken at a historical fashion show we put on for the National Trust. The fashion show covers the decades from the Edwardian period up to the 1950s.

Image of Louise

Image of Nigel and Louise

Warden Harry D

Oh what a lovely couple! Just lovely!

 

[Lauren]

WOW. That is one of the best Edwardian Impressions I have ever seen. Kudos to her!

 

[colleency]

Wow! Nice!