We must go down to the sea again
I do hope everyone is planning something for the Historical Sew Fortnightly ‘By the Sea’ challenge! There are so many gorgeous, fantastic nautically inspired garments to choose from. According to the challenge guidelines, you can make anything that would have been worn by or on the sea (or river or lake), from ancient Roman ‘resort’ wear to Cleopatras frocks for barging down the Nile, to warm wool and furs to keep exploring Vikings warm, to all the more traditional nautical looks. My favourite seaside looks tend to be a bit more modern and traditional and nautical. Here are some that I love, and will get around to making…someday…. To start off, a Regency bathing costume may not be a very exciting garment in and of itself, but oh, what a fascinating scene it evokes! By the 1850s bathing costumes seemed to have developed into actual costumes: something a bit more defined than an all-enveloping shift. This 1850s costume is pretty all-enveloping, but the buttons and bobbles and sleeve trims all lend it a certain nautical …