All posts tagged: 1910s

1910s Tricorne Revival Hat thedreamstress.com

A 1900s-1910s tricorne revival hat

The Research: About this time last year I became slightly obsessed (as I do) with the early 20th century bicorne and tricorn hat revival: The tricorne revival was part of the overall 18th century revival that happened at the end of the 19th century, and flowed into an Empire revival in the late 1900s and early 1910s. (more examples are on my pinterest page for the topic) What’s not to love about it? It’s 18th century meets my favourite timeperiod, it’s wacky and quirky and a little bit pirate-y! There are mentions of tricorne & bicorne hats being fashionable as early as 1897, and the tricorne revival lasted until the mid 1920s.  Within the period there are definite changes – early tricorne revival hats, are generally very large, like turned-up picture hats, and are overflowing with feathers and flowers.  As the 1900s progress, the hats become smaller and more streamlined.  Mid-1910s examples are often quite severe, with only one upstanding feather tuft, or a sculptural bit of ribbon.  Asymmetry is another major trend in mid-teens …

WWI era corset, 1910s corset, Rilla corset, corset pattern

The Scroop Rilla Corset on real bodies

I’d hoped to show the Scroop Rilla Corset on models when I launched it, but unfortunately due to timing issues that wasn’t possible. Happily, we’ve now managed to do a full photoshoot with the Rilla, and I can show you how it looks on actual bodies! Both Jenni and I are wearing the Rilla Corset in size 38, with Average hip flare.  Jenni wears View B in white coutil, and I wear View A in peach pink brocaded cotton. The size 38 in Average is a perfect match to my measurements. Jenni has an exceptionally small waist compared to her hip size, so the ideal Rilla Corset for her would be custom fitted to her measurements: shortened, as she is petite, and let out slightly in hip and at the underbust, to accomodate her amazing curves. I give guidelines on adjusting for fit in the Rilla Corset pattern, and will also be demonstrating custom fitting on Jenni in a later post.  Although not an absolutely ideal fit, the standard pattern still fits her quite well. …

The ideal WWI figure Part IV: staying fashionable and supporting a full bust, 1910s style

In Part IV of The Ideal WWI Figure, let’s look at how women with full busts achieved support and the fashionable silhouette of the period. Part I: The Ideal WWI Figure: a range of Ideals Part II: Breaking Down the Elements that Made the ‘Ideal’ figure Part III: The Changing Ideal Figure, 1913-1921 One of the most common questions I get asked about the Rilla Corset is how to wear it/what you do for bust support if you are very full busted, as it sits below the bust. To answer that question, let’s go back to the source, and look at period accounts, illustrations, and extant examples of bust supporting garments.  There is no better way to find out how to support your bust then to see how it was actually done in period. As we’ve seen from looking at the figure ideals in the 1910s over the last three posts in the series, the ideal WWI bust, whether small or big, was low and drooping, rather than high and perky, as is the modern …