A Finding of An Early 1900's Brassiere

Sorry I can't be more specific. Early 1900's is quite in general. But I cannot really get more specific than that due to my lack of knowledge. I'm not even totally sure this really *is* what I think it might be; but I really do think it is. A brassiere, from the 1900-1920 period. (again, sorry, I can't be more specific. If anyone can help me out, pleeeeaasseeee!! Do so!) Possible other things it could be: Corset cover (but it is not very long; it ends just below the bustline so would not really do much for covering a corset.) Camisole for under a blouse (but again, it ends right below the bustline). Any other ideas?

Anyway, on Saturday we took Judah to participate in some inter-church sporting competition for the Bible club he is part of. (His team got first place! So proud of my guy!) Then after that we went to a local site that makes and sells maple syrup. (They do not distribute it, and they make it in limited quantities and it's so. awesome.) Then after that we stopped by an antique mall on the way home and the boys had fun shrieking out "Mommy! Daddy! Look at this!" every few minutes whenever they found something that interested them. I didn't see much to interest me, and the baby was squirmy and over-tired and fussy, but then, I spotted this:

Doesn't it really look like a brassiere from this period? I mean, doesn't it?! And only $3. I got it and brought it home. I tried it on. (carefully.) It fits me perfectly and it definitely fits like a bra. The bottom band goes right below the bust, the shoulder straps and neckline fit perfectly and the whole garment contains the bust but does not offer anything by way of support. Just contain-ment.

I plan to take a pattern off of it and make a reproduction of it at some point. Soon. And when I do, I'll post about how I do it. But for now, here are some pictures to show it and how it was constructed. It is really a simple little thing. Almost all rectangles.

That's all for now. We had snow again a few days ago. Just when I thought the weather had turned permanently warm. But ah well. It was a very pretty snowfall and we did not have much of that this winter. 

Love,
Sarah

1910's Foundation Garments

Well, I didn't get my chemise or drawers made, but I did at least finish my corset and brassiere for Challenge #1 of the Historical Sew Fortnightly. And since I originally intended to just make a corset, I figure I met my goal. (even though I really wanted to make an actual dress or blouse/skirt outfit! But that will be made. In time.) 

Since you all have seen pictures of the corset I will not burden you with additional ones. Here is the finished brassiere. 

It is made of two layers of white linen and is topstitched on the seams. The bones are inserted between the layers of fabric and the brassiere is boned at sides, front princess seams (up to the fullest point of the bust) and down the center front. 

I found a bit of lace in my stash that seemed suitable to trim the neckline with. I did not have enough to go around the whole neckline but I had enough to at least do the front neckline. 

I sewed this mostly by machine. It's so nice to be able to use the machine and not feel guilty about doing so. The only bit of handwork I did was some binding finishing and I hand sewed the hook and eyes to the front opening. 

For these pictures I am wearing my regency chemise, since I did not have time to make a period 1910's style one, and an antique petticoat that was given to me by the lovely Natalie of A Frolic Through Time. 

The petticoat is exactly the right size for me and I have taken a pattern off it (it is a 5 gore style with a subtle flounce) to make a repro petticoat to wear for the final outfit. I still have to make drawers. 

Here you can see how the foundation layer looks with a dress on over top. I made this white dress over five years ago from the Sense and Sensibility 1914 Afternoon Dress pattern. I do not often wear this dress as I have felt it is not very flattering but it does look better when worn with the proper underpinnings. 

So that is that! The next challenge is due in two weeks time and is for a UFO (an unfinished sewing project) so I think I will finally finishing David's plaid wool fall front trousers. . .they have been *so* close to being done for *so long* (needing only hemming and buttons at the moment) but I have procrastinated. I will get those done!

Love,

Sarah

The Challenge: Something from a year ending in "13". (So, this could have been worn in 1913)

Fabric: White linen for both corset and brassiere. Corset is lined with white cotton duck. 

Pattern: Corset is from the 1911 corset in Corsets and Crinolines by Nora Waugh. The brassiere pattern was draped using originals for inspiration. 

Year: 1913-ish

Notions: I used zip ties for boning, brass grommets for the corset and hook and eyes for the brassiere. I used a steel busk for the corset. 

How historically accurate is it? I hope it is fairly accurate. The corset is taken from an original so I think it is accurate in cut. In materials, it is possibly accurate (although coutil was usually used). In construction, I am fairly sure I used an atypical method (I used an 1860s method of construction) but it was a compromise I didn't mind as this is just a "for fun" outfit. 

Hours to complete: I don't really know. . .I worked on these fairly steadily for two weeks. Maybe 1-2 hrs per day? Probably 25-30 hours. 

First worn: Not yet, except for try-on. 

Total cost:

More 1910's Bra Mock Up

Thanks for your encouraging words and advice on my last post! After reading several comments, I did give the chemise and corset combination a go. Now granted, I have not made a period style chemise yet (which to me look to be mostly sleeveless with either a neckline drawstring or a yoke giving fullness over the chest) but my regency chemise has a similar drawstring neckline, although it does have sleeves.

I am glad I did try it, but I don't really want to share pics of what it looked like. I have been (probably over) thinking this issue and I think this is why I really need a 1910's style bra to go with my corset: (image below from Corsetrasewing)

This is from 1912 - I love how it shows a good level of support for a rather "motherly" type figure!

1. I made my corset a little high in the waist, I think. The top edge of the corset hits right below my bust. Right where the bottom edge of my gussets are on my regency stays.

2. I have a very short waist for my figure.

3. My currently-being-nursed girls are excelling in the sag and droop department. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if I was a smaller cup size, but they are, well, to risk sounding indelicate, heavy. 

4. With my corset on the the chemise tightly pulled down over the bosom, it works for a time to keep the bosom rather "bound" to the torso. But when I have to nurse, I have to loosen the drawstring and then its fairly complicated to "rebind" the bosom when I am done nursing. In this case, a bra that can be unhooked and then rehooked is easier to deal with. Otherwise, I'd have to pull my chemise down once more firmly under the corset.

This was an interesting article about brassieres being recommended for women with larger bustlines: 1908-1910 Brassiere. The image below is from another interesting post about the styles of Edwardian corsets.

I made one more mock up of my brassiere. I shortened it a bit and I had to shorten the straps as well. I decided to raise the neckline of it a tad to give it more a V shape than the sweetheart shape it was before. I tried it on and here you can see how it looks when worn in combination with the corset. I am pretty happy with the overall shape, as the overall shape is what will give the finished outfit its distinctive silhouette.

Most of the brassieres I have been able to see look to be boned or are described as being boned. I plan to make my own brassiere out of stuff I already have on hand (since this is not a period we really "do", and this outfit will be just for fun and for modern wear, I am trying to just use up scraps from my stash instead of having to buy new fabric). I am trying to decide if I want to make it a double layer brassiere with the bones inserted between the layers or single layer with the boning slid into fabric casings. I think a single layer would be more period correct but a double layer would be easier to do. (I made my corset double layer even though the original the pattern was taken from is single layer). So, I'm still undecided.

I hope to get the real thing made today. It should be a fairly quick, simple sewing job. Tomorrow I'm going to hit up some local thrift stores and see if I can find a cotton sheet to make a chemise and some drawers from.

Love,
Sarah

A 1910's Bra or Bust Bodice

It's been almost a week since my last post, and alas, I have been silent. I have actually been silently working on my 1910's corset and I failed to blog about the process of making it. I just. . .made it. I wish I had blogged about it because I don't really remember what I did, except that the pattern I planned to use (Jen Thompsons gorgeous pattern taken from an original) did not work out well for me or my figure so I ended up draping a pattern instead and I used the 1911 corset from Corsets and Crinolines as a guide for the shape of the pattern pieces. 

And it's done. It fits. I like it. 

But the problem with this style of corset is, obviously, bust support. Namely, there is no bust support. I definitely need support. So I have been trying to figure out just what women of this era did when they had bosoms. Because, obviously, not everyone had the slim, slender, slight figure that was in fashion then. And I am not just going to let myself flip and flop in careless abandon over the top edge of my corset. 

I was just wearing a modern dress under this, so had to crop the un-flattering, un-supported bosom part out. But you can see how the corset fits and smooths the figure. 

I discovered that bras were worn with corsets like these. I have come across quite a few photographs of original brassieres from this era and they look strikingly similar to some modern bras. It makes no sense to me to wear BOTH a bra AND a corset (why not just combine the two and have just 1 supportive undergarment instead?) but fashion does not always follow common sense. 

This is from earlier than the 'teens but wow - it really looks no different than a modern  bra!

It seems some bras were combined with corset covers and some were worn plain, with a corset cover on top. I am still trying to learn if bras were ever worn under the corset and chemise like a modern bra but it seems that sources would indicate they are worn on top of the chemise and the corset and may fasten to the corset to keep itself in place, as shown here in this advertisement from Lady Carolyn's interesting blog post: 

In passing, underwear of this era is really very frustrating and complicated. At least to someone coming from the early Victorian era, where a chemise, corset, drawers and petticoats were all that was needed to create a fashionable silhouette. 

After looking at a number of styles of brassieres, I decided I liked the look of this one: 

It is similar to the free pattern for a 1910's brassiere Jenni has graciously shared with us at Historically Dressed. 

I draped a bodice today that is meant to give a similar look. It is cut with princess seams since for me it is easier to get a smoother fit when using princess seams instead of darts. It is cut with the straps cut as part of the bodice instead of separately. It is fitted to my natural waist but I think for my final brassiere I will shorten the waistline a tad. The waistline of my corset hits me at about rib level so it is a little high waisted so as to give the fashionable smooth-hip look. 

I just don't know how much support is needed. Do I go for a medieval-style, bust-popping level of support or just a gentle, natural, slightly lifted support? The support of the current mock up is somewhere in the middle. It lifts the bosom up so it is above the rib-cage waistline of the corset but it is not so high as to be screaming "hey! look at meeeeeee!!"

This advertisement from Vintage Ad Browser seems to support the idea of having a moderate level of bust support although it is from the late 'teens. I like that it shows a real woman wearing a bra and corset instead of a drawn illustration. 

So, we'll see what comes of experimentation. There are so many freaking undergarments in this period. My gosh. I don't know if or when I will ever get to the shirtwaist and skirt I really want from this period!

Love,

Sarah

Vintage Style Underwear ~ Part 2

The bra is done. I got bored with it yesterday so finished it up quickly before I was tempted to shove it to the bottom of my sewing drawer and forget about it.

It came out better than I thought it would. I really do like it but it's just so darn ugly. ;P I wish I had used prettier fabric. Or a different color. I forgot how much I hate white bras. But I bet I can dye this one if I want to. And now that I know how easy bras are to make, I can whip up a new one whenever I feel like it in whatever fabric I want.

I sewed the binding on:

And added the hooks:

And added the straps last.

It gives a nice shape under my dresses and tops. It is so different from my modern t-shirt bras or the stretch sports bras I usually wear. It lifts and defines each breast into a kind of cone shape, but it actually makes them appear smaller than my modern bras do - which in my case, is a good thing.

Making a bra really forced me to evaluate my body. That can be scary but now I have been reinforced strongly in my theory that I am really very terribly short waisted, and that a higher bustline like the one  my new bra gives is actually better for my shape than modern bras that give a lower, fuller, more rounded line. There is not much space between my underbust and my waist so any hanging boob flesh that obscures my mid-section just makes me look top heavy and fat all over. : / Did you know that when I wear a soft molded cup t shirt bra there is literally ***1 and 1/2 inches*** between the bottom of my bust and my actual waist???

For comparison, here is a picture of a plain sweater I like to wear. This picture is with my "best" modern bra, that is, the one that I feel is most flattering to me. It gives a pretty good lift, but a very rounded shape.

And here is the same sweater with the bra I just finished making. Definitely more pointy in shape, and my midriff area is more visible and less curvy. I doubt I will wear this bra with this sweater, though, since there is too much nipple effect going on. :P (forgive my horrible hair).

But I do like the vintagey silhouette it gives. It seems trimmer, tidier, more put-together. I am so pleased with how it works underneath this white blouse.

I got this blouse, and the silk/linen stripey skirt this summer at a fill-a-bag-for-$1 day at the thrift store. I love this blouse, but with  my modern bra, the pleated midriff section sat across the bottom of my boobs. And then the waistband of the skirt was just below that. It was ugly and horrific and dumpy. To make it work I had to pull down the blouse so the midriff section settled at the proper place, but then I had excessive boob crack issues from the neckline. Now, I don't need to tug or pull anything into place, and the midriff section sits where it is supposed to sit. And because the midriff band isn't straining to encompass boob flesh, the side zipper zips up easily and I don't feel like I'm trying to squeeze into something that is too small for me. And yeah, I gotta loose my belly pooch. ;) No, I am NOT pregnant.

Now I need to finish up my undergarments and make a real vintage style dress to go over my new bra! I'm thinking something fun and twirly and totally girly from the 1940's would be just the right thing!

Love,
Sarah

Vintage Style Underwear ~ Part 1

After making my 1920's dress, I began to wonder what women in the 20's wore *under* their dresses. What did they wear by way of underwear? I began looking into it and by some chance or reason came across an old etsy listing for a 1930s era pattern for undergarments. 

The pattern was sold, but I was inspired by the pictures of the pattern envelope. Women made homemade underwear in the 30's! I have made corsets, but never a bra, so felt like I could use an interesting challenge. My hope is that this set will work for any 30's, 40's, or 50's styles I might make. It doesn't seem like underwear has changed all that much since the advent of the bra.

Lacking pattern pieces, I did what I normally do and wrapped a strip of fabric around my body and pinned and cut and pulled and tucked until I had something that fit and that resembled a bra. I carefully cut it apart and made my first pattern from that. I went through another mock up, and refined the fit a bit more and then ended up with my final pattern pieces here:

I did go with a two piece cup instead of a one piece cup fitted with a dart. I simply could not get a one piece cup with a dart to fit my shape very well and the two piece works much better. I felt safe choosing this style since this original 30's bra from etsy shows what looks like a horizontal seam across each cup.

I cut my pieces from medium weight white linen. I know the material isn't fancy or pretty, but I have a horror of working with slinky, silky, flimsy fabrics and I'm going for plain and practical. No one will ever see what I wear beneath my dresses except for my husband and any interested, likewise obsessed-with-foundation-garments costumers out there, who read this post and who find this kind of thing intriguing. ; ) Here you can see the cups being sewn together. One is pinned and has been sewn, and the other has been sewn, pressed, and topstitched.

Here are both cups finished and sewn together in the center. I finished all the seams by zig zagging the raw edges of the seam allowance and pressing them open. I topstitched them down for the smoothest line on the outside.

Another view of the cups. You can see how pointy the cups are. It is a soft point instead of a hard one (this is definitely not a "bullet bra"!) but it gives a nice, uplifted, perky shape that has not been part of my life since I gave birth to and nursed three babies. The bottom of the cups kind of act like a corset in that the bottom cup is responsible for the uplift and support. The top of the cup makes sure the girls stay where they are supposed to and don't bounce out and away!  

Then I added the back pieces, sewn to the sides.

Here the back is pinned shut.

Next I need to finish the back and add the hook and eyes. After that I will need to bind the edges and add the straps and decide if I want to pretty these up in someway, with the addition of lace or ribbon or other such feminine dainties.

Love,

Sarah