Regency Stays or Corset

I started into a little bit of the Regency era this summer.  I made a dress first and then the stays, but decided I would show the stays first.

I ordered Simplicity 4052 from a seller on etsy and received a great pattern in great condition.  It is an out of print pattern. Instead of cutting it,  I traced each of the necessary pattern pieces onto tissue paper and used them for cutting my fabric.  I did make a denim mock up!  However, I don't think it is worth showing.  The pattern fit well as is.  I did narrow the straps a little and cut the front just a little wider across the front so it would be hidden under the dress.

The top layer is dupioni silk in white, left over from making  my 1880s hat. The middle layer is coutil and the inner lining is white muslin. I ran out of silk so it is bound in the cotton muslin.

I used the "B" cup option for the inset gussets. It seemed to work perfectly.  Of course the dress form doesn't really fit a corset but it would be indecent of me to post a picture in my undies alone!

I need to make the proper era chemise and possible a bodiced petticoat before I can wear the dress as it is sheer muslin.

Thanks for having a look.

Jeannine

Hats and Mad Caps at the Hat Bar

First off, I figured out why I could no longer upload pictures to my blog (with the help of the Geek Squad.) I was using the new Edge search engine that came with Windows 10.  It is flawed.  It will not allow pictures to upload.  So I have gone back to Google Chrome and Voila! it works.

So Let's play catch up.

The first few days of August I was home alone and hadn't spoken to anyone in three days except the cats. As sweet as they are I felt it was time to speak to a human.  So Saturday morning I got in my Jeep and started driving around town looking for garage sales.  In the oldest section of town where there are houses from the 1920s through the 1950s I found an estate sale.  

I poked around the back yard first, nothing but farm and garage tools.  Then inside I found a bedroom with a rack full of 1950s hand made dresses. Dresses for a very tiny lady.  In the closet there were at least 10 hats.  Most were in well used shape.  I looked them over and picked up a pair of hats.

  This first hat reminds me of Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy. It has no tag in it but is in super shape.  Nice and clean with no fading or wear marks at all.

It really is this gorgeous dark navy.  It will look beautiful with the 1943 dress I made or better yet with a pencil skirt and suit coat.

This second hat is labelled.  It is also this perfect shade of navy.  It is made of velvet. I think it would need a hat pin of some sort to keep it on my head, or else it is just too small. I am not sure what I would wear it with here in California. It is definitely a winter hat and our weather is always warm.

Mad Caps New York was a hat company founded by Alfred Solomon.  He would "design" hats that were slightly altered knock-offs of Paris designer originals.  He would sell them in hat bars in department stores. This 2004 obituary tells more about him and the Mad Caps.

Here is a photo of the label.

Thank you for stopping by to see my new hats, which I may never wear!  They were only $5 each and I couldn't pass them up.

I also had a nice conversation with a gentleman who used to own a vintage shop in our town and would snap up these hats and sell them at a drastic mark-up.

Jeannine