Wednesday, September 23, 2020

1895 Outfit: Period Methods To Add Skirt Fullness: Part 2B: Petticoats Redux

Updated August 28, 2021 to add additional information

Goodness gracious, the set of posts about 1890s skirt fullness, of which this is another installment, has gone on for nearly a year. It's getting ridiculous. I mean, really, do we need two posts, 2A and now 2B, about petticoats? Yes: there is quite a lot of information in magazines and newspapers that fills out the picture of the myriad ways petticoats could be designed to give the desired silhouette.

Petticoat Circumference


Since publishing 1895 Outfit: Period Methods To Add Skirt Fullness, Part 2, Petticoats with Crinoline, Ties, Bones, Wires!, I have been bothered by questions about petticoat hem circumference and how it could make my skirt look fluffy or flat, and until recently, I hadn't found this:

Petticoat pattern with front and back views...and circumference! 
The Delineator, March 1895, p. 337

 
Still outstanding too were questions about appropriate petticoat fabrics that I can actually obtain today. Also, I wanted to know more about constructing those so-tempting petticoats loaded with boning or wire at the bottom. Fashion writers were careful not to utter the word "hoopskirt" or "crinoline", and I daresay they were smart not to do so. Less than a decade previously you might carry a half-grown kitten on your bustled derriere and not know it. I don't think women were really ready for a full-on return of wires in their underthings.

What? There's a kitty getting a ride? Where?
And no, this is clearly not an 1890s outfit,
but a first, unfinished experiment in the 1870s.
Darling kitten courtesy
Leijurv - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 
https://commons.
wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90553702



Wait, really? A kitty riding on top of your bustle? I imagined that image, but decided to look it up, because that's what we do these days when we're homebound, and it happened, sort of... Read about Feline Dress Improvers: The Victorian Fashion in Bustle Baskets for Cats on Mimi Matthews' site. It's too funny!

Back to mid-1890s petticoats. Back I went into available literature and pictures of extant petticoats. Therefore, in this post we look at two period petticoat patterns for hem circumference and design information, then mine 1895 newspaper articles for more ideas on how to make petticoats stand out. In between we talk fabrics. Then let's be done; I just want to make the petticoats already!

Two 1895 Petticoat Patterns Address the Problem of Flaring the Skirt Bottom


Petticoat circumference issues have been driving me nuts. We know that heavy linings and interlinings, wires, bones up the seams, and cording held out heavy skirts, making them quite heavy. Just look at this dress from Live Auctioneers.

Front of 1890s brocade skirt and-petticoat, from Liveauctioneers

Side view. Such back amplitude!



The petticoat, from what appears to be a side-back angle. 
Notice that it's cut more narrowly. I wonder if they
stuffed it to make it look so stiff...or if part of it
contains wires?

Such a heavy skirt did not need petticoats that were roughly the skirt circumference to hold them out. So we don't read oodles and oodles about exactly what petticoat hem circumferences should be. I did find a mention in the Evening Star (July 13, 1895, p. 15), saying "The petticoat should be only moderately full, two yards and a half is ample width for a medium-size woman, and three yards and a half of embroidery, a big allowance for a ruffle, no matter how wide." Advice like this tended to change over time, however. For example, by 1896 fashionable petticoats had a larger hem circumference.

Other writers appear to say something quite different. Here is the Ladies Home Journal writer Isobel Mallon's advice:

Except for a greater fullness the petticoats are cut almost exactly like the dress skirt. Lawn or cambric is used for them, although when thin white dresses are worn petticoats of dotted muslin are chosen, and being light tend to make the whole costume very cool and pleasant. The skirt of lawn with three ruffles, having upon them a group of tucks on each side of the lace insertion, and then below that a lace edge, is one that can endure much soap and water, and, not being over-trimmed, is good form. The fancy for setting lace in the skirt itself no longer obtains, and if anything, the trimming, which is all put on by hand, is simpler than ever before. A ribbon belt is usually drawn through a casing at the top, so that one may have one's skirt belt as loose or as tight as may be agreeable, and then, too, the doing away with the old close belt, to which the skirt was gathered, makes it much easier to iron the petticoat itself. ("Dainty Styles in Lingerie", by Isobel Mallon, Ladies Home Journal, August, 1894, p. 23.)

I simply don't understand the "except for a greater fullness" part. Should I pull out my skirt pattern
(TV 291), and cut it a bit fuller to make a petticoat, or is it the dress skirt that is cut fuller? What are my design options? 

Well, I finally have located two petticoat patterns with circumference information, and two different ways of handling a fullness, especially on the all-important backside.

A Haircloth or Moreen or Sateen, Etc. Godet Petticoat


Here's the first pattern, dating to January, 1895. Do you see the pencil marking 3 1/4 yards? Whomever owned this Delineator issue was concerned about petticoat circumference too, for that's the actual circumference of the petticoat. It's actually not a super-flaring petticoat. Not surprising: fashion would decree much more flare later in 1895 and 1896.


The Delineator, Jan 1895 pp. 58-59

First part of the description
The Delineator, Jan 1895, text pp. 58-59

Second part of the description
The Delineator, Jan 1895, text pp. 58-59

This godet plait design wouldn't work for Isobel Mallon's recommended summer petticoats of lawn or muslin or dotted muslin. None of those thin, soft fabrics will hold an organ pleat. Instead, the pattern description recommends moreen (more on which later) or silk. The moreen has good body and the silk some body.



The pattern description also suggests the seamstress make it in haircloth. An outer petticoat could be put over it, as haircloth isn't exactly prepossessing. Then it would take the place of a heavy interlining in the skirt itself. We read about haircloth a good bit in previous posts. Now that we can see a pattern of a petticoat that uses it, it makes a great deal of sense. However, you can also intuitively that such a petticoat would be warm to wear in the summertime, especially in humidity.

A Lighter Petticoat in Taffeta, Muslin, Etc.


What of petticoat pattern option two? This one is a little more flared at bottom, at 3 1/2 yards in circumference. While it is designed to be made of taffeta, and would be very pretty indeed with its pinked ruffles, this one can be made in muslin or lawn, just as Isobel Mallon recommends for summer wear, if a little starch was applied to the ruffles. Remember from the last petticoat post that lots of starch was frowned upon.) In very thin fabrics the bunching of the gathers would not create a large foot flare, even if multiple were worn, but as the pattern description claims, in a taffeta it would offer some fullness and flare. Silk is hot to wear in the summer, though; be advised!

The Delineator, Mar 1895, p.337


The Delineator, Mar 1895, p.336


Do note the waistline finish on this petticoat: it's smooth, no waistband! Instead, it relies on an interior facing (in the text labeled an "underfacing") to "avoid the need of a placket". They might also have written that such a facing would present a smooth finish, with no potential for poofing at the front or sides due to a narrow waistband, and that a facing, being wider, distributes the weight of the petticoat more across the body.

If I were to use this pattern in lawn for enough petticoat-ery to add real flare, I'd need two or three! Speaking of flare...

Aside: New Information About Skirt Fullness and Flare In Unlined Outer Skirts -- Not Every Skirt Flared


How much skirt flare do I want? I've recently discovered that some people felt that a flaring silhouette in a plain cotton "wash" dress, like the one I have made, wasn't good form, and that some illustrated summer dresses are narrow indeed, while there's a lovely extant with what looks like plenty of flare. I've edited the Period Methods to Add Skirt Fullness, Part 1: Fullness and Flare post with the new information.

Yet Another Look at a Widely Flared Petticoat: No Godets This Time

For research's sake, I'd like to introduce you to another petticoat sans waistband at top, and also sans godet plaits, that relies on cut, drawstring, and flounce to set the silhouette. The description shows that this pattern was designed to use fabrics with some body to them and that it was considered "dressy".  This pattern is also from the prolific Delineator Magazine, this time in June 1896. We'll let the magazine speak for itself again:

Ladies' Gored Petticoat-Skirt, With Ruffle-Bordered, Bias Spanish Flounce Forming the Lower Part

No. 8392. Taffeta silk was chosen for making this dressy petticoat-skirt, which, because of its deep flounce, retains the stylish flare at the foot without unnecessary width at the waist. The skirt consists of a front-gore, two gores at each side and a back-breadth. It is fitted smoothly at the top of the front and sides by darts and the skirt is lengthened by a bias flounce, the upper edge of which is turned under and shirred on a cord. To the lower edge of the flounce is sewed a narrow, bias ruffle that holds the skirt out well from the figure and forms a dainty finish. The flounce is ornamented by a deep, bias trimming flounce that is turned under at the top to form a self-heading and shirred on cords at the top and hemmed narrowly at the bottom; the trimming flounce is decorated with two silk ruchings, the whole arrangement increasing the flaring effect and making quite an elaborate foot-trimming. The top of the petticoat is finished with an under-facing, which forms a casing for tapes that are tacked back of the darts in the side-gores and drawn out through openings made at the center of the back, thus regulating the fullness about the waist and avoiding the need of a placket. The lower edge of the petticoat-skirt measures three yards and a fourth round in the medium sizes.

Silk, sateen, mohair and alpaca will be appropriate for petticoats of this style, and ribbon, beading, insertion and lace edging may be chosen for decoration.

We have pattern No. 8392 in nine sizes for ladies from twenty to thirty-six inches, waist measure. To make the petticoat-skirt with the trimming flounce for a lady of medium size, will need twelve yards of material twenty inches side, or eight yards and an eighth twenty-seven inches wide, or seven yards and a fourth thirty-six inches wide. The petticoat-skirt without the rimming flounce requires seven yards and five-eights twenty inches wide, or five yards and three-fourths twenty-seven inches wide, or four yards and three-fourths thirty-six inches wide. Price of pattern, 1s. or 25 cents.
Delineator 8392, June 1896, front
Delineator 8392, June 1896, back, and showing
alternative, highly decorative fabric


Delineator 8392, June 1896, plain version

N.B. Source: Internet Archive Wayback Machine copy of defunct Dressmaking Research site: https://web.archive.org/web/20160614084019/http:/dressmakingresearch.com/1890s_under_dress.htm. Ordinarily I would not pull such a large section of text and images straight from another site, but this HTML page was defunct, and was itself a direct copy of the original Delineator content.


About the Spanish flounce:  Home Dressmaking Made Easy (1896, p.59), defines the Spanish flounce as "A flounce extending fully half the depth of the skirt, gathered usually to form an erect ruffle." We will hear about it again in the section about newspaper articles, below: it appears to have been quite popular.

This particular passage shows us just how fabric-eating these petticoats could be.


Newspaper Evidence: More Ideas for Designing a Petticoat That Stands Out

Last go-round I dug around in women's magazines, but left the newspapers alone. I shouldn't have. The then-called women's pages (!) tended to cover all things fashion, as well as housekeeping and society doings. There is actually a good deal of petticoat talk, stashed among the doings of society women and beauty secrets and calisthenics, and advertisements for Dr. Price's Cream Baking Powder.

Let's see, we have illustrated calisthenics...now I like that. We'll skip the "Dress for Elderly
Ladies", for they'd assign me to that category without comment. There's "A Pen Picture of Rome" from a correspondent, a whipcord suit, and, bingo! a bit about a short lawn petticoat. Where this is, there's more.
Kansas City Daily Journal. June 09, 1895, Page 10

I've gathered for you a nice collection of newspaper clippings from January through October, 1895. There are tons of them, and it's common to see the same article and photos syndicated in multiple newspapers, while content from other magazines and newspapers is quoted or referenced in the texts.

Springy Alpaca Petticoats Are Compelled to Stand Out...and So Are Their Corded Ruffles

The Salt Lake Herald reported that for warmer weather, alpaca "skirting" fabric had a stiffness that made it stand out to hold "expansive dress skirts".

The Salt Lake Herald, May 24,1895, p. 5

Alpaca fabric that I know has lots of amazing drape but no stiffness, so this must have had some sort of treatment added to it. Perhaps it was a bit felted. Alpaca is hard to felt because the hairs lack the rough edges that wool has, but it can be done. Today, I don't believe we have this sort of fabric. On to the next article.

Hidden in the text is another excellent fluff-making trick: "The ruffles, which for a portion of the decoration of every petticoat, are usually more or less corded". Corded ruffles! Why yes, those will stick out nicely. File that one in your memory.

Petticoats Made Stiff With Embroidery

The Evening Star reported in June that petticoats can be stiffened with large amounts of embroidery.

/
Evening Star, July 13, 1895, p. 15

A few embroidered petticoats are in museum collections, so we have independent confirmation of their existence. It could be possible to use machine embroidery to embellish a truly gorgeous petticoat, but this would be a massive project. Sewstine has videos about the process, and it's time-consuming. You might also think about using one of the new embroidered home décor fabrics; not all of them are heavy; but it might be tricky to get the right sort of design.

The article talks at length of how ornate petticoats tend to be, with lace, ruffles, flounces, embroidery, and ribbons, especially in comparison to dress skirts themselves, which in this year frequently were entirely plain.

Pragmatic: Removable Flounces Make One Petticoat Good For Two Purposes

One could make a single petticoat do double duty. Use it plain for a daytime or work dress outfit, and button a pretty muslin and lace flounce to add fullness and luxe to afternoon or evening dress, which generally have more amplitude. This makes really good sense for costumers, as so many of us do not have the wherewithal in time or finances to accumulate too many petticoats.

The Norfolk Virginian, May 26, 1895, p. 13



Petticoats Themselves Stiffened Partway Up


Here's another useful tidbit. Why not stiffen the underneath of your silk or alpaca petticoat? Well, why not? "(L)iberally trimmed", as The Stark County Democrat has it, no one is going to notice. The flounce will hide the business part. Hair cloth would be a period lining, with strong interfacing a modern interpretation, and of course wires or cords would be natural features. 

The Stark County Democrat, July 18, 1895, Part Two, p. 9


The Ballet Skirt

Quinn, if you happen to read this post, the next clipping is for you. It tells women about the fashion for especially "fussy" frilly petticoats that they can create to make a divided skirt for dancing.

Evening Dispatch, June 3,1895

Newspaper Articles That Confirm What We Learned Last Fall

Then there were articles that quoted magazine articles we already learned about in the petticoat post last fall, or that talked about methods for distending skirts that magazines also covered.

Brocaded Silk Petticoats With Generous Flounce, Featherbone Hidden Beneath -- and Perfumed

The Louisiana Democrat article about ornate petticoats was lots of fun. It reminds me of Quinn's gorgeous 1890s petticoat with loads of lace.

Louisiana Democrat, with content pulled from
The Chicago Tribune

Metropolitan Museum of Art,
2009.300.3014.

Remember this Met petticoat? Look carefully, it has the rosettes the article talks about.

Then there is the boning mentioned: "frequently a featherbone inserted around the hem". Featherbone was a popular boning product made from turkey quills by the Warren Featherbone Company. Here then is another mention of the helping hoop, if you can call it that, that Isobel Mallon et al spoke of! More confirmation that this is a thing, a fashion movement, if not ubiquitous.

Why, here featherbone is mentioned again, in the Evening Star article quoted above, "To make these skirts yet stiffer, white featherbone is stitched, three or four rows, into the hem under the narrow ruffle. It launders well." By the narrow ruffle is meant "a great many [petticoats] are made with a very full narrow ruffle of embroidery at the foot...." (Evening Star July 13, 1895, p. 15)

It's worthwhile to note that Warren's Featherbone was fabric-covered and thicker than Warren's Skirt Bone, which may have come out in late 1895, if an ad for it may be believed. 

I would think that the boning the writer discusses would be hidden by a flounce or ruffling, especially because all of the examples mention them, but it bothers me that the article doesn't say it explicitly.

What also is not clear is what shape the petticoat carries. Is it round due to the featherbone? Does it have godets? Somehow I think not the latter, if pictures of petticoats are any guide.  

The Moreen Petticoat With Hair-Cloth Frillings, Again


The Salt Lake Journal draws on Isobel Mallon's Ladies Home Journal advice that we read of in the last post about petticoats. However, this article highlights several bits of important information:

Moreen is used for one of my favorite summer petticoat designs, the LHJ model, the one with the triple haircloth box-pleated frills, in the picture below. Moreen at the turn of the 20th century turns out to be a midweight or heavy wool or wool-cotton fabric, usually ribbed, that's treated with heat and moisture to give it a watered silk effect. (This makes sense to me: when pressed under heat, wool will take on a sheen, and the tendency to felt will be controlled by the cotton content.)

Moreen is pretty, something that neither the Salt Lake Journal nor the LHJ picture show, so the petticoat wouldn't look plain at all, the wool and cotton don't have to be terribly hot, and it's a lot less hot and scratchy than a petticoat entirely made of haircloth.

Petticoat with haircloth box pleatings. 
Ladies Home Journal, July 1895, p.25


Alas, when real moreen is available at all, it seems to be a heavy type, sold expensively for upholstery, and finding enough of it vintage would be a real coup. Still, it's clear that the petticoat with the box-pleated haircloth is made of a thickish material, that already has some body. A cotton faille, which is ribbed, might work, a woven pique, or even a cotton ticking. Too thin a fabric and those pretty hair-cloth box pleats would have a hard time doing much.

I wouldn't recommend using synthetic moire fabric to imitate the moreen. It's going to be hot as blazes, unless your summers are usually cool.

The article also rather makes me feel better about my limited petticoat budget. Elaborate petticoats were always expensive, and we knew that. Still, it's nice to be told again that our plain costumer's petticoats are perfectly fine, and that confections still come at a price.

Finally, if you were interested in a short petticoat instead of a long one under your skirt, go ahead, costumer, here's how right in the article, below.

The Salt Lake Herald, June 9, 1895, p. 5
If you look carefully, you can see that the newspaper has adapted
the LHJ drawing f

The Salt Lake Herald, June 9, 1895, p. 5
The above image goes with the article above.

Have you had enough of petticoats for one sitting? I confess that I am worn out by all the options and constant mulling, figuring, and refiguring out how I want to adapt them for one or two of my own 1890s petticoats. That's what is supposed to be the topic of the next post, anyway...how I took everything I learned and put together my own interpretations. 

You never know, though. This blog is full of side trips. I have a half written post showing two 1880s wire bustles from my collection in fine detail and with measurements.

In Other News

This year is an Annus Horribilis for our world. For a minute or two I thought I could broach a discussion of local events and how they are related to what is happening across the planet. I can't. Not now. All I can do is wish you all health and safety and secure work, and hope.

(August 28, 2021) Here it is a year later and the Annus Horribilis of 2020 has morphed into Annos Horribilis -- in the plural. I've taken to calling this period the plague years. In contrast to the period from March 2020-March 2021, when we simply all stayed at home, in August 2021 my husband and boys are out and about and vaccinated while the Delta variant rampages and fills our hospitals and cases appear within a degree of separation. I am once again at home, though, on recommendation of the transplant clinic, and life follows a narrow round, while across the planet countless are suffering.

10 comments:

The Quintessential Clothes Pen said...

Dear Natalie,

I am a bit behind in staying up to date on your posts, but here I am! I was quite thrilled as I was reading along and suddenly came upon my name! 'Surely that isn't me?' I thought. 'But how many Quinns are there in historical blog land?' What a lovely surprise! :)

I am quite intrigued and appreciative of this tidbit! I've never come across a petticoat divided for dancing before... I wonder if all the fullness on a petticoat such as this one, when pulled up, would cause any bulge around the knees on the front of the skirt? It does seem like it would be useful for keeping your shoes from getting caught in the petticoat--I find that mine catch on the lace edging of my silk petticoat (though I'm not sure I would have that problem if the petticoat was trimmed differently, or not at all).

I love how grand a ballet skirt sounds in terms of fullness! Perhaps if I make another petticoat from this period I will come back to this description. In the meantime, I can certainly try the divided skirt idea with an existing petticoat (when we can dance again... someday!).

But the Louisiana Democrat petticoat exceeds the ballet skirt in grandness! How fabulous would a white silk brocaded with gold feathers and trimmed in gold lace be??? Surely fit for a ball!

Oh, and I love the idea of rosettes having sachet bag centers! How clever. That's definitely worth trying!

These petticoats sound grand enough to be worn as skirts themselves! And the Spanish Flounce? Quite grand!

It does seem as though boning or hooping would be hidden--probably in the most base layer of the petticoat--and then ruffles and flounces would cover that on the exterior.

I've greatly enjoyed your research and I also look forward to the making experiments. It is difficult to condense so many options down into only a few garments, as you pointed out (I find myself with a completed 1834 dress, a half completed 1838 dress, and fabric for an 1836 dress, because there are so many amusing sleeve options and I couldn't narrow it down to only making one...)

One final thought... I wonder if Rigilene is too bendy to hold the shape of organ pleats once a skirt is placed on top?

Hoping you are doing well in body and spirit!

Best,
Quinn

ZipZip said...

Dear Quinn,

'Evening! Thought you might find the divided petticoat interesting. Hadn't thought of the potential bulge problem. Experiments in pinning on the horizon? Anyhow, thought that the ballet petticoat suited you, and very happy that the article gave you some ideas. Can you imagine dancing at a ball with sachets on the petticoat and a pretty scent wafting about? I lean to lime, and lavender...

Have been researching the boning and godets until am almost burned out on them. Will have to rewrite the godets post, because I have discovered more ways to obtain the godet skirt look. Like a lot of fashions, it was a must-have look in 1895 but also a bit of a catch-all term.

Thank you for the Rigilene tip! Had worried it might be too weak. Nuts. Am thinking of the stiff sort of crin, but rather hate to spend the money. Might try jewelry memory wire run through stash cotton tape, as if it had been woven in, as close to descriptions of actual wired webbing that I can get. It's too bad Warren's doesn't still make Featherbone, because the Skirtbone was made for amping skirts.

Ooh, I do hope we see more of your 1830s dressmaking because the dresses can be gorgeous, with all their the sculptural wrapping and puffing and folding.

Glad you have enjoyed the research. It's what I enjoy best. It's really time to get moving on constructing the petticoat(s), but I may not until the new year.

Very best to you as well as fall deepens; may you be safe and snug,

Natalie

The Quintessential Clothes Pen said...

Mmm, yes, I was thinking lavender as well! And lemon verbena. Lime sounds quite delightful as well.

You have lots of ideas for skirt stiffening to try out--all of those sound like interesting experiments. And who knows, maybe the Rigilene will work? It could be worth a try if it's easy to accomplish.

There will be bunch of 1830s posts soonish--I had an apple picking/photo shooting day with friends and we took so many photos! I'm working on sorting them into manageable chunks. It was so wonderfully exhausting to have an all day adventure... we haven't done that since February!

I've been doing biking with friends somewhat regularly (as a way to get exercise and stay distant) and near their house is a farm with sheep and alpacas that gives tours. We stop there regularly and I was thinking of you and sheep, wool, and spinning... I always enjoyed posts of yours about those things, too!

Thank you for the fall wishes!

Best,
Quinn

ZipZip said...

Dear Quinn,

You went apple-picking! Isn't it always joyous? They always smell so good when you cozy up to the tree branches and make that little twisty pull that releases the ripe apple from the tree. Sure hope that we get a glimpse; it'll be a vicarious outing. Oh, and hooray for bicycles. Freedom! Safe air!

So glad you enjoy Lana and Nina the Shetlands. Alas, because of the pandemix I haven't seen them since February, and didn't help shear this year, about which I felt badly. Sarah reports that they are happy and sassy. I bet Nina's the sassy one. She's such a mooch. Here is Sarah's blog so you can keep up: Shepherd Life: Raising Rare Soay Sheep in Central Kentucky, at https://shepherdlife.wordpress.com/.

May the sun be mellow up there,

Natalie


The Quintessential Clothes Pen said...

Yes, it was lovely! So fun to wander around the orchard and explore the different varieties. And yummy to eat them as well! Yes, the apple outing was well documented with photos (we had the most gorgeous New England day, with blue skies and bright colored leaves), so I'm planning a post just about our outing. :)

Agreed! The exercise and fresh air has been immeasurably helpful for my mental health over the last two months or so since we started it. The first time I really struggled with small hills and feeling sore from the bike seat, but for the last few times we've been for 12+ mile rides, including hills, and I've been doing great! It's really empowering. I'm so grateful to have friends to go biking with and lovely places to explore!

Much enjoyment! Thank you for sharing Sarah's blog! I'm looking forward to adding it to my blog list! :) Sheep! I'm so sorry that you haven't been able to see Lana and Nina recently and that you weren't able to participate in shearing, but I am glad to hear that they are doing well.

Best,
Quinn

ZipZip said...

Dear Quinn,
12+ miles riding, with hills! Whee! That's terrific. You'll be getting some serious stamina by now. Here the boys' bikes are too small and it's not safe to get new ones, so my riding chops have diminished to the point of puffing on little bumps. I was never very good at hills anyhow, but these days it's pretty funny: "waiiiiit up, you all!"

A good Thanksgiving to you; scary times but the love of family and friends is all the more precious.

Very best,

Natalie

The Quintessential Clothes Pen said...

It does seem that I should be getting stamina... and I'm sure I have more than I did when I started. But I'm always the slowest one in our little group. I'd be calling out for people to wait for me if we didn't have a system where I'm generally in the middle (and the person behind me just has to go at my slow, puffing speed!). Hills are hard! :)

Best,
Quinn

Crafting and Cake said...

Hello!
I have been avidly following your research and experimentation on skirt stiffening (and have been considering what methods to try when I finally get to cutting out my own 1890's skirt). Today I accidentally wandered into the 'Glossary of Materials' of Norah Waugh's 'Cut of women's clothes' and was immediately reminded of your research. One of the recommended petticoat materials you found was Alpaca, though probably not the type we know today, but Waugh has a definition!

Alpaca: A material of plain weave with lustrous quality, having a cotton warp and a wool weft

'Clothing for women' by Laura Baldt (available on the internet archive) agrees:

Cotton is not always considered an adulterant when mixed with wool, as in the case of mohair and alpaca, which usually have a cotton warp - these are not sold for "all wool" and do not command an "all wool" price.

I hope you are as excited as I am about solving the mystery of why Alpaca makes good petticoats!

-C

ZipZip said...

Dear Crafting and Cake,
Thank you so very much for the two definitions of alpaca as used in the 1890s.

The help a great deal in understanding the material. Warp threads are those going vertical in the material. Cotton would make for a strong warp. The wool weft would give, I would think, a pretty drape, but drape is not what you desire in a petticoat, so I wonder if it was treated in some way, say with somr heat. In so doing the wool fibers would tighten and crunch together, rendering a stiffer fabric, or so I would surmise, but this is only guessing. Makes me want to dig furtherin period manufacturing sources to find out more.

Very best indeed, and so glad these posts are of use to you.

It's Jane Austen Festival time so I've taken a break to renovate a gown and stays...back to the 1890s after that.

Very best,

Natalie

ZipZip said...

Dear Crafting and Cake,
Immediately after posting I thought, wait, alpaca is a hair rather than a crimp fiber like wool. It's highly durable and lustrous and drapes beautifully, but it wouldn't shrink to the degree wool does, because it's a different fiber.

So I went hunting again, and at https://www.alpacaunlimited.com/pages/history-of-alpaca/alpaca-fashion-in-19th-century-america.html, learned that some manufacturers were using wool to imitate alpaca late in the 19th century, and that by that time that alpaca fabric was also used for linings. Makes me think there were different grades of fabric.

In https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk › S...PDF
PA Sykas: Textiles for dress 1800-1920 - e-space, an excellent monograph, we learn that "alpaca" made with lustrous longwool breed wool (this means Leicester and Border Leicester, for example) would pucker in the wet...while alpaca remains smooth and water resistant.

Now I am really curious. Am doubting the heat treatment idea. Just need to find out what the hand of the fabric could be like by the 1890s. Perhaps you could do som digging. If you have a blog, would love to read about anything you find!

Very best,

Natalie