As of April 21, 2026
The Edwardian/early 19-teens eras were the first I attempted in costuming, and from the start I was interested in both the construction conventions as they shifted over the period. As the years have passed, the focus has been on putting antique garments in my collection into context, from pattern and construction, to fabrics and notions used, to how people lived in them. As for my own projects, most are from the early days, before I had proper corsetry and underpinnings. Some are self-drafted.
Research
Antique 1901-1903 summer gown
A tucked cotton, unlined, unboned, trained gown which puddles around the feet. A shining example of a "just good enough" gown which employs clever cutting and rapid construction to produce an elegant effect. Most likely to be from 1901, but could be late summer 1900, or avhighly conservative interpretation of 1902. 1903 is unlikely. Dress construction covered in excruciating detail.
A series of unlined summer skirts
Looking at their construction comparatively, with lots of photos. Comments on how they were worn, with evidence. A good way to understand the ways that seamstresses handled putting together one of these confections.
A foray into understanding skirt braid
Hobble skirts: some evidence and resources
A modern take on Edwardian or 1890s styling
Apparently, I was fooled into thinking it antique, and that can happen easily. However, the windowpane fabric is gorgeous and may have been antique.
A mid-Edwardian skirt and an early Edwardian skirt
Sadly, these are no longer in my collection, or I would have documented their construction at some point. The early example uses few, very wide gores to achieve the flowy effect.
An early Edwardian silk taffeta gown, in detail
A fascinating 1910-19-teens raw silk dress with lots of fun trim
Please excuse the dating that I did at the time. However, the dress is super.
1912 era garment construction resources
A highly ornate Edwardian formal skirt
Sadly, this skirt is no longer in my collection. It was a hummer and demonstrates the frou-frouage that was such a part of fashionable early Edwardian dress.
Edwardian or 1890s hairpins in their original packaging
How to walk and behave at an Edwardian picnic
Lots of experiential and primary source evidence.
Edwardian picnics
Pictorial evidence of picnics of all sorts. Lots of cues for behavior, demeanor, surroundings, and dress.
A late Edwardian lingerie dress with that de rigeur internal belt
Cobbled of rather simple pieces, it relies on the period's interior strong belt to hold its gossamer fabrics and laces together. The dress is seriously damaged, but that makes it all the better for understanding it. Another example of a garment no longer in my collection. How I wish it were still here!
Two helpful skirt drafts for an Edwardian-teens walking skirt
Anatomy of an Edwardian 1900-1911 vintage white heavy cotton skirt
This is a sporty mid- to late-Edwardian cotton duck skirt, beautifully finished, a pleasure to wear, and with really pleasing lines. Am so glad I still have this one in the collection. If you are wanting a history-bounding skirt, this style is an excellent option. Don't be afraid to use white duck fabric. It's architectural, as tough as jean fabric, though in a plain weave, and thus a little cooler than a denser twill would be.
An early 1910s petticoat, scalloped and adorable
Projects
A 1912 Silk afternoon gown, frankenpatterned from Wearing History and McCalls M7941 Edwardian-era evening dress
The gown is not described in detail, but you can see its lines and how it behaves quite well. So comfortable to wear, and elegant. Some coverage of the extant beaver hat and ostrich boa with ruched silk ends.
A 1909 Edwardian hairstyle tutorial, with background evidence
Even decades later, this page continues to be one of the most viewed pages on this blog. The hairstyle method works well.
Edwardian "lingerie" dress, circa 1909
One of those early blog dress diaries, lots of detail, lots of nuggets about patterning. I had no corset and didn't understand their importance at the time, but besides that, the dress is pretty true to the era, because it was based on an original.
Two trimmed S&S "Beatrix" skirts, focusing on the trim
Some information on how to take the basic skirt pattern and add period flouncing.
S&S "Beatrix" high-waisted, boned skirt in plaid wool worsted suiting
This was a highly successful project. The Sense and Sensibility pattern is a good one, and the high-waist version, a higher-fashion option in 1909, is attractive and slimming. I used every 1909 method I could come across to create a truly period skirt, from waistband to hem, and it paid off. Interestingly, the S&S patterns site has retained the picture below as an example of a finished skirt. It is worn with the proper petticoat and and original shirtwaist, but no corset.
A 1911 corset cover, drafted from a period sewing textbook
While not gorgeous, it continues to fit well, and was both straightforward to draft and to sew. The 1911 textbook it comes out, The Textbook on Domestic Art, by Carrie Crane Ingalls, of was designed for high school girls, and is well written and highly usable. I loved it then and still do now.
A 1911 Flounced Muslin Petticoat, drafted from a period sewing textbook
Another garment drafted from The Textbook on Domestic Art. This is a super-duper pattern and results in a lovely petticoat. I sewed it entirely on my Willcox and Gibbs 1911 treadle sewing machine, and used the machine's tuck marker attachment and its narrow hemmer to achieve results I am still proud of. The machine and its attachments are among the finest tools I've ever used, and I hope to pass them down into the family. They work as well as when they were made over a 100 years ago.
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