Costume Shop at the Waterloo Community Playhouse

09/04/2024

09/03/2024

Stunning, yes, this dress is a lot of a lot, but sometimes a lot works !

Speaking of shot silk, this dress from the early 1870s is also made of that material. In this case the color combination is far more subtle, working between a pale lavender and a light gold. The seemingly endless trimmings are of lavender silk satin along with fringes in a deep gold color.
Okay, so, this dress is a lot of a lot. That said, for a lady of fashion this would have been up to the moment stylish and expressive of ample extra funds to be thrown at one’s clothes. It also meant that the wearer had both a ladies maid and an in house laundress to help with clothing maintenance. This type of dress would have been used for either visiting or for carriage travel in the park. Of course, since visiting was mostly done employing a carriage of some kind the two usually overlapped.
This dress came to the Maryland Center for History & Culture through the family of Anne “Annie” Campbell Gordon Thomas, (1818-1886) who ordered and wore this super-modish dress.

08/10/2024

Jeanne Lanvin, (1867-1946), was one of the more influential designers of the first half of the 20th century. She had an unerring eye for modernity which perfectly coincided with the coming rage for anything that looked forward rather than back. This remarkable evening dress, now in the collection of the V&A in London was created by her in 1937.
The slyly sexy shaping of the bias cut satin body of this dress is juxtaposed by a sturdy quilted collar that stands easily away from the frame without other support, and creates a perfect surround to the face and neck of the wearer. The dress’s fit is mostly achieved with the unique insertion of two diamond shaped elements on either side. There are quilted satin straps that drape across them for a final visual remark.
According to the V&A, “The back of the dress is cut into a point, attached to the back of the collar and showing two triangles of naked flesh.” Unfortunately they do not supply a back view of this dress.

07/26/2024

07/26/2024

07/26/2024

Well….sew interesting!!

07/21/2024

Why?? Like it’s hard? You maybe didn’t get into Harvard Law, but you need to see this show! OMG!

07/04/2024

06/02/2024

Off to see the Wizard!

05/07/2024

Go go Gaga!

Gaga! Omg! Y’all look!!!

04/12/2024

A petticoat like this one, as heavily decorative as it is would have been the one, if the lady was wearing more than one, the outermost layer. It would be the likely one to slip into view as one moved about, so of course it had to be the prettiest.
The MET holds this splendid example of a petticoat from the 1890s. Made in France, it has a floral printed silk upper with a white background. The lover section is densely pleated silk chiffon that is edged with matching colored ribbon. Over that is a layer of machine embroidered netting in a tan color and there is a heading of ruched silk chiffon in pink and white connecting the upper and lower sections.
During the 1890s when skirts had a decidedly conical shape multiple petticoats were more common. A decade later when skirts were more trumpet shaped a single petticoat became preferred.

03/30/2024

Fact Slap 👋

The oldest found bra and knickers set was found under the floorboards at Lemberg Castle, Austria.

They date from the 1400s and are the first evidence that the cupped bra we know today is an older garment that first thought. Until now, historians placed the invention of the bra with either French corset-maker Herminie Cadolle in the late 1700s, or Mary Phelps Jacob who was awarded an US patent for the "technology" in 1914.

The knickers are even more of a surprise as it was thought that throughout the Middle Ages, women only wore a type of sanitary pant during her period and not underwear daily like in modern times.

03/28/2024

For anyone interested in the way people dressed in previous times the advent of photography has been the greatest boon possible. It has allowed us to see in far more detail and accuracy not only style, but structure, fit, and accessories in use at a particular time.
The MET holds this studio portrait from 1885 of two women. They are clearly women of middle means, stylishly, but not overtly expensively dressed. Their dresses are correct for walking or town, as well as for visiting. During this particular style period, sleeves were cut very close and high requiring precision to get right. Bodices also were very closely cut and it needed a good seamstress to get the fit smooth.
In both ensembles the decorative details are minimized while still staying true to prevailing modes. This had the advantage of allowing a dress to be restyled a bit to extend its usefulness.

03/25/2024

Rumpelstiltskin at his finest!

This exquisite ball gown is from 1865 and was created in Vienna, Austria. It is now in the care of the Wien Museum.
The body of the dress is a light toned gold silk material. What makes this special thought and gives it such an angelic look is the manner of its decoration. The silk tulle over-dress is embroidered and appliquéd with straw. Two methods were used. The first required the straw to be moistened so it became fully flexible, then it could be used to be applied to the surface of a textile. The other involved motifs that were stamped out of straw and then appliquéd. This gown employs both. The advantage of the use of straw was that it imitated quite well the sheen and color of gold work without the cost or the additional weight. It was, during this part of the 1800s a very popular decorative style which has sadly nearly vanished.

03/23/2024

Only 900 covered buttons-

03/21/2024

Legally Blonde auditions!
Omigod You Guys, get ready to Bend and Snap people! Bring the Chip on Your Shoulder 'cause there will be Blood in The Water!!
April! https://www.wcpbhct.org/auditions - for information!

03/19/2024

Batchelor buttons. They were more than just the name for a wildflower. They were also a popular accessory item made for and purchased by usually unmarried young men with extra funds to dispose of. They were usually sold in sets and were made to be able to be moved from one garment to another since they were quite expensive and could be damaged if left on a waistcoat that was getting spot cleaned.
This set, still with its original case was made by the jewelers W. Wright Ltd (est. 1848) in 1905. The six buttons feature the faces of music hall actresses popular at the time. The hand painted images get coated with celluloid to protect them then they are set in 9 karat gold frames.
We have a good idea of who the women are that are depicted: Lily Elise (1886 - 1962), Camille Clifford (1885 - 1971), Gladys Cooper (1888 - 1971), Zena Dare (1887 - 1975), Phyllis Dare (1890 - 1975) and Gabrielle Ray (1883 - 1973).
This set is privately held.

With thanks to reader Rebecca Miller for alerting me to these.

03/18/2024

03/18/2024

Cool!

The real "Rapunzel" Tower, in the English Countryside 👑

King Alfred's tower is 49 metres tall. Built between 1762 and 1779, it was designed by architect Henry Flitcroft who used more than a million red bricks. It is believed to mark the place where King Alfred the Great gathered his troops in 878.

The tower commemorates George III's ascension to the throne in 1760 and the end of the Seven Years War. The triangular tower is hollow, but it has an inside staircase (205 steps) to climb to the top. From there you can take in the spectacular vistas across Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset counties.