Princess Civil War Style Underpinnings

I decided to wear mid-1850s underpinnings with my future Princess gowns. These have to be complete before I can fit my new gown to myself, as these proper underpinnings change your shape significantly.

First layer is a chemise. A thrift store soft cotton dress fills this role admirably. The cut of the neckline just falling off the shoulders is very accurate to this time. I especially love the flower print and the lace trim along the neckline.

The second layer is the corset. I have made a few corsets in the past, but they were more like a bodice, not meant for waist reduction. And my skills are not quite up to the task yet. So I bought a Timeless Trends corset from their Nude Corset Collection, The Hourglass Nude in Vanilla. ( https://timeless-trends.com/) I love this collection because it has a whole range of colors to fit different skin tones. It comes in latte, crème, caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate. These color names are making me hungry. It is beautifully made, with sturdy construction and comes with a lifetime warranty. I was very pleased.

Thirdly, the 4-hoop skirt. I don't remember where we bought this hoopskirt. We originally bought it when my mother, sisters, and I did civil war reenacting many years ago. I do have plans to upgrade the hoops sooner rather than later. It's seen better days.

Fourth, the petticoats. I used a free diagram from Truly Victorian to sew it. Truly Victorian sells patterns for 19th century clothes. The petticoat is 4 yards long for the first layer and 8 yards around the hem. I made this petticoat with Belle in mind. Her petticoat under her gold ballgown seems to have scallops around the hem. I bought some lace to achieve the same effect.

It took a long time to attach it all along the hem. But it was worth it. It's super-duper extra full and will fit any larger hoops I may buy in the future. I also added several rows of pintucks, all around the hem. Now, that took a LONG time. This was to shorten it a little bit (barely), and add some interest and body to the hem.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and that you have a wonderful day!

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