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1920's Slip and Garters-Unmentionables Through The Decades Project 2


Onward to the last few pieces of my 1920's project; a simple slip and a pair of elastic garters.




The slip was the first piece I actually finished for my #unmentionablesthroughthedecades project. I would like to formally thank past Sarah from 2012 for saving so carefully this little bit of gorgeous lace. It was originally purchased to sew a pattern test for my first foray into historic costuming; Elizabeth Turner from the first Pirates film. This length of lace was just the right color to add to this slip. It is basically a tube with straps. It was very easy to complete in afternoon. I started with an old self-drafting tutorial from The American Duchess blog, and added a couple center pleats, as I have seen on some period examples. This is just to pull in the neckline a little bit and adds a bit of interest. But the lace covers the pleats, so they aren't seen anyway. C'est le vie. You live and learn.



One item that could and perhaps should have been included in this set is a garter belt. It would have deemed incredibly unseemly and shocking for a young lady to go bare legged. Stockings in the 1920's didn't stretch, so they had to be held up. They would have been made of silk (or later, rayon). These would have been expensive, so great care was taken when putting on, wearing, or taking off stockings. I have even heard of gloves being worn to protect the stocking from nails when stockings were being put on the body. Very clever.


A pair of elastic garters were a reasonable substitution for a garter belt and much faster to sew, so that's what I did. Funny story about the lace. I had spent the whole morning ironing and sewing the hem on the tap pants from my last blog. I had to grab some buttons to finish them off, so I hopped in to Hobby Lobby. Lace and trim happened to be on sale, so I browsed the selection. Right there in front of me was the perfect lace. It was beautiful. It would have been PERFECT to hem the tap pants. The hem that I had literally finished 15 minutes previously. I was a little mad that I hadn't checked their stock of lace before hemming. I didn't buy it at the time. But I couldn't get that sweet lace out of my head. On Monday, (yesterday), I went back to Hobby Lobby, bought the lace, and made these garters. I just kinda made it up as I went along. I love the finished look, and the way the little bows on the lace echo the bows on the previous pieces.


I have concluded that while I do have the boyish body shape so desired at this time (flat chest, little waist definition, and no hips or butt), to my modern eyes, it doesn't flatter me at all. Fashion to me is all about confidence. And this style doesn't give me confidence at all. It's not about how others see you, but about how you view yourself and putting what you view as your best features forward. I do love the fashion of the 1920s. I will continue to save and enjoy viewing period patterns and photographs, but I probably won't spend too much of my sewing time in the 1920's in the future.


Thanks for reading!

Yours in hard work, creativity, and a dash of pixie dust,
Sarah

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