"I WANT TO MAKE HISTORY COME TO LIFE, ONE DRESS AT A TIME. IT'S ALMOST AS GOOD AS HAVING A TIME MACHINE."
My Story
Welcome
I would like to invite you to come back in time with me. To a time where men always wore top hats, and when wearing a floor length gown with an enormous skirt was an everyday practice. There is that old saying: “to be in someone else’s shoes”. What if we go one step further? When you dress the way people did back in the days, something magical happens. You don’t just hear or read about the past, you experience it. It’s a way to feel connected with people who have lived hundreds of years ago and to make characters like Hamlet or Elizabeth Bennet come to life. So I would like to ask you to follow me into the wonderful world of historical costuming and indulge in that nostalgia with me.
As a Historical Costume Designer, it is my job to recreate the fashions from past times. There is something so magical about making the past come to life with just fabric and thread. And I want to share that nostalgia with all of you.
Where better to make history come to life than in the theater or a movie? I have a background in theater science, so I am familiar with all the ins and outs of costumes for a performance on stage or on the big screen.
Why I DON’T wish I was born in a different time.
How often have you heard a version of this line: “Oh gosh, that dress is so gorgeous. I wish I lived back then so I could wear that everyday!” I get it, the way I and other people portray aspects of history have a certain appeal. But still, I do not wish I was born in any different era!
Drawing and altering a stays pattern
Last week I told you about my plans for making a Robe a la Francaise. And a historical costume is nowhere without the proper undergarments. So today I'm working on my new stays. (also, sorry for the bad quality of photo's in this post, I was working on this late at...
Historical Fabrics: What fabric to use
Like I mentioned in this post, about historical accuracy, how far you want to take historical accuracy is entirely up to you. But if you want your historical garment to look as historically accurate as possible, fabric choice is a big part of that. It is also the most...