Top Fabric Fitting

Fitting Notes:
1. Lower neckline
2. Take back in at the top slightly
3. Lower hemline slightly
4. Try to find a finer muslin to show colour of underdress








I think this was a successful fitting with only minor changes to make. Overall the fit was very good and I was very pleased with it.

Reflection 2: Research

My research has been key to this unit. The decisions I have made throughout the project have been informed by my research and it has given me a better idea of the context and more thorough knowledge of fashion in this period in time.

It has taught me more about the correct silhouette of the time, fabrics used and how they were dyed, etiquette of colour and how status is demonstrated, and popular accessories.

Looking at the costumes has helped me to see how a period garment can be translated in to a costume and therefore how to create one from a theatrical perspective, with consideration to constant wear, budget and ease of wear.

I believe that my improved understanding and now broader knowledge is enabling me to create a more accurate costume and will aid me in my future career.

Jane Austen's House

Despite several attempts to arrange to see some garments at Winchester Museum, I was unable to. Instead I visited Jane Austen's House at Chawton and I was able to look at some of the costumes worn in the 2009 BBC dramatisation of Austen's Emma.

I found this incredibly useful as I was able to look at how the costumes had been made from a theatrical point of view, for example, the fastenings at the back were poppers for ease. The style of the costumes also gave me some ideas as to the design of the top layer of muslin, with embroidery and lace edging.

Reflection 1: Shape and Fit

Cutting the pattern on the stand was an important part of this unit for me, as I have not yet used this method to produce a costume. Doing it has helped me to understand the shaping of garments to the body more and I think my first fitting showed how, for me, it can result in a better fitting garment to begin with.

I thought my toile fitting was successful and I believe that using a body form all the way along helped me to then see which alterations needed to be made for an improved fit to my model. I was able to do this independently and my confidence in using stand cutting has improved and marks my progression.

Blog Tutorial

I had my blog tutorial with Graham today and we looked at the progression of my blog. The suggestions made on how to improve it were:

1. Be more reflective in my posts about myself and my progression.

2. Possibly make separate posts focused entirely on reflection.

3. Note how I have used my research in my work and how each step informs the next.

4. Sign up for a tutorial for my next fitting.

I think these are good suggestions and can see how they will improve my blog and work so I will follow them all up.

Fabrics

For my fabric choices I wanted to stay quite close to what would have been used at the time, but also a fabric that would be suitable for a theatrical costume.

For the main fabric I have chosen a polyester/silk blend. This is not as expensive as the pure silk, so it can be cheaply replaced when worn out.

The top fabric is a thin muslin, which would have been used in garments of the time.

The evening dresses of wealthier people were usually white, however I have gone for sage green for the main fabric with white muslin over the top, as plain white costumes do not react well under stage lighting from the audience's perspective.

Toile Fitting

Fitting Notes:
Take shoulder seams in at edge,
Take side seams in,
Bring waistline up,
Take darts in at new waistline,
Take hem up.







I'm really pleased with this fitting. The toile fitted well and only needed taking in a little. The overall shaping to the body was good, which I believe to be a result of cutting the pattern on the stand.

Toile Construction

Stand Pattern Cutting

I chose to cut the pattern on the stand as I haven't made a garment using this method before, so wanted to become more confident in using it. I altered the mannequin to the correct measurements for my model first.

Les Miserables

During my work placement at Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre, which is set in the early 1800s, I was lucky enough to work closely with the costumes and made a trip to the warehouse the spare costumes are kept in. It was here that I noticed that Fantine's 'Factory Dress' was in the style that I am creating in my SDP.

This week I made a return trip to London to look at this particular costume more closely. As a working girl's outfit, it was very broken down to look dirty and old, and an apron is worn over the skirt on stage. The fabric was a sage green colour and had a floral pattern and, although the small detail of it could not be seen by the audience when on stage, the impression of the pattern it gave was enough. The seams were piped and the fabric was ruched at the front of the bodice for decoration. Construction wise, the bodice had curved seams at the front and back, whereas on my work, I will use darts at the front.

I found it really useful to look at a costume in this style that is worn on stage in the West End because I could see from a theatrical perspective what elements were important and can be seen from the audience. It was also interesting to see that the fabrics used were not accurate to the time period, but more gave the idea of it, as they had to be more modern and therefore more durable and hard wearing to last for 8 shows a week, week after week.

N.B. There are no photographs on the blog as I was asked not to put them on the internet, but they will feature in my research file for assessment.