An Edwardian Summer - Issue 11

BbeautyDesigns
Aug 7
3 min read

Edwardian Sisters - "A Day by the Lake"

The next couple of dresses feature another pair of beloved sisters, Samantha and Nellie, in their Lemon Bay Doll Edwardian Frock middy dresses. This was my first

Edwardian pattern release and is designed after one of the American Girl Samantha book illustrations known as Samantha’s “Making Valentines” dress.

I’m calling these ensembles Edwardian Sisters, A Day at the Lake. We will imagine Samantha has taken Nellie and her new sisters to the family’s lake house at Piney Point for the summer. Perhaps they will meet Agnes and Agatha there too! These “Sister” ensembles include early Edwardian-style dresses that still retain some of the features seen in late Victorian garments, such as the leg-o-mutton sleeve and the blousant bodice. The pattern includes instructions for machine-embroidering the collar, sleeve and waistband. However, I haven’t seen many people make this version, so I thought I’d offer a couple for Edwardian Summer. I’ve made Nellie’s blue and white dress with a slightly larger waistband so this ensemble will be perfect for anyone with one of the old Pleasant Company Samantha dolls. As you can see, it still fits on my 2004 Nellie. Both dresses are made of silk taffeta and are detailed with embroidered trim. Both come with separate collars and matching silk hairbows. I was also thrilled to learn how to customize the Edwardian boots. If you haven’t seen Heather’s tutorial yet, you can find it here. I’ve painted the Edwardian Cut Out Boots in White to match each of the middy outfits. Rather than paint the entire boot, I’ve chosen to paint just the cut out section in lavender and navy.

The “middy” dress (derived from midshipman) was extremely popular as Edwardian children’s wear. Historians suggest the development of the sailor suit may be traced back to the promptings of philosophers John Locke (English, 1632-1704), and Jean Jacques Rousseau (French, 1712-1775) whose Enlightenment writings argued against the restrictive children’s clothing of the age. But the garment’s immense popularity during the later 19th century is undeniably due to Queen Victoria’s influence. In 1846 the queen had a child’s sailor uniform made on board the royal yacht for her son Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. The design of Edward’s suit was directly derived from the traditional uniform worn by seamen enlisted in the British Royal Navy. Everything the royal family did made waves and little Edward’s suit was no exception. It established a long standing fashion trend in royal children’s portraiture and was eagerly imitated by the upper classes to assert their affluence and societal rank.

*Albert Edward, Prince of Wales by Franz Zaver Winterhalter, 1846*

*Sisters in Middy Dresses, The children of a Lt. Barnes, 1917*

By the early 1900s however, nautical fashion had spread beyond the wealthy’s purview and the children’s garment that had once been a symbol of social status was no longer exclusive to the upper classes. Throughout Europe and America, the sailor suit was worn by middle class children—boys and later adapted for girls by replacing the trousers with skirts. Sailor costumes proved comfortable and practical as a child’s garment.