An Edwardian Summer - Issue 3

A Dive into Edwardian Undergarments

It's always interesting to go back and look at the evolution of fashion decade by decade for women. Depending on the social and economic times, clothing reflected history and the innovation that was available. The Edwardian time period was no different, because as factory labor and factories became much more commonplace, more became accessible to women in middle and lower classes. Edwardian undergarments had a huge range of quality available whether factory made or handmade. Styling reflected everything from sturdy, plain, and functional to frothy, lacy, and delicate. But what women really desired were the lace-encrusted undergarments shown in advertisements and fashion sketches that were promoted in the ladies' magazines.

Matching lace sets were high in demand. They were made of delicate, semi-sheer cotton batiste or finest lawn, with beautiful Valenciennes laces. Taffetas and other crisp fabrics were often used for petticoats especially on the outer-most layers. Undergarments were extremely feminine and pretty decorated with colored ribbons, laces, and delicate details, it's almost a shame they were covered up deep beneath the voluminous wardrobe women wore.

Just as shapewear functions and shapes us today, the undergarments had the express purpose of creating volume underneath to structure the latest fashions. Petticoats held the shape of the slender but voluminous skirts. Pantaloons or sometimes referred to as drawers were worn for modesty and often to create volume as well. Some were very slender and others were done with a wide leg adorned with flounces and frills to bulge out. Chemises had many variations from straps, to off the shoulder, to cap sleeves, depending on the type of bodice that went over it. They were made with minimal lace so that they could be washed and worn over and over, and ladies that could afford to do so often purchased a dozen at a time and had them pressed and ready for their daily wardrobe. Silk ribbon was often used as a decorative element threaded into the lace and removed for washing but also functional to tighten necklines. Chemises had all kinds of lengths from long, short, and knee length depending on the type of garment. It is interesting to note that in fashion sketches and photos a chemise was never pictured on it's own, it was always shown with a corset over top.

Undergarments also started to transform into shorter and slimmer versions by younger audiences to go with informal daywear or summer wear. It started with separate pieces that were knee length and then fashioned into "combinations" which was a chemise and pantaloon combined together as one piece. This explains the thought process behind Samantha's American Girl undergarments. Here we see a simple chemise decorated with lace and pretty colored ribbon at the neckline. The petticoat is knee length and buttons attach it together to form one piece and we see the mirrored design element of the ribbon at the bottom with bows and lace.

Samantha's undergarments are complete with hosiery clips as a nod to the women's fashion sketches to keep up her socks. Samantha's white bloomers go underneath for her modesty and length was very short to keep hidden under most of Samantha's knee length wardrobe.

Creating Historical Photo Scenes

Shown: The Ashland Table Top used as a dressing screen, board wallpaper background and doll with the Jennifer wig in Auburn Mix

I thought it would be fun to do a quick photo scene with undergarments as that is the subject of today's newsletter. Also, I'd like to explore some of the things you might not think of available in today's stores that work for doll photography. Pleasant Company/American Girl of course has stopped producing historical furniture and props, so sometimes finding what you need in doll photography can get tricky.

Walls and backdrops

Lowe's has pre-cut boards that measure 24" x 24" in their lumber section. It is surprisingly easy to find wallpapers with small prints or even use scrapbook paper designs to cover the area and create a printed wall. You can also permanently glue a photo backdrop to it to increase stability and realism. With the one shown in my photo above, I actually put a print on the backside of the wood as well so that I could flip them back and forth for different scenes. I purchased 6 pieces and made 3-dual sided walls and 3-dual sided floors. Small packs of vinyl floor tiles with small prints are easy to find on Amazon and can be trimmed after you place them on the board to cut off any excess. You can also use carpet samples, mats, mosiacs, really anything is at your disposal to create a floor.

Props

If you know what you are looking for, hitting the home decor stores and aisles provide many interesting props. My favorite are window sill faux plants because they come with little ceramic pots and the sizing is on scale for a floor plant for 16-18" dolls. Table decor such as mats, doilies, and small woven items for centerpieces can translate into area rugs, blankets, and room decor for dolls. In my photo above, I found an Ashland Tabletop Screen at Michaels that was probably designed to decorate the top of a shelf or dresser with candles and picture frames, but it was the perfect prop to use as a dressing screen for 18" dolls. Human jewelry boxes often make cool looking wardrobes and dressers as well. Mini frames can be used to stick wall art on walls or on table tops.

Doll and Clothing

Full room scenes with lots of furniture and props can take a lot of space, but a few wall backgrounds can easily slide into a closet to put away when you are not using them, and small props and accessories can be stored in a tote without taking much space. The focus should be your doll and/or your clothing so keeping it simple is perfectly fine. Keep a look out for fun finds to keep your photos interesting and have fun!