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Creating a Regency Capsule Wardrobe, Part 1: Planning


Welcome to a new series on this blog- creating a regency capsule wardrobe! I know this isn't what I normally write about, but this is my blog and I wanted to share. Hopefully you guys will enjoy seeing my progress on this project.

The Project

I've always been a huge lover of regency fashion. It's one of my favorite parts of watching period dramas. So this year, I decided it was time to create my own regency looks.

However, I don't want my entire closet to be regency clothes (especially since said closet is tiny). So thus, I decided to make more of a regency capsule collection that I can pull out and wear when I want. I may add to it later on, but for now, I just want a basic wardrobe.

Step 1: Research

As with any project I do, I spent about two hours researching regency fashion and creating a regency wardrobe, as well as reading Dress in the Age of Jane Austen by Hilary Davidson (highly recommend).

Here are a few of the best articles and videos I found:
Research is an integral part of any historical project, but it's also super fun. I'll probably do more research in the future, but for now, I focused on the broader topic of Regency garb.

Step 2: Outline the Project

Since I was creating a capsule wardrobe, the main goal of my research was figuring out the base pieces I needed to have a functional wardrobe. Honestly, that part wasn't hard. It was more tricky deciding how many of each I wanted/needed.

For those interested, I decided my capsule wardrobe will (one day) consist of:

Undergarments
  • Short stays
  • Shift/chemise (2)
  • Petticoat (1 skirt, 1 bodiced)

Gowns
  • White day dress
  • Patterned day dress
  • Evening gown
  • Evening overdress

Outerwear
  • Spenser
  • Pelisse
  • Bonnet

Accessories
  • Cap
  • Shawl
  • Stockings
  • Chemisette

(I may also get shoes in the future, but for now, I have a pair of black ballet flats that will suit perfectly.)

With these pieces and a variety of accessories I can mix and match, I should be able to create several different looks for different occasions.

Step 3: Organizing

Of course, as soon as I finished that list, I got overwhelmed. It is quite a few things, most of which I plan to make myself. So, to mange the overwhelm, I started by organizing my list by the order I plan to make them.

The thing with historical garments is that they look and fit best when worn over the correct undergarments. That made it pretty logical to start the project by sewing my stays, petticoats, and shifts.

Next, I plan to sew one or both of the day dresses, because I can see myself wearing those around more than an evening gown (although I can't wait to make that either). I'll probably also prioritize making either the spencer or pelisse for outdoor wear.

I also decided what colors I want to stick to for my wardrobe so all the pieces match well. My colors are going to be white, dark blue, forest green, and light purple. All some of my faves in my regular wardrobe, and popular during the period.

Step 4: Finding Patterns

With my plan in place, it was time to dive into finding the actual patterns to make these items. First up, the stays.

I'm terrified to try sewing stays, but since buying them would set me back at least $200, I decided I'd rather be brave and make them. Thankfully, there's a brand called RedThreaded that not only sells a Regency stays pattern, but has a whole kit to help you make them. That total is around $50 (before tax and shipping), less than half of buying one ready made.

For the shift, I found a few tutorials online that I plan to follow. Regency shifts are basically big rectangles with sleeves and gussets, so I don't think I'll need a pattern.

For the petticoats, I did find a pattern for a bodiced version, but the skirt one is another large rectangle, so I plan to follow a tutorial for that as well.

My day gowns are going to be the back closing gown from Laughing Moon Mercantile. I went back and forth on a few different styles, but the back closing one appealed the most to me.

The rest I'll decide later, once I'm closer to sewing them. If you're looking for Regency patterns, here are a few of the top pattern companies I found online:
  • Laughing Moon Mercantile
  • Black Snail Patterns
  • Fig Leaf Patterns
  • Sense and Sensibility Patterns
  • Past Patterns
  • Reconstructing History
What's Next?

That's as much progress as I've made on this project so far. My next step is sewing the shift, as it's not too hard and will hopefully boost my confidence for sewing the really scary piece (the stays).

I also need to start looking around for the pieces I don't plan on sewing, such as a bonnet, shawl, and stockings.

I plan to keep writing about my progress, so once those posts are up, I'll link them here!
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