Ten Things That Make You Look Historic

Look Like History, No Matter Where You Are! (My Middlest Girl, at a museum event in December.)

We talk a lot about a goal of replicating the Original Cast: those people who actually lived during our preferred historic era. It’s a worthy goal, and barring dysentery, we can actually get pretty close to them.

Most lists of this sort would be written in the negative: Ten Things That Are Making You Look Modern, for instance. But here at The Sewing Academy, we believe the best results come from training the eye to recognize historical examples, not modern flaws.

So here are Ten Things…. that make you look like the Original Cast!

1: Understructure In Place

A well-fitted, era-specific corset will do amazing things for your overall look. Don’t hesitate to refine and upgrade until you get great support, comfortable shaping, and your silhouette mimics those of the Original Cast, no matter what your body size and composition.

2: Textiles In Harmony With Style Choices

There’s nothing more charming than a well-chosen cotton print, fitted neatly, and worn well (even if well-worn!). You cannot beat exquisite fit and styling in a pristine silk. The joys of a fine wool dress with delicious “wool dress style” details are unparalleled. Suit your clothing to your pocketbook, and your styles to the textiles you have access to. It’s an amazing way to look Just Like They Did.

3: A Good Hair Style

Practice, search, practice more! You CAN accomplish an excellent historical hairstyle. Just recently, I gave an early 50s spin to my own short hair, with a delightful little confectionery cap set on a good wire frame, and three little ringlets in front of each ear, with the rest drawn back and hidden in a distressingly tiny knob under a hairpiece that needs to be scaled down… so that’s my next step in Good Hair Style: scale down the fake bits to suit me better. You can do it, too. Find your era-specific style and master it.

4: Appropriate Spectacles

Seriously, decent repro specs are a game-changer. Join me in changing the vision game this year! (It’s also period-appropriate to not correct poor vision, if you can do so safely in your historic settings.)

5: White Accessories in Harmony with Style Choices

Simple white lawn can be worked up plain or less-plain. Invest in great real lace, even if it’s just a touch of it. Get over to cottonlace.com and see what Luc has. You still need to know what you’re looking for to harmonize your era with the styles of lace now available, but you can make gorgeous white bits that harmonize with your dresses, and you’ll be splendid. Period magazines often have diagrams for new and pretty collar and cuff styles; size them so the pages are about 7×9″, and give them a test in muslin or tissue paper—those period shapes WORK.

6: Additional Accessories in Harmony with Activity & Style Choices

Again, your wardrobe needs to suit your accessories! If you’re cold, make some warm accessories. If you’re hot all the time, get your protection gear in gear, and try out hot-weather construction strategies like sheer and semi-sheer cotton or wool, and half-high linings, and single-layer corsets… Add something to accessorize you comfortably!

7: Harmonizing Clothes to Activity

We don’t do gross stuff in fine clothes. We don’t wear grubbies to the dance party. Dress to your activities, and then forget your clothes and go make history.

8: Skip The Mod Cosmetics

Seriously, what you look like is none of your business. A tidy personage and a positive attitude will beautify you plenty. It’s okay to have no eyebrows in the past. Don’t worry about it. There are mild period-styled cosmetic preparations you can try, but skip the modern makeup and you’ll improve your look ten-fold.

9: Consider Your Petticoats

Because you probably need another. It’s a very rare instance that you cannot be improved with a better petticoat. Use period techniques and geometry, and good cloth (not utility muslin), and enjoy the beauty that is a great set of petticoats for loft and loveliness.

10: Footwear!

You’re going to want to kick up a frolic, now that you’re looking so very splendidly-period. It’s worth your time, and maybe selling some blood plasma, to get decent historic shoes that work for your own interpretive needs. Get your shoes and sock in good shape, and stomp forth to be historically awesome!