Victorian Mourning Outfit: Design and Prepping

I finished the outfit design last night. I also did more research on Victorian mourning attire and traditions. The fabrics I have will be fun to try for this outfit.

Before I explain the outfit, I want to note how humorous I found the choice of date for the Brimsteam game. 1889 is during the last hoorah of the bustle, where they were bigger than before (making women look like they are semi-centaurs). A few years later, huge mutton sleeves were the rage, and the huge bustles set aside for "simpler" skirts. Oh, what to do? Well the image is how I am handling a possible "in between" late 1880's to early 1890's inspired Steampunk larp outfit base.

The top image with just the vest was the original vest design I was going to try. It has an assymetrical front closure, but I decided to change it to a plain front, due to time constraints. I do hope to make this vest too; eventually.

The full front figure shows most of the outfit, except the short jacket (or bolero) seen in the center and last sketches on the top row. The bottom of the sleeves, however, are going to likely be different, ending in a point rather than a blunt hem. The dress may or may not use a bustle or a small bustle pillow. Still undecided.

The colors are appropriate to later mourning attire; deep blacks and dark purples. The fabrics will be mainly cotton and a little velvet-like velour or velveteen. Some trim and frog closures are also at my disposal for this outfit, if appropriate. Photos of the cloth, trims, and pattern bases will be added when I download them off my camera.

The cloths are preshrunk for the most part, and the patterns have been looked through. Priorities are as follows:
1. the shirt
2. the skirt
3. the vest
Anything beyond those before September are icing.

**My husband may also post his progress here too, unless we start a different blog for him.