A snippet I would like to share about corsets in 1913 plus questions about bust support.

[Yvonne De Rooij]

I was talking about old (edwardian to 1949) books on sewing with TheLongHairedFlapper on her youtube channel, and she recommended some freely downloadable books from archive . com

Comments

[ext_3749756]

Thank you for going in depth, I now have a very clear picture of what you described

[geminiwench]

I'd rather be embarrassed when the First Lady uses my bathroom, than clean every day. I don't think that system will work for me!

But she won't get a disease or smell anything weird so, she'll just have to look at ugly/confusing piles of *stuff* that hasn't been put away properly or is mid-task. Oops!

Yes! 20th century corsets!

Um.... they're wonderful! ;)

[ext_3749756]

The duct tape method is where you cover your torso in cling film, then tape over it with duct tape

[virginiadear]

Power net was used in girdles. Before power net, which had to have been a huge improvement, girdles were made with heavy, sort of ropey elastic panels and they were so non-stretchy and worn so tight that I marvel all the ladies who wore them didn't have not just varicose veins but have trouble with deep vein thromboses turning into pulmonary thromboses.
Today it seems to come in weights or strengths. I found one brick-and-mortar store in my region which carries it (in an amazing clutter all chock-a-block store where you ask for the fabric you want, and the proprietress pulls out the bolts she thinks will satisfy your needs based on your description of what you want) and in that one, it came only in white, in the weight used for bras and in the weight for girdles.
It's possible that the girdle "power net" goes by another name. We didn't discuss it. 8^S

[ext_3749756]

Girdles to me just sound uncomfortable. I'm assuming every girdle is synthetic though.
Seems like they make you sweat, possibly irritate the skin and squeeze you in places where it is unnecessary.
At least with cotton corsets that are suited to the body shape they only squeeze at the soft parts, not over hip bones.

[virginiadear]

I, too, am assuming that modern girdles are synthetic.
Can't comment as to the comfort or discomfort, I'm afraid.

[virginiadear]

Oh, yes: I do recognize the duct tape method from your and geminiwench's descriptions, but I'd only ever associated that with producing a dress form or "fitting assistant." I hadn't thought of it in terms of making patterns, but it does make sense! :^)

In the past, I've either direct-draped on my own body, and then fiddled about to get the lines/seam placement I needed, or I took measurements and made drawings (full scale) and did muslins/toiles and did them again until the fit was what I wanted or needed, and then I'd go to work.

[ext_3749756]

I would love to make a fitting assistant with the duct tape method, because that would make patterning much easier.
But my weight isn't stable yet, I still want/have to lose about 5 more kg.
Losing weight is great but it has really put a damper on my sewing.

I tried to make a fitted blouse by drafting my own bodice block, and every time I came to the point where I said "almost perfect, just this one more tweak" I had lost weight and the mock up didn't fit nicely anymore. It's a pain because I had keep adjusting the bust line and arms eye.

[virginiadear]

Singer-actress Liza Minelli had (and may still have) a wardrobe by Halston, because she experienced/experiences weight fluctuations, and his clothes looked good on her---and, more to the point, fit nicely---whether her weight was up or down.
I miss seeing patterns for his designs, and for a number of other designers....

If the question (for you) were a similar one, that of weight fluctuations, it would seem reasonable to make a fitting assistant which matched your lowest weight/smallest measurements, and then an assortment of pads to accommodate increases.
Or, to buy a commercially made, adjustable, customizable dress form which lets you literally dial up to higher measurements, or down to lower ones. The ones I see here in the States allow a range of sizes, but no one form covers all sizes.
Other than that, the only things I can think to do are just maintain the weight you have (highly unsatisfactory if it makes you unhappy), or make a number of fitting assistants and padding for each to allow for transitions to the next "main" size

[ext_3749756]

I just googled Halston because I never came across the name

[virginiadear]

That was what Ms. Minelli was doing in Halston designs. They allowed flexibility of her body's, ah, topography.

"Ooh I was so stubborn and determined to make it work with the pattern drafting whilst losing weight, like I was gritting my teeth and saying I would not be defeated.
But sometimes you just have to sit down and realize what you are doing is futile."

*giggle* You sound like me! That stubborn, hard-headedly determined, "I'm going to make this work! This isn't going to defeat me!" approach is one I know well.
Right now, dress forms here cost between 212.57 euros (USD 239.00) and 257 euros (USD 289.00)
Now that I think about it, I have never made either buying or making a fitting assistant or dress form, a priority.

I agree with you about not having or making a dress form/fitting assistant until and unless one's weight is stable, and wasn't suggesting that you SHOULD have a family of fitting assistants, just that some people would find it a viable option to do so.

[ext_3749756]

Do you happen to know how Halston made his designs so size flexible?
I have trouble finding many pictures of Liza in Halstons designs, most of the google results seem to be about her defending him (I assume some kind of scandal).
What we see with many clothes sold as "one size fits all" is that there is either stretch fabric, elastic or a draw string involved.

The dress form that I have, the one that is broken, I bought second hand.
It was originally close to 150 euro. I think the lady who owned it knew it was close to dying so when she stopped sewing she sold it to me for 10 euros. I got a little bit of use out of it but it already had some damage.
I realize that even with the damage and later the thing completely dying, it was still a bargain.

I mean I have the money for a new one at 150EU but I just can't justify the purchase.

I knew that you didn't suggest I should make a family of fitting assistants. I was just pointing out that it would be impossible to make one for my body at 65kg when I haven't weighed 65 kg yet this year.

[virginiadear]

Re: Halston designs. Not specifically, no. I know he "hated things that don't work," such as buttons which don't hold anything closed, and he wouldn't have them on the clothing he designed. He eliminated all details he considered extraneous, no embellishments for the sake of sticking something on there. He was a big proponent of cutting on the bias to allow the body to determine the flow of the garment.
Dresses and jackets or coats looked (to me) to be kimono-cut, even when they had shoulder seams.

I do know there's a way to make a waistband expandable on a skirt or a pair of trousers, without making a casing out of the waistband and threading elastic through that casing; it does use some elastic, of course, but it's unobtrusive. Whether Halston ever employed that, I couldn't say.
I imagine, although I do not know, that the lady from your local sewing supplies shop who advised you to set aside fitted garments for the time being (until you have your weight where you want it) was thinking along similar lines. Personally, when I

[ext_3749756]

My favorite way to make a skirt that can fit me at different sizes is to make a regular interfaced waist band but have a casing for elastic at the center back that goes 3/4ths (or was it 2/3rds?) of the way to the side seams

[ext_3749756]

As for the body hair; my ex always said he preferred the clean shaven look. I had so much trouble trying to avoid irritation when shaving, there was always some red bumps

[virginiadear]

Eh