The second part of the guide on how to make a costume for a turn-of-the-century middle class person (or how we made it work for the Titanic exhibition)!
For masculine tips on what to wear, scroll down!
For masculine tips on what to wear, scroll down!
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| Full body |
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| Closeup |
Most of the passengers on the Titanic was not wealthy! For these passengers, a two or three piece suit was worn for most occasions. Since it took fashion a while to "move down", the 2nd and 3rd class were usually a few years behind the upper class, but they also kept the fashion for a few years longer.
So you will be surprised that you might already have a lot of the clothing required at home for the period. If you are a 80's buff you might be better off than most, since clothing from that time were inspired by the Edwardian era.
Lets make a break down of the individual pieces of my costume.
Underwear
I had normal panties and a black lace-up corset on underneath. I should also have had on a chemise, but what people don't see doesn't exist ;)
Coat / Jacket
I wore a black cotton cape-ish short jacket on top, mostly because the weather. There was rain on the horizon and I kept it in the car just in case. It works because of the dark colour and the wide cut. As a side note: The skirt and coat does NOT need to match!
Blouse
Try to find something off-white / ivory with lace. Go with a high neck and long sleeves for a modest look. Buttons up the back was a staple, but if you cant find it that is fine. The one I am wearing in the picture has two in the back of the neck. I also think it is made from polyester, where it should be made from cotton, so as long as it looks good...
Skirt
Ideally the skirt should be make out of wool with a full A-line fit in a dark colour. One might wear a petticoat or another full skirt underneath to give it more volume, since moving around is more practical, but it does not mean only those types of skirts were worn.
Suits back then had skirts with high waists and slim fit. I went for a more tight fitting "hobble skirt", named after the way it impeded the walk, in a more bright pattern suited for the summer months.
Hat
In 1910s the philosophy was "the bigger the better" when it came to hats! Large and wide-brimmed styles made their way on top of most women’s heads, regardless of their social standing.
For 2nd or 3rd class you can use a plain felt, wool or straw hat for the base. Then you add your own touch with accessories such as ribbons, flowers and feathers!
I had a cheap headband with artificial flowers left over from midsummer's eve that I paired with a wide-brimmed, floppy hat that I had at home for a 1910s look.
Shoes
Shoes from the era was boots made out of leather and narrow in the foot and ankle-length with laces up the front or buttons on the side.
I wore a pair of laced up black "granny boots" with a pompadour heel (kind of similar to the ones pictured below). I think they are more at home in the previous Victorian era rather than the later Edwardian, but they are similar enough to what was worn. And who is going to inspect my footwear anyway?
So you will be surprised that you might already have a lot of the clothing required at home for the period. If you are a 80's buff you might be better off than most, since clothing from that time were inspired by the Edwardian era.
Lets make a break down of the individual pieces of my costume.
Underwear
I had normal panties and a black lace-up corset on underneath. I should also have had on a chemise, but what people don't see doesn't exist ;)
Coat / Jacket
I wore a black cotton cape-ish short jacket on top, mostly because the weather. There was rain on the horizon and I kept it in the car just in case. It works because of the dark colour and the wide cut. As a side note: The skirt and coat does NOT need to match!
Blouse
Try to find something off-white / ivory with lace. Go with a high neck and long sleeves for a modest look. Buttons up the back was a staple, but if you cant find it that is fine. The one I am wearing in the picture has two in the back of the neck. I also think it is made from polyester, where it should be made from cotton, so as long as it looks good...
Skirt
Ideally the skirt should be make out of wool with a full A-line fit in a dark colour. One might wear a petticoat or another full skirt underneath to give it more volume, since moving around is more practical, but it does not mean only those types of skirts were worn.
Suits back then had skirts with high waists and slim fit. I went for a more tight fitting "hobble skirt", named after the way it impeded the walk, in a more bright pattern suited for the summer months.
Hat
In 1910s the philosophy was "the bigger the better" when it came to hats! Large and wide-brimmed styles made their way on top of most women’s heads, regardless of their social standing.
For 2nd or 3rd class you can use a plain felt, wool or straw hat for the base. Then you add your own touch with accessories such as ribbons, flowers and feathers!
I had a cheap headband with artificial flowers left over from midsummer's eve that I paired with a wide-brimmed, floppy hat that I had at home for a 1910s look.
Shoes
Shoes from the era was boots made out of leather and narrow in the foot and ankle-length with laces up the front or buttons on the side.
I wore a pair of laced up black "granny boots" with a pompadour heel (kind of similar to the ones pictured below). I think they are more at home in the previous Victorian era rather than the later Edwardian, but they are similar enough to what was worn. And who is going to inspect my footwear anyway?
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| Granny boots were worn from the Victorian era into the 1950s and got a revival in the 1980s! |
Jewellery
Both the Art Nouveau (natural, curving designs that focused on nature) and the Arts and Crafts movement (craftsmanship) had influences on the jewellery of the Edwardian period. It is also famous for the widespread use of filigree; delicate metalwork that gives jewellery a light and ethereal feel. Tassels, bows, wreaths, strings of flowers, and long scrolls were also popular!
Necklace: As pearls were one of the main stones used (the other being diamonds), I went with a long plastic pearl necklace, wrapped twice around my neck, otherwise it would be TOO long.
Earrings began the century as simple diamond studs but were soon "dropped down" with ear hooks. Designed to move and sway, the drop form was popular and I was wearing a pair of plastic drop earrings, turned from clear to a yellow hue with age.
Bag
For the day-look, a simple bag is the most practical for a 2nd or 3rd class person to go about their day with. I went for a leather bag with handle, strap and a hinged closure.
Accessories
Gloves: Edwardian gloves were a MUST to wear at ALL times (except eating or using the restroom). Lace or mesh gloves are the most comfortable for summer. A good rule of thumb is: Short sleeves = Long Gloves (to cover up any skin).
Long sleeves = Short gloves.
I wore a pair of short, white nylon gloves.
Fan: A nice accessory to have during summer. They were usually made out of lace, but my research didn't tell me which class used them, so I decided to add it as a accessory. Mine was made out of plastic and the "fan" part was paper with a painted decoration!
Make-up
Up until around 1910, make-up was still a bit of a taboo, yet most women did SOMETHING to enhance her looks, like using rouge on the cheeks or powdering the skin for example and performed by most young women on a daily basis.
Go for matte eye-shadows, rouges and lipsticks for the Edwardian look. Since most of the make-up was handmade at that time, it can get a little bit tricky to find the right products for the era, but here is a quick guide:
Face: Light powder.
Eye Shadow: Gold and silver for evenings (nothing for day looks).
Mascara: For darkening light lashes (nothing on dark lashes).
Lips: Red.
Rouge: Applied all over the cheeks.
I went only with a light "dusting" of a mineral foundation on my face and neck to even out my complexion. Keeping it natural!
DONE! :)
Both the Art Nouveau (natural, curving designs that focused on nature) and the Arts and Crafts movement (craftsmanship) had influences on the jewellery of the Edwardian period. It is also famous for the widespread use of filigree; delicate metalwork that gives jewellery a light and ethereal feel. Tassels, bows, wreaths, strings of flowers, and long scrolls were also popular!
Necklace: As pearls were one of the main stones used (the other being diamonds), I went with a long plastic pearl necklace, wrapped twice around my neck, otherwise it would be TOO long.
Earrings began the century as simple diamond studs but were soon "dropped down" with ear hooks. Designed to move and sway, the drop form was popular and I was wearing a pair of plastic drop earrings, turned from clear to a yellow hue with age.
Bag
For the day-look, a simple bag is the most practical for a 2nd or 3rd class person to go about their day with. I went for a leather bag with handle, strap and a hinged closure.
Accessories
Gloves: Edwardian gloves were a MUST to wear at ALL times (except eating or using the restroom). Lace or mesh gloves are the most comfortable for summer. A good rule of thumb is: Short sleeves = Long Gloves (to cover up any skin).
Long sleeves = Short gloves.
I wore a pair of short, white nylon gloves.
Fan: A nice accessory to have during summer. They were usually made out of lace, but my research didn't tell me which class used them, so I decided to add it as a accessory. Mine was made out of plastic and the "fan" part was paper with a painted decoration!
Make-up
Up until around 1910, make-up was still a bit of a taboo, yet most women did SOMETHING to enhance her looks, like using rouge on the cheeks or powdering the skin for example and performed by most young women on a daily basis.
Go for matte eye-shadows, rouges and lipsticks for the Edwardian look. Since most of the make-up was handmade at that time, it can get a little bit tricky to find the right products for the era, but here is a quick guide:
Face: Light powder.
Eye Shadow: Gold and silver for evenings (nothing for day looks).
Mascara: For darkening light lashes (nothing on dark lashes).
Lips: Red.
Rouge: Applied all over the cheeks.
I went only with a light "dusting" of a mineral foundation on my face and neck to even out my complexion. Keeping it natural!
DONE! :)
This is what I was wearing to the Titanic Exhibition and how we turned what we already had at home into a 1910 second-to-third-class Edwardian 'day dress' costume for women (or feminine peoples)!
We also got the opportunity to take a "authentic" photo before we "boarded". Here is what it looked like:
Resources used to research the look:
https://vintagedancer.com/1900s/easy-edwardian-titanic-costumes/
https://vintagedancer.com/1900s/second-and-third-class-womens-titanic-fashion/
https://vintagedancer.com/1900s/how-to-make-a-titanic-swim-dress-on-a-budget/
Resources used to research the look:
https://vintagedancer.com/1900s/easy-edwardian-titanic-costumes/
https://vintagedancer.com/1900s/second-and-third-class-womens-titanic-fashion/
https://vintagedancer.com/1900s/how-to-make-a-titanic-swim-dress-on-a-budget/
