Why?

[mmcnealy]

 

Not sure if its the weather or the season, but in response to Jen Thompson's thoughts earlier, here's what motovates me to create historical costumes.....ta da! Hats.

Yes, hats. The one element of costume that is usually thought of as an afterthought. For most costumer's, its about the dress and they don't take the time to do the headdress *right*, if they bother with putting anything on their heads at all. (Nothing urks me more than a gable headdress with bangs! ARGG!).  If you want to make the outfit unique, make the headdress, cause the other people probably didn't even bother (but they will have spent 100+ hours sewing on pearls and other beads).

I care about the dress, but for me, the dress is the reason to wear the headdress that goes with it. Once you have the headdress and the dress, well then you need the belt, purse, basket, tent, table..... in essence the entire ensamble.

But on a more serious note: When I have a dress that I want to make, and somebody else has already made it, I don't read their work. I sit down and come up with my own theories and my own methods. This is made easier because I  focus on the less popular German stuff, the common ordinary middle class to upper middle class people stuff, there aren't that many established theories out there in Hunnisett et al.   I am neither a Saxon court princess or a kampfrau and never will be.  I'm a big believer in getting ones inspiration from period art sources and then using extant garments and pattern books to figure out the construction details. For art sources, I like woodcuts and drawings the best, paintings are a close second.

No matter what the style or the era, you as a costumer have a choice, do your own research or use somebody else's. Personally, I prefer my own so I can come to my own conclusions about how things were made, my own construction techniques and pattern shapes. This is why I really don't read a lot of dress diaries anymore, I don't want to be confused by someone else's conclusions, I want my outfit to be unique and for me to be able to explain in excruciating detail why I chose to do things the way I did things.  All this research of course takes time, on average about 8 months of research, contemplation and design goes into each outfit. Some, which haven't been made yet, will have been in the RCD phase for almost 2 years by the time they are made. Part of the delay can be chalked up to grad school, part of it because it took that long to get the questions that I had answered through period sources.   

As to why I don't post to the web a lot of my projects until they're finished,  its because I'm still working out the details. Plus I'm a perfectionist, so it really bugs me to back-track and admit errors online, its bad enough having to rip the seams out, let alone admit that the project turned out looking like crap and its a "Do Over" dress.

 I hope this better explains my costumer psyche. 

Comments

[misscrabtree.livejournal.com]

I really admire you going to grad school and managing time for your costuming. I too do not read a lot of dress diaries, but then again I am in a sewing funk right now. Perhaps my desire to sew will surface again, as for now, Im taking it easy. On the topic of hats, thanks:) as I really never looked at costuming beginnings from the hat stand point. Pause and cause for thought :)

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

I'm not really sure if I'm actually managing time for costuming as much as I'm packing it in instead of spending time doing other things. Matt set up my sewing table yesterday and asked how long it would be up, I said two weeks and he replied "Oh, you mean until the first big assignment is due and you realize you won't have time to sew until the next quarter break."

*sigh* I just hate it when he's right!

[barb-costuming.livejournal.com]

SHOES!!! If I ever get past the last stage and get them started. hehehe! That's what I look at... it drives me nuts to see someone wearing a beautiful gown and in sneakers or modern shoes that aren't anything close to period. lol!

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Shoes!

I completly agree with you there, I can't stand seeing a great outfit ruined by tennis shoes. I realize that some people have foot problems that require them to wear comfortable shoes. I have foot problems and wear Dansko clogs in black or brown, or very appropriate looking sandles for hot weather, but never tennis shoes!

[dame-eleanor.livejournal.com]

Quite right! There are SO MANY good and affordable options other than the dreaded "sneaker"! It just pains me to see people settle for something SO inappropriate.

[flummoxicated.livejournal.com]

Preach on! Accessories are a make or break part of the costume.

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

Amen sista!

[jenthompson.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed reading this. I think is it so interesting to hear what motivates different people to explore this particular art form. And hats! Yeah, hats are a great thing. I've kind of missed out on a lot of the hat fun by focusing on Italian stuff in the past, but I'm hoping to remedy that with my next project! :-)

[linuxwitch.livejournal.com]

What motivates me?

Sheer boredom and incessant need to use my hands. Seriously, anything "creative/artistic" that may come out of the exercise is purely accidental. I struggle so much with the basic technical aspects that true creativity is pretty much non-existant. ;)

[sorchekyrkby.livejournal.com]

Mee too. Completely lacking in creativity, but I can be a lemming with the best of 'em.

[sitpadeshu.livejournal.com]

Hats are what got me into the world of the Elizabethan in the first place. I really wanted to make a hat and the dress just followed along. Ever since I have not been able to have one without the other. :) Now I'm working on a 1554 Tudor and I'll have to make the French hood that you don't see very often. Great fun!

I've always enjoyed the dress diaries for the learning experience they offer (I learned to sew from these very same diaries), but I agree that when I work on my own projects I try to make my own theories.

I love the challenge invovled in historical costuming (as I'm sure most folks are) and will continue to find ways to remain passionate about it.

[myladyswardrobe.livejournal.com]

In my case, it was initially because I needed a gown for Kentwell. Now its because a portrait inspires me and I "HAVE" to make it!

However, if I am going to make something, then I also like to ensure that ALL the bits of a gown are made:- correct shoes (though I buy these!), jewellery, embroidery and other needlearts and hats AND hairstyles all correct!

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Hats are a very good reason for me to make later period stuff (as renaissance and recently even later than that) too. There are a lot of costumes I want to make just so that I can wear silly mushroom hats or other silly hats. The reason I want to make something from 1830s, which I really don't like the style of, is that they have the coolest, most outrageous bonnets. Headwear rules! Even if it's only the coloured veils in the 12th century.

Eva

[adelheit.livejournal.com]

I do the same thing. I see a hat and I have to make it, then I make the outfit to go with it. I absolutely love making hats.

Adelheit

[kampfrau.livejournal.com]

"(Nothing urks me more than a gable headdress with bangs! ARGG!)"

This cracks me up because I agree, however, I have a serious widow's peak hairline and cannot bear to be without my bangs. I try to tell myself that if I really want to accomplish a period look I need to grow them out, yet my inexcuseable vanity weighs in and I go get them cut again.

I adore your thought process.