To Make Your Own Ladies ECD Costume

The simplest way to create a ladies ECD style costume is to find a full length, empire waisted gown, with short puffy sleeves.

Add a complimenting ribbon sash, tied behind or in front, a string of long beads, and a shawl scarf. 

Complete the outfit with low-heeled shoes and long white gloves.

If you want to splurge a little and join the Regency fun,

for an amazingly simple Regency Period dress to sew,

buy Simplicity Pattern 4055

(we found ours at JoAnn's Fabrics). 

Alteration suggestions for a quick Regency dress using Simplicity Pattern 4055: 

Choose Bodice A but do not do the overlay for the bodice--more sewing tip instructions on that below .  We did choose to line the bodice. 

Choose Skirt A (or skirt B) as the main skirt without doing any overlay or lining--you will have a single layer of skirt, and half the sewing time.  (The pattern is set up to use Skirt A as the underskirt with Skirt B as filmy overlay to A....or to use Skirt B as the main dress material and Skirt A as an underslip/liner to B)  If you choose to do skirt A as the main single skirt, you wll get a more modern empire look (which can be worn to other functions).  If you do Skirt B as the main skirt, you will get a more marked regency period look with signficant gathers and a slightly raised back skirt/bodice seam.  More skirt tip instructions below.

Choose the puff sleeves of A. Do not line the sleeves. 

You will end up with a dress with a lined bodice, unlined, short-length puff sleeves, and a single-layer, unlined full length skirt (under which you wear a modern half slip, the longer the better).

We did our first simple dresses using Bodice A, Sleeve A, Skirt A, out of inexpensive "quilters cotton" from JoAnn's fabrics for a very nice look.  (See photos below).

The whole dress cost maybe $20 including pattern. 

Sewing tips on Simplicity Pattern 4055: 

BODICE: Simply cut 2 of every bodice piece from your dress material, 1 for the dress and 1 for the lining. (Unless you have weightier material, you will want 2 layers on the bodice for Bodice A).  Sew the bodice dress pieces together and then the bodice lining pieces together. (Note, when fitting together, the 2 curved back bodice side pieces will overhang slightly at the top neck-side edge....keep the bottom edges even, and pin and ease the curved back bodice pieces together with lots of pins to keep it flat to sew). Then place completed bodice lining and completed bodice dress (no sleeves yet, those come later) right sides together, and sew at the neckline and down back midseams (where you will have overlap for buttons/buttonholes), turn and press. Run your gather sticthes under each breast.  Gather at breasts. Now fit this sleeveless bodice as one unit to the person BEFORE sewing the sleeves or skirt onto the bodice.  You may need to make adjustments by taking in side seams, enlargening armholes, or adjusting the buttonlap midseam edges as needed.  The skirt is "forgiving" as you can simply increase or decrease the back gatherings or adjust the skirt side seams. 

Unlike the instructions, we recommend sewing both bodice front and lining as one unit onto the skirt rather than matching right sides of bodice and skirt, sewing the seam, then whip stitching the bodice lining over that inside skirt-bodice seam.  If you do it as instructed in the Simplicty pattern, it is very difficult to keep the bodice and lining from rumpling in front as you move.  It is also easier to match your bodice and lining bust gathers when they are treated as one.  You can finish the raw edges from this bodice-lining skirt seam with seam tape or leave them unfinished (it really doesn't show because of the way the back skirt placket overlaps).

Also check your arm hole allowance when fitting the bodice.  For the short puff sleeve, we found the arm holes a little tight for "bustier" types, which we corrected with a slightly larger seam allowance when in-setting the sleeves.  We also found the sleeve bands a little snug, which we corrected by taking a smaller sewing seam allowance for the sleeve bands or recutting the sleeve band a little larger and simply adjusting the gathers in the puff sleeve to accommodate.  You may also wish to add lace or cut the Bodice A pattern a little higher if the finished dress will hit too low at the neckline.

SKIRT:  Skirt A fits more narrowly,so those with wider hips may wish to add an inch to the Skirt A width during pattern cutting. Any adjustments fitting the skirt to the bodice can be made up with fewer or more gathers at the skirt back or adjusting the side seams a bit...more gathers simply create a more marked Regency look, fewer a more modern empire waist look. Unless you are using very lightweight or silky fabric, a modern half slip will work fine under either Skirt A or Skirt B as the single-layer main skirt to the dress.  This saves the sewing time of that liner!

We also simplified (or made better sense, at least to us) the sewing the back placket onto the back skirt.  Mark your midpoint on the back skirt top edge according to the pattern (or by measuring halfway).  Take the skirt placket and fold in half.  Measure that half-placket length, down the skirt midline from this skirt/bodice edge top midpoint.  Note where placket (folded in half) ends.  Mark that spot.  Cut skirt back from top edge to your marked spot.  Finish one long edge of your placket.  Open skirt slit and pull straight.  Right sides together, pin raw placket edge across opened slit using full length of placket.  Now with pinned placket on top, sew placket to skirt with a graduated seam starting at 5/8 inch at left skirt top edge narrowing to almost the edge of material by the marked spot, then graduating back out to 5/8 inch again to the right skirt top edge...the whole sewing pattern will resemble a "V."  Turn and press placket to inside of skirt.

For more in depth adjustments and information, go to the Sense and Sensibility website. The lady who designed the dress for the Simplicity pattern sells her own more "authentic" pattern on her website but gives sewing and alteration instructions for both pattern types.  There are lot of suggestions, alterations, tips and helps on her site (with instructional photos).

 

Our Dress Experiences

 

The Light Blue and Peach dresses below use Simplicity Pattern 4055 Bodice A (with lace at neckline), Skirt A (without overlay) for a more modern empire look, and Sleeve A. 

        

 

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The  Dark Blue dress below uses Simplicty Pattern 4055 Bodice A (cut a little higher at the neckline), Skirt A (without overlay) for a more modern empire look, and Sleeve B in a sateen fabric. 

 

Sleeve B does work with Bodice A, but you will have to "fiddle" with it to make it crown right  since the Sleeve B notches won't match up with Bodice A notches (as Sleeve B is actually made for Bodice B).  When fiddling to fit the sleeve B  to Bodice A, note that the seam that runs the length of the sleeve (down the arm) is off set to the back of the arm and does not line up with the underarm/side seam of the bodice like modern shirts/dresses do. 

 

Sleeve B is also a very snug sleeve, especially in the elbow area.  We ended up using a size larger for the sleeve taking up the armhole difference with the gathers. The gold "v" in the bodice front is simply a decorative fabric sewn onto the Bodice A front, applique style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Green dress  (left in photo) is  Simplicty Pattern 4055 Bodice B with Sleeves B (cut at 3/4 length for variety) with Skirt B as a full skirt (without the optional lining) and a Sash out of panne velvet. 

 

We adjusted this dress so that it has a button hole closure at the center back rather than the pattern's gathered ties (to be more secure for dancing).  

 

We did this by adding a little extra to the center Bodice B back seam (about 1 inch) when we cut the pattern piece to allow for a button hole overlap.  (Look at how Bodice A pattern does this for an example.  Bodice A pattern does have button holes and overlap in the pattern).  

 

Instead of a closure tie at the neckline for this dress, we used very small (about 1/8 inch) soft elastic to close the neckline.  If you try to leave out the neckline tie (because you choose to secure the back closing with buttons instead) the neckline will fall widely onto the shoulders in a big scoop--it needs that gathering to bring it to its intended neckline position.  Be sure to sew any lace on BEFORE you gather and sew in that neck elastic.

 

 

The Blue dress  (right in photo) is Simplicity Pattern 4055 Bodice A (with lace to bring the neckline height up a bit) with Skirt B and Sleeves B (cut to 3/4 for variety).  Note how much wider these B skirts are. 

    

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These dresses are our biggest projects yet!

 

Georgian/Colonial McCall's Pattern 5414 

Here we've done a late Georgian/Colonial style dress (1714-1830).  This dress was sewn for the George Washington Birthnight Ball, February 22, 2008.  We used McCall's Costume Pattern 5414, which was really not too difficult to do (just time-consuming adding all the lace and trim).  

 

The fitting of the bodice is key to this dress.  Be sure to check the waistline at the pattern stage (hold bodice pattern to body to check if actual waistline and pattern natural waistline match--the natural waistline is generally just above the belly button).  Lengthen or shorten as necessary on the paper pattern at the area marked for it.  It is very important this bodice is appropriate to the natural waistline. Once that is fitted, everything else falls into place nicely. 

 

The back zipper seam and bodice side seams are a great place to make any adjustments as well.  Either take a smaller or larger allowance, or even graduated allowance to make a completely fitted look.

 

We did cut the center bodice panel 2 inches higher than the pattern for a more modest neckline.

 

We did sew the bodice/lining assembly onto the skirt using a "sandwich" technique--ie we pressed inward (towards wrong side) both of the bottom edges of the completed bodice dress and the bodice lining assembly (seperately) to a 5/8 inch seam allowance.  We then sandwiched the skirt inbetween the bodice dress and bodice lining layers.   (Lots of pins and sewing slowly!)  This really helped to keep that waist seam flat for a controlled fitted look. We also used iron-on facing for the stiffner on the bodice. 

 

A hooped petticoat was worn under the dress.  We found a reasonably priced hoop, with adjustable hoops, on eBay from fairelady.com (search ebay for fairelady.com or for hooped petticoats--however, be aware that the  fairelady.com website has some models with revealing corset pictures).

   

 

Modified Simplicity 4055 for a Josephine Gown effect

 

Here we took Simplicity Pattern 4055, used the Bodice A pattern for a gold brocade with a lining in cream polyester chiffon (see Bodice sewing instructions above on how to line the Bodice A). 

 

We used the same cream chiffon as underskirt A, then did the pattern overlay B in gold brocade but modified it by opening it up in front by splitting it at the midline (and hemming the split side fronts). 

 

The sleeves were a flaired adaptation of sleeve B by choosing one size larger in B and adding a bell shape at the bottom half of the sleeve. 

 

We then added purchased chiffon ruffle trim as sleeve cuffs and as neck accent. 

 

The effect is a Josephine Gown (circa Empress Josephine, Napoleon's wife). 

 

We chose to add rivets and lacing in the back rather than using the pattern's suggested ties or buttons for a secure but authentic looking closure.

 

  

 

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Gentlemen Costumes

Many of the gentlemen also come to balls in Regency style costume.

 

Below, the gentlemen are wearing Butterick Men's Costume Pattern B3702 for the shirt and vest (ruffle added at the cuffs).  Regular modern men's dockers and black shoes complete the outfit. This Butterick pattern also has colonial style knickers included in the pattern kit, however regular modern dockers can be substituted for those gentlemen who prefer (as shown below). 

 

 

 

Here's how to make an elegant man's Regency style topcoat with tails made from a modern man's suit:

 

 

Improved Instructions!

Find a Used Man's Modern Suit or Tuxedo

Choose a modern man's suit that fits well across the shoulders and chest (an old suit in which the pants are too short is an excellent choice as you will be cutting the suit up).

 

Long full jacket sleeves are best, but modern jacket sleeve length is acceptable, and even a little short is okay as Regency men sometimes wore their shirt sleeves long and full with full cuffs extending beyond their jacket.

 

Choose a coat that will adapt well to being cut off (ie the pockets are either removable or do not mess up the jacket's bottom edge once you cut the coat.)

 

Old tuxedo coats are especially good, but any man's suit coat will do. Suit coats with a full lining work the best, but those with partial lining or unlined can be used as well.

 

Preparing the Top Coat

Have your gentleman put the coat on, and mark it to the preferred hip line length plus several inches longer.  The final jacket length after re-hemming will be at the hip bone, or slightly above the hip, or slightly below the hip depending upon the gentleman's preference...just be sure you give yourself hemming length. 

 

Cut the coat jacket to this hip plus hem length. Save any lower buttons that are removed with this cutting for later detailing.

 

 

Preparing the Tails

Now take the suit pants.  Cut the legs off the suit pants at about mid thigh.  You should have a length of about 14 to 20 inches from the bottom hem of the pant leg to the mid-thigh cut depending upon your preference for tail length.  Sew each pant leg "shut" at its bottom hem edge.  Now you have 2 tails to attach to the back of your jacket.  (See photo left)

 

 

 

 

 

Attaching the Tails to the Fully Lined Jacket

Press up, to the inside, about 1 inch of lining and 1 inch of the suit material to form a "sandwich" for the tails.  Place the pant "tails" inbetween the lining and suit material using the back of the jacket vent as the center line if you have one, or the midline of the coat.  Sew the "sandwiched" tails into the coat. Continue sewing this in turned lining and suit material on the balance of the coat bottom to finish the bottom hem.  (See next photo below)

 

 

 

 

See the finished tails below right.  Note this coat is a little longer and the "heads" of the tails are sewn together for about 4 inches and then flow loosely.  Note the full ensemble left...tuxedo/tails with vest (purchased), white business shirt with collar turned up,  muslin ascot, black dockers, black men's shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jacket/Tail Assembly Method For the Un-lined or Partially Lined Suit Coat:

With right sides together, match the unfnished ends of the tails to the unfinished edge of the jacket--your tails will lie "upside down" on top of the back of the jacket (the tails will drop down into the correct position when you press the jacket hem up). Pin the unfinished edge of each of the pant-leg tails to the unfinished edge of the jacket using the back vent as center line. Pin one tail onto the right back flap, and one tail to the left back flap.  The tails will extend (depending upon the pant width) from the back vent edge to the underarm-side jacket seam or slightly beyond. 

 

Sew tails to jacket with a 5/8" seam. Finish this raw edge with seam binding.  Press 1 1/2 to 2 inches to the inside (towards lined side) of the jacket for hem. Hand stitch seam binding edge to the lining of the jacket (so your hem won't show on the outside of jacket). 

 

Finishing Touches

Re-press lapels for a wider lapel look.  Add additional button hole if necessary.  Optional: use removed buttons to add a "double breasted" look to front of jacket.  Optional: to cover the stitching where you attached the tails to the jacket at the back, make a placket from leftover pant leg material, the length of the tail back seam, and sew that onto the back of the jacket.  Use 2 buttons to decorate this back placket.

 

Completing the Outfit

Wear this topcoat/tails with regular modern men's dockers and black shoes and regular men's white dress shirt. Turn up collar of dress shirt, and add ascot-type tie.  Adding a matching vest, or white vest, is also another nice option. (Regency men wore vests that were often longer than their short topcoat and "peeked" below).

 

For men's Regency style fashion suggestions, history, photos, and instructions on how to tie the ascot, go to: http://www.songsmyth.com/menday.html . 

 

Also there is an informative article on ECD men's fashions at http://www.rochestercontra.com/Men's2008.pdf .

 

For the industrious, Butterick B3648 is a nice looking Regency/Early Victorian style men's costume pattern for top coat with tails and button-flap front pants at

http://www.butterick.com/item/B3648.htm??tab=costumes&page=5