To tightlace or not to tightlace? There is no question. TIGHTLACE!!!

When most people reflect on the beginnings of corsetry, they think back to around the 16th C, but in fact the corset can be found depicted in paintings and sculptures as far back as 1700 BC.  As centuries passed and current popular standards of society changed, so did the silhouette change to reflect the current fashion of the period.  Some corsets were meant to emphasize the waist, others the bust or hips.  Well fitting stays, another term for corset, of the 18th C would have felt comfortable, allowing women to work and breathe properly.  This is still true for today.

"To put on a corset properly is as much of an art as to make a corset properly." ~ Anna Held

Making a corset is no small task.  I've made corsets with as little as 8 pieces to each side and as many as 26 pieces to each side.  Depends on the era and design.  The tricky thing about making a corset is you can't rush it.  Even if you are 1/8 of an inch off in stitching even *one* seam, it will throw the whole corset out of whack and it will twist out of shape.  Been there, done that.  ;)

So I will share with you my collection of corsets from the first one I made in 2001 to the most recent one I constructed in 2009.



Repro 1869 corset in black satin with burgundy sheer overlay.

Repro 1869 corset in black PVC.  This was not the most fun to make, but rewarding when it was complete.

Underbust waist cincher in black coutil.

Repro 1890 corset made in black silk satin with red silk brocade front and trimming.

Repro 1860 corset made in black silk satin with teal silk brocade gores and trimming.

Underbust waist cincher made of brown faux snakeskin.

I have a few more photos of 2 other corsets I've made floating around somewhere so they'll have to wait for the next corset posting I make.  I hope you have enjoyed this post.

Now go tightlace!!!

Devi 

"A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to take it off you."

As stated by the French playright Francoise Sagan.

A dress should be flirtatious, distracting, sensual, alluring, charming, innocent and sexy all at the same time.  Over a century we have see the hemlines, waistlines, sleeves, fabrics and inspirations change multiple times.  From the conservative, modest yet still sexy Victorian and Edwardian dresses covering a woman's body from neck to sole and corset pinching her waist in for that perfect wasp waist figure, to the 1920's prohibition era of short hair and even shorter skirts, to the dramatic hemline drop and bias cuts of the 1930's, to the rationing of fabrics for wartime efforts in the 1940's.  Fashion is a yo-yo and will likely continue to be so.  Contemporary fashion mimics all that which has already been done, over and over, and so has the past.  It inspires us, and hopefully you will be inspired by some of the garments I have created too.

Everyone loves a sweet little party frock...

Silk satin evening dress made from an original 1940's pattern:

Silk satin day dress fashioned from a repro 1940's pattern:

Crepe day dress fashioned from a repro 1940's pattern.  Note the sweet peplum.  :)

 

Silk satin with chiffon overlay halter dress from repro 1950's pattern.  A La Marilyn!

Crepe evening dress fashioned from a repro 1930's pattern.

Crepe back satin wedding gown and cloche hat made from a repro 1928 pattern.

Silk satin bride's maid's dress fashioned from a contemporary pattern.

My next post will feature corsets.

Go play dress up!!!

In the beginning...

Like any young girl, one of my favorite things to do was play dress up.  I would root through old trunks of out-of-date clothing and last year's Halloween costumes to see what kind of wild outfit I could assemble.  My favorite look in 1984 was my hot pink parachute pants, white paint splattered shirt, miss-matched fluorescent socks, one black and one red converse shoe, one black stud earring and one white lightening bolt dangly earring.  I had an over the eye, asymmetrical haircut with a rattail and painted each of my fingernails a different colour.  For the love of neon.

It should come as no surprise that this fevered lust for dress up has not passed. Only now my influences are Louise Brooks, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Mae West and many other starlettes of the teens, 1920's, 1930's, 1940's and 1950's.

Luckily for me, this passion has grown into a costuming career. After 4 years of visual arts study at SFU, I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and then furthered my studies at UBC in theatre costuming. I am a member of the costume department for the local Vancouver, BC film unions I.A.T.S.E. and ACFC West.  However, at this time I reside in Berlin, Germany and am looking for work within my field.

Vintage Vamp Clothier is a small, custom order based clothing company that I started in 2003.  The premise of it is to give my clientele a product that is completely one of a kind.  My designs are based on a combination of vintage patterns that I have collected over the years, my own adaptations, as well as more current fashions patterns.

I would like to thank Jennifer (Visual Sanctum Photography) and all my models for their time, help and support through photoshoots.  I would also like to thank my mom, dad and brother for supporting and believing in me through all these hard years of learning, growth and experience, which have brought me to where I stand today.

Now go play dress-up!

In Lieu of a Website...

...I've decided to created a blog-portfolio of all the clothing, costumes and accessories I've built over the past 8 years.

Stay tuned, there will be posts and photos to follow.

Devi