Roller Skating 1880s Bustle Dress Style!

One of the questions I regularly get asked during my Historical Fashion Education Programs is, "Can you run in a corset?" or "Can you bend over in a corset?" or "Did they wear those to milk a cow?" or "Women did sports?" or "Ladies wore corsets to ride bicycles?  They actually rode bicycles?" 

The sad thing to me is not these questions (because there are no "silly" questions ever in costuming), but rather movies and the modern mind set that causes people to believe that corsets were instruments of torture, that women couldn't do anything but faint in them and that they weren't allowed to play sports.  I LOVE it when I am asked these questions, because it gives me the opportunity to share what I have learned with those who are really and truly curious!  After all, you can't learn if you don't ask questions!  To that end, I am creating a "Women in Sports" fashion education program so that those who wish to know, can see reproductions of sporting outfits worn by our ancestors!

Next Saturday, the fabulous antique store "Something Special" in Meridian is holding its annual High Tea and Fashion Show where the ladies of We Wear History model historical reproduction outfits!  This year the theme is "Ladies in Sports and Evening Wear".  I have made quite a few new sporting outfits already, and am currently working on the riding habit that will be worn.  I only have to set the sleeves in and add the boning and that will be complete!  Huzzaaaaaah!  I had wanted to make a roller skating outfit to go with my fabulous pair of black antique roller skates, but have run out of time.  As I was contemplating what to do with this conundrum, a thought came to me.  I could (and will) totally use my 1880s Military Inspired Bustle Dress for a roller skating outfit!  AWESOME SAUCE!!!  I knew that the antique skates fit me as I had tried them on previously, but would I be able to wear them next Saturday and not break anything?  This morning I found out that yes, I can wear them AND skate in them and not look a fool or break anything!  Thank you Lord for small miracles!

The skates were so very NOT like the ones I used as a teenager back in the 1980s!  These were "sloppy" feeling and the wooden wheels were just plain weird feeling.  But the more I skated, the better they felt and the more my feet and legs became accustomed to them.  There was also no toe break so that was an adjustment! 

The single hardest part to roller skating in a corset is this right here...putting the skates on!  Major maaashing of the guts ensued and I know my face turned a lovely shade of crimson!

Am I sure I want to do this?  The words of my sweet husband kept running through my mind...."Please don't break yourself!"

These skates look so cool!  They are just not the comfortable ones of now!

After skating a bit, I discovered hidden pebbles on Mom's driveway!  ACK!!!  That would not do at all!

There was much concentrating going on while skating today!

Skating backward?  Oh ya baby!

After a bit I took off my bodice to show that yes, I was skating while wearing a corset!  Huzzah!

It was fun to feel the overskirt flipping around as I skated!

Taaaa-Daaaaa!  Look Ma!  No broken bones or torn silk!

Thank you Mama for being my Photo-Video-Grapher today!  It was fun watching your face as I came at you full bore on my roller skates without a toe break!  Hahahahahahahah!!  Hilarious!!  You are a total rock star and I LOVE you!!

Two videos were shot today!  I had a lot of fun making these as these were really me not being poised and collected.  After all, when you think you are going to skid on a rock and go crashing to the ground, all semblance of formality goes out the window!!!

Roller Skating Part 1

Roller Skating Part 2

Izabela Pritcher of Prior Attire inspired me to do the video with just the corset...her videos are super fun!

 I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your weekend!!

Be blessed!

g

*Edited*

I forgot to include my Pinterest board...

Sports: Skating Both Roller and Ice

Lots and lots of fun inspiration!!!

1897 Fencing Outfit and My Cody Graduated!

Well, graduation week is over and I survived!!!  Hallelujah!!!  I can't tell you how proud I am of my son.  He is so brilliant and bright and loving and compassionate and kind and funny and all the good things!  It was a great honor and blessing to watch him partake in the ceremony and then to listen to his speech.  He left his dad and me in tears.  I never knew he felt these things for me, his mom, and as he spoke them, my heart grew to bursting (yes, I was wearing waterproof make-up...).  Then to watch this adult child of mine interact with other adults...I wish you could feel what I felt.  Like, WOW!  This child we raised, he is a GOOD person!  I don't know if it is because of our raising him or in spite of raising him, but ya, he's awesome.  And there is of course all of God to thank for this person.  He gifted us with Cody, He gave us the patience, understanding and help to raise him.  He has drawn Cody to Himself and has made him a great Man of God.  I can't wait to see where his life takes him after this, his first step into the great unknown!  My mom says, "Your kids are always your kids" and I totally understand more and more of what that meaning is.  We just have to place our child into the hands of God and trust that He knows best how to lead Cody.  I have some images of the evening below.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Because I had mom's camera at my house, left over from Cody's graduation and party, I decided that today would be the day to do the photo shoot of the fencing outfit.  I did my hair (something I generally do not go out of my way to do) and Colton snapped away.  I think he did a wonderful job!

I have decided to start a YouTube channel for Beauty From Ashes.  My hope and goal is to do a video every time I write a new blog post.  I am always wondering what the people whose blogs I read sound like and how they act.  Are they really as funny as their blogs make them out to be?  So, in case anyone who reads my blog is like me, you get to hear how dorky I sound!  hahahahaha!!!

Beauty From Ashes YouTube channel

 I used Laughing Moon 110, Ladies 1890s Sporting Costumes pattern.  The bloomers are made of lightweight wool and the top is made of cotton canvas.  For the buttons I used antique bone buttons.  Another inspiration was a fencing jacket from The MET.

Inspiration for the whole thing from Get Thee to a Nunnery Tumblr. 

I had fun with all the different poses that fencers assume for the actual fencing.

Get Thee to a Nunnery

Get Thee to a Nunnery

 I used many images from my Pinterest board Sports: Fencing as inspiration for the poses above.  Unfortunately, I didn't have any place that was suited for taking the fencing poses, so I tacked dupioni silk to my wall and used that for a back drop.  I think it worked rather well, but it wasn't wide enough to get really good pictures of some of the poses...

Me, fencing a fence.  I literally got the idea to do this while Colton was filming me for my first ever YouTube video.  Why hadn't I thought of it before I had downloaded all the pictures the first time?

The fence won.....

My Fabulous Graduate!!!

Again, this was the most wonderful weekend.  I so appreciate everyone who came to support and love on my son!  He is my favorite 18 year old in the whole wide world, and I thank God every day that he was given to Greg and me!!!

Many times I have watched other parents of graduates and have wondered what it felt like to feel their joy and happiness.  Thursday evening, I knew exactly what that felt like!  It was surreal to see this kid who is mine (I'm so not old enough to have a child this old!!!) graduating and taking another step into adulthood.  I wish I could bottle that feeling and take it out every once in a while and just savor it!

We four.  Greg, Cody, me and Colton.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE my family!!!

Us four with my Mama and Daddy, Lana and Ray!  They have been HUGE supporters of Cody and love him without measure!  My Dad taught Cody to shoot and takes him hunting every year.  My Mom takes the time to listen to his heart and is such a great Nana!  They both gently and lovingly give grand-parental guidance to him.  I know he takes their wisdom and life lessons to heart!

With my incredible Mother-in-Law Pam.  She loves on Cody from far away and flew to town just for his graduation.  She is another great supporter of my Cody!  She takes time out just for him to have great conversations and gently lends her own guidance. She can't wait to move her to be closer to him and the other grandchildren! 

Receiving his diploma.

Yes, I was crying...He gives the best hugs!

He gave the best speech.  Yes, he is my son and yes, I can be biased.  But he was eloquent, even, didn't waver and spoke his heart.  I was not only touched and blessed, but seriously impressed!

Pomp and Circumstance

At this time, the water works that I was bravely holding back, sprang forth!

My fabulous, handsome son, Cody!  He is truly as happy and joyful as this picture shows.  I LOVE this boy man!

I hope you are all having a marvelous Monday and I hope (if you live in the USA) your Memorial Day is one of reflection and gratitude!

Be blessed my friends!

g

*Title has been edited to reflect correct year of fencing outfit.  I have no idea why I titled it Edwardian Era...no idea at all as the inspiration images are from 1897!!!  I totally blame it on the craziness of the previous week!!  Ta!!! *

A New Corset for Mama and Sporting Equipment!

Hello all!  I hope you have been having a wonderful spring season!  My spring has been busy.  Between preparing for my Cody's graduation (the parents have to do the graduation ceremony as he is homeschooled, attends a class with some of him homeschool friends and then attended Freshman classes at the College of Western Idaho!!!  So proud of him!), making underwear for the Dressing The Victorian Bride underwear program, finishing up with school for Colton (the nice weather has made it very hard for schooling and we end up taking field trips for his photographing interests.  Check out his photography blog, C Dub Photography), family issues, and many many other things, my time is not my own and I feel the days are not even close to being long enough!  I have also had quite a few fashion/underwear show bookings with my new business The House of Whyte that have also kept me on my toes and there are more to come, so that's exciting!  I cannot wait until June and the (hopefully) calming down of life!    

I will be pausing for a tad bit in the making of the wedding trousseau to make a NFE maternity dress for an event in June and these past few days I made a new corset for Mom.  She was in dire need of a new one as the old one was breaking down and the top didn't fit well at all.  So, we ordered some lovely baby blue dupioni silk (the slubs were sadly very slubby, but mom loved the fabric and that's all that counts!!) and I got to work!  It was an easy one to make as I had used the pattern on her previous one.  The bust area just needed adjusting.  The color of the silk perfectly matches the ribbons she has on the lovely chemise, drawers and corset cover she made!  So proud of her!  This Thursday will be the first wearing of it as she is joining me in my Pantaloons to Parasol Underwear Program and this time, she will be a model!  How exciting!!

Pretty blue corset for Mama!

I wanted to share with you the beautiful dress I found to make for Mom.  This will be the "Mother of the Bride" dress that she'll wear as she assists with the "Dressing the Victorian Bride" program.  She loves blue and I just fell in love with the dress and the print of the fabric. The print is so much more engaging than a plain, solid blue fabric.  Hopefully we will be able to find a suitable match!

Sporting Equipment!

One of my yearly goals for this year is to make a ton of Victorian-Vintage sports themed outfits.  I have a very long list of them:

Ice Skating

Fencing (made)

Archery

Baseball

Lawn Tennis

Bathing

Riding Habit

Croquet

Hunting

Golf

Cycling

Gymnastics

I think that's all.  I already have the basketball uniform from the 1920s.  Anyway, I have been slowly collecting the equipment that goes with each outfit and happily, I have found them all in town!  eBay and Etsy are wonderful places to look for items, but the shipping is horrendous and I love being able to hold my findings in my hand before purchasing. There is also the thrill of the hunt and the trill of finding these items that I so adore!  So, many times I am shocked to my socks when my stores have within their walls what I am looking for!

1 Pound wooden dumbbells.  Colton was actually the one who spied these and I was shocked that they were at a very reasonable price!  I'm wanting to make a gym dress from the 1850s to go with them!

I wasn't going to make a baseball uniform, but when this glove turned up for a steal (get it? Steal?  You steal bases in baseball?  hahahahaha!!!!) I knew that I needed to make a 1930s uniform.  There were professional lady's teams in the '30s so huzzah!

The metal button for tightening the glove is something I had never seen before!

I wanted a "real" pair of ice skates to go with the skating outfit, not just the blades that attach to walking shoes and so was pleased as punch when I spied these in a booth at The Antique Village.  The heels of the boots are stacked and as you can see from the images, they are actual skating skates!  Can I get a HUZZAH!!!!!

I have done quite a bit of research and cannot find out any information on these skates.  But I still think they are fabulous!  PLUS, they fit me!  Crazy for sure!

Fencing mask and foil...the mask I have had for quite a while.  I found it at the Farm Chick's Antique Show in Spokane, WA a few years ago when Mom and I attended.  It is fabulous and I just had to have it.  The foil I found at The Antique World Mall.  I have some new black gauntlet gloves that I will be wearing with the outfit.

Inside of mask.  It is interesting to wear.

Well, there you have it.  A wee bit of what  I have been up to and the sports equipment collection.  Can't wait to start on the uniforms again...after the maternity dress and the wedding trousseau!!

Have a marvelous day and weekend my friends!

Blessings!

g