Eighteenth Century gentleman's wedding coat

I found these pictures of an eighteenth century jacket I made for the fiancé of a friend's bridalwear client. I used to work for a couture bridalwear designer in West Sussex. It gave me an opportunity to make something different and for a man too! This is the first piece of menswear I have made. I am quite proud of the results and it looked very dashing on!

Work in progress

I have only just made this corset. I have started beading around the neck and hip line but unfortunately have run out of beads, and one bead in particular, so I shall have to put it on hold until I find a supplier that has some in stock. However I am quite pleased with how it looks when worn, and am relieved that the neckline works so well. I've also shaped the corset around the hip line, which works well in breaking up what can be quite a harsh line where the corset stops and the skirt starts.

Corsets!

I have had photographs taken of some of the corsets I have made in the past. The corsets themselves are actually a couple of years old, so the patterns I use are somewhat different now. I find that every corset I make leads me to modify the pattern slightly or alter the way I put them together........for the better!

The corset above was originally made to be part of a burlesque costume, to be worn with stockings and some very sparkly shoes! The lace I used was absolutely beautiful and encouraged me to think about designing corsets that could be worn as part of a bridal ensemble.

To begin.......

This is my first foray into the world of blogging. The dress in this picture is a reproduction of a bridal gown worn in the 1840's. The shape is achieved by heavy corseting and numerous petticoats, making me rejoice that there are lighter alternatives available today!