1899 black-white bathing suit

So the right one is my main inspriation. 

I fell in love with this bathing suit, I don´t now how long ago, but it is a time ago. There are beside this picture two more of pictures of these young people. I show one other picture. 

Finding the real sources of these pictures was a real pain in the *ss. Because the cut of the dresses speak against the data I have found. The data I have found are between 1897 and 1899. I found where they where taken. Coney island. 












 



So here are a few pictures of mine version and the bathing suits my friends made and wore. 

As a group we wore all different bathing suits from different time periods. From 1890 till 1920's. Most of us made are bathing suits our self. Only one friend hadn't the time to make one so she borrowed from a friend who also made the life guard bathing suit for her boyfriend. Who has now three bathing suits at home.

It was a lot ot of fun to wear it, and I find it a pitty I had only that day this year to wear it. I hope to enjoy it coming year more, and also have time to made a bathing corset as wel. 

I wore it with my old corset who was deeply in need for replacement. 

So, let me see. what can I tell about the dress.. 

I drafted most of myself or redrafted patterns I already had.

The cap and bolero where me own addition. The cap because I felt my bathing suit needed a cap. And the bolero was for more practical reason. I burn very fast and so I could spare my shoulders from the sun, also if it was a bit windy, it would help to. Altough, a bolero is not really HA for an bathing suit. But I really hate to be burnt.











The entire thing is made from cotton, I considered wool, but I wanted to wash it normally. 
I began to make the bloomers. Perhapes these are only of all the pieces I dind't draw myself or change a pattern for. I used simplicity 2777. I also couldn't see any proof on the original pictures of bloomers under the young lady's bathing suit. But it was for me a logical assumption. Because there was no visual proof I had to improvise how it would look. But even then, I wanted some sort of pants under my skirt. For reasons above.... (see picture when turning) 
So a bloomer was for me a must have. 

 After I finished the bloomers I began with the skirt. I drafted the pattern myself. It went pretty fast together, the most time was spend on the stripes. 

This is the front view, in these pictures the skirt isn't finished yet. I originally wanted a systems with buttons on the waistband of the bloomers and buttonholes in the waistbands of the skirt and bodice, so if I decided to go for a real bathing experience, the pieces wouldn't shift of ride up when bathing. But because of time shortness for the event where I made it for. I eventually sewed the bodice to the skirt waistband en left the button system for what it was for now. 
I want to redo that part of the costume when I want to go bathing.

This is the back view. I originally wanted also some pockets in the skirt... but I stept away from that idea, sure pockets are very handy at an day event. But I really want to bath in this thing to... and bathing in something with slip pockets felt..... weird. 


I chosed for the colors with black and white, not necessarily because that in the picture the bathing suits looked like it was black and white. I know that black and white pictures can be misleading and that the original bathing suit could be made from total different colors. But I liked the idea of an white and black bathing suit. I had made lately so much things in blue for the 1890's, that I wanted something in other colors. And black was for me so long ago, that I choose for how the pictures looked like. 

 After finishing the skirt I went through with the bodice. I altered an pattern I already had in stash. Butterick 3765. The back is closed with black cloth buttons, I chose for that for a bit more contrast at the back. Other wise it was a bit plain. 

The front has an fake front for the stripes. The bodice it sewed to the waistband from the skirt for now.

After finishing the bodice the last importent piece for the suit to complete the original look was the belt. There was nothing difficult to make. After some studying the photo's I saw in the picture that I didn't show here, what was a side stand, a hint of sashes. So I chose for a closing that I could tie in to a bow.

The bolero is a mix of two patterns simplicity 1819. Where I used the bodice of the bolero and butterick 3417 Where I used the ruffled sleeve and shorten the three-quarters sleeves in to a small pouf sleeve.

Made a cap with a rosette. Making one was a lot of fun. I think I gonna make some more rosettes in the future.

Even the bathing shoes where self made. I wanted to try something I didn't do before. They weren't that good, but for a first try to make something close to shoes I'm not gonna complain.

So I wanted to update this blog a couple of times before new year, But I don't think that is gonna happen after this post. So I wish everyone a happy new year and till 2018!!