1890s Victorian Ladies’ Walking Suit || From Concept to Costume

How should a late Victorian lady (or any skirt-wearing person) dress for Getting Things Done when it's the 1890s? A walking suit, of course! These two- or three-piece outfits consisted of a walking skirt, a jacket (often a menswear-inspired Eton jacket), and could include a vest or waistcoat as well. Mine is made in wool using modern and historical sewing techniques, and would be suitable late Victorian dress for a woman at a professional job, visiting friends, taking a stroll, or anything else the New Woman of the 1890s and Edwardian era was winning the freedom to do. Please enjoy this selection of my internal monologue as I bring a historical costume to life, starting with research and planning all the way through cutting, construction, and a fiddle jam in the park!

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I do not take personal costume/sewing or research commissions.

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Other creators referenced--

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[ChildOfApollo]

i want to make a 1990's meet the 1890's walking suit, Victorian pattern but all denim

[allishiagreen]

It seems like something a young McGonagall would wear

[kimberly]

"I basted the darts with a ladder stitch that folds them up when it's pulled tight, so they were super easy to sew."
Me: *wide-eyed awe at the simple GENIUS, points at screen* "I'm doing that for the REST OF MY LIFE!!"

Seriously, it seems so obvious now, because mis-matched darts was just a thing I thought I needed to live with.

[michellecornum]

Basting a dart with a ladder stitch is BRILLIANT!!! I hate darts, vehemently! Placing, adjusting, pinning -- But that was amazing. I have a dress that has been in the PhD bin for years because it has 8 of those beasts. I will try this, definitely! Your entire outfit was gorgeous. Love a good vest. It fills one with hope when someone else can do something notoriously difficult (welt pocket), and go, Yeah, no problem. Loved this video! Stay well.

[pay]

This is the first time i ever found someone who is as fond of nice foresty greens as me! I must say, in my totally unbiased opinion, that you have good taste ;)

[mjgobet]

So cool to see you play the fiddle (I play celtic cello). I've been a costumer since . . .well. . . let's just say well before you were born and maybe even your mother. I say that because you wanted to know what we do to find reasons to make a costume and then wear it on an adventure. I think my #1 best costume adventure EVER, was making a Luna costume for me and a Sol costume for my then 23 yo daughter. Then travel from Oregon to Edinburgh to participate in the Samhain celebration. We had a great Mother Daughter adventure that will never be topped. Ghost Tours, Raves (yes I went to a rave), Train rides to no where, Shakespeare in the royal theater, and a magnificent Samhain parade from the castle down the Royal Mile. I appreciate you sharing your walking skirt goal. I have made walking skirts from that folkwear pattern for over 30 years. It is a standard that is hard to beat. Good work!

[lydiaderhake]

I'm sure you're sick to death of hearing this, but in this outfit you remind me so much of Anne Shirley. Thank you for the share. This is a beautiful suit. Well done.

[TheAgeofFabulous]

When you mentioned about following instructions, I was drinking my coffee and I just nodded my head. Because I feel you. Instructions are guidelines and sometimes you need to live life on the edge.

[agonistes]

watching you weigh down fabric with tiles is a procedure I wish I had known, and been able to teach my mom when she taught me to sew. she suffered from fabric drift while cutting.

[Mommamacnz]

This whole outfit is so lovely. I've been planning on making a Victorian/Edwardian walking skirt for a while now and after seeing yours I'm going to have to make it. I plan on using black wool for the skirt so that I can wear it to work as part of my bus driver's uniform so I can keep warm in the winter.

[SnappyDragon]

It's been pointed out to me that Folkwear, the pattern company whose walking skirt pattern I used, has a lot of content that appropriates from Asian cultures. I'm very sorry for not having done my due diligence and noticed this before I chose to use this pattern, or spoke about it in a video. While I can't edit the mention of them out of this video now it's been posted, I will no longer be using their patterns and recommending that my fellow costumers do likewise.
My IG : @missSnappyDragon
the Small Dragon Tea Fund : ko-fi.com/snappydragon
Creators mentioned in the video : @PriorAttire and @Bernadette Banner.
Pattern, fabric, and tutorial info is in the description!

[lilpinkbear]

This was so soothing to watch while waiting for the election results. That shade of green is delicious.
I love the solution of using a piece of felted self fabric for the waistband to reduce bulk, I shall have to remember that!
Thank you for sharing (and belated Happy Birthday).

[biblicallyaccuratecockroach]

Favourite part of a project? Finishing it 😂 I love sewing, it's therapeutic to me (hand sewing, I work well with machine but to me they are sus 👀 ), and I don't mind the wait so I can do things neatly. But damn if it's not nice to see the fruits of my labour after a day's work.
Most I've done so far are alterations and stuff like that, I'm a broke college student so I can't really splurge on fabric, but a walking skirt or three are on the top of my list of things to do in the future.
Your suit looks lovely, btw! That's a wonderful green shade! Who needs excuses to rock a full Victorian emsemble? Wear it to the grocery store, wear it to the gas station, wear it to work. Haters gonna hate, so keep on rolling 😂

[kathyevans]

Thee journey from the idea to the finished product is my favorite part.It is satisfying to be wearing that which your mind envisioned

[misswazzra]

I love discovering new fabric Places! Thanks for the link to Dorr Mill!

[l.m.]

Your presentation, as usual, was lovely and the outfit itself, exquisite. Your videos bring me so much inspiration and my favourite part of this video was at the end when you showed a responsible social gathering amongst friends. Brava, Vee, Brava!

[erikafreebird]

I actually got emotional when you stepped out in your beautiful outfit. Your radiant, like a new bloom.💗🤗

[dianap]

I love the Eton jacket so very much, my other fav is the Ripple jacket yummmy. I am in love with that green wool.

[ellieisbusy]

That “no. just no.” comment on the vest pattern - AGREE! I have it, and it’s terrible. Wasted some really good wool with it...
(Yes, I did a mock-up, it looked fine at that point)

[antoniahammer]

You play the violin/ fiddle? That's so cool. Me too!
And I just love how well the aethetics of victorian clothing and a violin go together. It's probably the hour glass silhouette. I wish you'd see the combination more often.

Anyway, loved watching the rest of the video aswell. I really like that little "lookbook" portion where you combined the single pieces with modern clothing.