I wore historical costume to a concert... it was hard! | 18th century inspired Taylor Swift costume

Hello everyone and welcome to a new video!

Very often, I spend weeks or months making an intricate and complex historical costume - and I generally make them for the sake of making them, I love the researching and sewing process. However, I very rarely have the chance to wear them anywhere. Typically they get packed up and languish in a cupboard. However, I made this costume with the purpose of wearing it to an event - in this case, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, as it was inspired by one of her stage costumes during the Tortured Poet's Department set - and so I managed to do the whole life cycle of the costume, from designing, to making, and wearing... and also fixing it up!

I wanted to share my experience of wearing historical costume to an event like this so that maybe it might be helpful to more people. I think, having actually worn elaborate historical costume so little for longer lengths of time, I often rush through the process of fitting during the making, because the try on is usually five minutes long and seems just fine, though by wearing it for a few hours other issues come to light. So I wanted to review the costume and fix up some of the major fit issues as much as I could, so that the costume could continue to be worn in the future, in a new life as historical undergarments.

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Instagram (perhaps overactive stories): @catscostumery

Music is from Epidemic Sound.

[alittlebitofkatie]

Re: "not historically accurate" I'm pretty sure that if someone in history had a pair of ill fitting stays, they would make less fashionable alterations to make the them actually fit

[darianresendes]

Wearability is something I have wondered with a lot of sewing videos. Many of them on the internet seem to end when the product is completed so they leave out information regarding how the garment functions (or doesn’t) during use.
Your video here in a way scratched that curiosity itch and was a great follow up!

[SkyeSalindar]

Love how this looks with the modifications/fixes and the wearability factor of being able to reuse the costume

[jennaforesti]

Add a "guard" of bias tape or ribbon to the hem, which is historically accurate. It will protect the hem long term and is easily replaced if it gets damaged.
If you are sway backed, you may need to shorten the back of your corset to raise the waist placement.
Laces and fabric generally both stretch over time.
Finally, if you haven't already done so, try adding boning to the tabs, as it can improve the support from the corset.

[tagladyify]

Hydrogen peroxide takes out blood that has not set in. Rubbing alcohol works for a lot of stains, too. Vinegar is usually my first go to, though, for most stains and generally the most gentile. Still, if you try them do a sample fabric, as I’ve never tried them on silk.

[michellecornum]

I wrestled myself into a pair of stays, this week, that I hadn't tried on before. And oh, Hanna! I was in them long enough to run an errand just up the road, and as soon as I got back, I HAD to take them off.
They rode up and bit into my underarms viciously. I knew I was in trouble just after I got my dress on and stepped out the door, but I didn't have time to change. I still haven't seen if the re-lacing worked. I was so hot and miserable after that, that I've decided to wait for a much cooler day before I aggravate myself to that extent, again.
They're wonderful when they work! But absolute torture when they don't.
I definitely feel for you, so glad you could fix it.

[amylabus]

I love the final product and silhouette. ❤ Who’s to say the stays are not historically accurate. They were made to fit the wearer, and not all bodies are shaped the same.

[procrasticrafting]

It must have felt so bittersweet to iron the words off, but it was very satisfying to watch! Loved getting to see the "aftermath" of making a costume for an event and making it re-wearable!

[cherylrosbak]

It's so pretty on you! If you're concerned about the wide lacing gap, you can add extra panels at the back, just between the lacing strip and the back panel. I got this from a professional, theatrical corset-maker and it worked well for me.

[bunhelsingslegacy]

Thanks for sharing, I've got the weird combination of really narrow and highly mobile shoulders plus way more sideboob that is really reasonable (thanks, middle-age) which makes me measure a lot wider than I am (I literally have to bend my underwires around my ribcage or they poke me in the biceps), so this is definitely something I need to keep in mind for when I make stays or corsets, I'm always getting owie at the front of armholes in everything, my secret cheat so far for those pinchies is to add an armpit gusset, but that's not going to help with a corset or stays...

[AnniCarlsson]

And btw if not want to use shift under the stays make a kinda shift with just bands that hold it it when put stays on. But with detacheble shoulderbands so unhook them and just have it pop out just above the stays. Then you get the protection under the stays that make it more comfteble but not really visable. Will take some sweat from underside stain it like that and are more just the armpit area that have some staining. But some shifts don't have sleeves anyway so

[jjudy]

May I make a suggestion? I would suggest you remove some width out from where the center of your stays joins the side front panels. You appear to be narrower across the chest at the collar bones. Then take whatever you cut out of the center front area and put it in the side seam area to get the total circumference of your stays back.

[calicolyon]

I sadly haven't been keeping up with my sewing videos but your video made it to my Google News feed suggestions!!!! I have missed watching your videos and I have to get back into watching everyone's content again!! Awesome work! Glad you were able to fix it!

[strawberryemery]

For science, can you shove the skirt into the freezer for 24 hours to see if the ink comes back?

[twinnish]

I love the final results. I absolutely agree with you that the silhouette is very pretty. The silk rustling is a beautiful sound.

[elisabethmontegna]

Oh no, I’m sorry you had such a miserable experience wearing the costume! Thank goodness you’re able to fix the issues and can still wear the stays and petticoat.

Your experience wearing the stays at the concert reminds me of the kinds of things actresses complain about when wearing stays or corsets for their costumes. I think you’ve shown that it is possible to fix the discomfort by adjusting the fit and wearing a chemise, which is exactly what historical costumers and dress historians say every time an article about actresses complaining about corsets crops up. So, well done on proving that point (even if it wasn’t what you set out to do!) 😁

[majab.]

I struggle with 18th century stays just like you. I made one some years ago as a mockup from old jeans. I never got to make the real one with the fancy fabric as the mockup was so work intensive. XD Now I consider just adding the fancy fabric on top but first I need to make it fit better and not cut into my armhole. Thanks for the heads up, I think revisiting older customs and improving them is a great idea to make sure our creations get the wear they deserve.

[Kelli.Hicks.]

I noticed some "ghosting" of the lettering after it was ironed off. Is that still visible to you, or was it just the lighting and camera angle that made it visible to me?

[sarahmwalsh]

I love seeing how happy you are with the adjustments to the stays! After having put that much work into them, it's great that you will be able to keep wearing them!

[lucyj]

Great follow-up, thanks! Love the final silhouette x