Conclusion
When creating a display support for any garment, never forget that the garment was originally designed and made for a human body. Underwear may have changed the natural proportions of the figure but garments, however old, were worn by real people. People who walked down the street, danced and generally went about their daily lives. If a garment on display looks contorted or uncomfortable then there is generally something wrong with the display support, not the garment.
Often when creating a padded display form there is a tendency to presume that if the measurements of the form match the garment measurements it should fit correctly. If this is not the case, as discussed in this book, there will always be some anomaly that has been missed. It could be something as simple as the fact that the right and left sides of the body of the person who wore the garment were not symmetrical and a small adjustment to the padding can often make a huge difference to the final result.
When trying any garment on a display figure for the first time, ensure that the figure is small enough to allow the garment to be put on without straining the fabric. Historic fabrics are delicate and can easily split under tension. The garment needs to look ‘comfortable’ on its support, well-fitting but with no strain on the fabric.
If a garment is heavy or unwieldy with a lot of fabric in the skirt, always ask a colleague for help when trying it on a mannequin or bust form. Struggling with a heavy garment is stressful for the garment and for the person putting it on display.
Conclusion.1 Black silk bodice with lace trim, embroidered front panels and scarlet ribbon bows. Early 1880s. Temporarily displayed for photography. © The Lightfoot Textile Archive. Photography Janie Lightfoot.
The methods described in this book provide stress-free approaches for curators, conservators and anyone intending to display significant but fragile examples of historic clothing. Once a thorough understanding of the history of a garment is matched with competent measuring and sewing skills it will be possible to achieve the highest display standards. The method I have explained is not the only way to customize a mannequin to display historic dress, but it is one based on personal experience over twenty years working with collections in many museums. The method is intended for static displays in museums. Garments in exhibitions that may travel from one museum to another will need additional support and protection. If you follow the method stage by stage you will gain good, safe, basic principles that you can build on in the future. You will then be equipped to move on to more creative and innovative methods. New materials and mannequins are always appearing on the market and with good background skills you will be able to take advantage of developments and create exciting, but safe displays of historic dress.
Although the methods described in this book refer to womenswear, the same principles are equally applicable when displaying menswear. The names and locations of reference points for measuring menswear are the same as those referred to in Chapter 5 Measurements, with the exception of the bust point and bust line. On a male body these are referred to as chest measurements but are still measured around the widest part of the upper torso at the level of the underarm.
An important consideration when displaying menswear is posture. In the eighteenth century, male dress, like its female counterpart, is also narrow across the back and shoulders requiring arms to be set towards the back of the shoulders on a bust form. The wearing of elaborate neckwear with bows and frills down the front of shirts often created a slightly pigeon-chested effect, but, by the end of the nineteenth century shoulders were broader and the posture more natural.
All of the reference sources explained in Chapter 2 are also applicable to menswear. Although fashion plates may not be so numerous, engravings of events often show men either as the main characters or as part of a crowd.
The position of the straight grain on men’s garments is equally as important as on those worn by women, and accurate measurements remain essential for a successful display.
Finally, never forget the human element when displaying clothing worn by anyone, whatever the date. It is always important to respect the talent of the creator and acknowledge the aspirations of the wearer.
GLOSSARY
Balance marks Marks or notches around the edges of garment pattern pieces to aid the correct alignment of individual panels or parts of a garment when joining them together. Also used on sleeve and bodice patterns to indicate how to correctly position the sleeve in the armhole of the garment bodice.
Cabinet card Cabinet cards are photographs mounted on stiff pieces of cardboard. They were introduced in the 1860s and gradually superseded the smaller carte de visite format. https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/find-outwhen-a-photo-was-taken-identify-a-cabinet-card/
Carte de visite These were small cards, the size of a formal visiting card about 11.4 x 6.3 centimetres (4.5 x 2.5 inches), with a black-and-white photograph attached, often of a celebrity. They were invented in 1854 by A.A.E. Disderi and were hugely popular in the 1860s and often collected in Victorian portrait albums. The backs of the cards were normally printed with the photographer’s name, address and insignia. https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/explore/glossary-of-art-terms/carte-de-visite
Crin Horsehair. In historic fashion terms, a stiff, open weave fabric originally made from horsehair and cotton or linen and used in the mid-nineteenth century for petticoats worn to add width under the large skirts fashionable at the time.
De-ionised water As its name suggests de-ionised water is water that has had most of its mineral ions removed, making it the preferred water for washing historic textiles.
Godet Triangle of fabric inserted into a seam at the hem of a garment to increase the hem width and give more flare to the hemline. Godets were sometimes inserted into the peplums of bodices to increase the amount of fabric over the bustle at the back and into sleeves to create a flare at the wrist.
Loupe Jeweller’s loupe. High magnification magnifying glass traditionally used to examine gem stones.
Peplum A flared ruffle attached to the waist of a jacket, bodice etc. collinsdictionary.com
Princess dress Period: 1840s to mid-twentieth century. A dress made without a seam at the waist, the bodice and skirt being cut in one and the skirt gored. A style popularly associated with the Princess of Wales, later Queen Alexandra, when it was very fashionable c.1878– 80. A style that follows the natural outline of the body, with darts providing the shape but without a seam at the waist. Valerie Cumming, The Dictionary of Fashion History, Berg, 2010.
Quilted Two layers of cloth with a thicker layer of padding between them held in place by stitching, often in ornamental patterns.
Rationing Limiting the amount of something that each individual is allowed to have. In the case of fashion in the Second Word War this referred to the purchase of clothing being restricted by the amount of clothing coupons available to the purchaser.
Ruching A decorative technique that uses stitches to reduce the size of a fabric overlay on a garment, creating a rippled texture. It is also used as a decorative enhancement to tighten the fit of a garment.
Scour Wash fabric at the highest temperature recommended by the supplier for the fibre content. For conservation petticoat fabrics like calico this would be 90° C. For silk habotai petticoats this would be 30°-40° C depending on the quality of the silk. Scouring removes any chemicals applied during the manufacturing process, which could cause damage to the garment during display. It also shrinks cotton fabrics making them more stable to cut and stitch when making petticoats and arms.
Slip stitch A simple stitch used to join a folded edge of a seam to a flat piece of fabric. The needle is passed through the fold of the fabric and then a small stitch is made into the flat fabric underneath. It can also be used to hand stitch a hem.
Tacking Temporary stitches to hold two pieces of fabric together before machine stitching seams. Usually, a long stitch on the top and a shorter stitch underneath
Tin-weighting Silk is sold by weight and in the nineteenth century metal salts, often tin, were applied to silk fabrics to increase the weight after the de-gumming process. Over time they cause the silk to weaken and shatter in a characteristic way, both vertically and horizontally.
Whale bone An elastic horny substance that grows in a series of thin parallel plates in the upper jaw of some whales and is used by them to strain plankton from the seawater (Oxford Languages).