If the cotton jersey is to be the visible cover at the neck, tuck the excess jersey inside the neck of the bust form and replace the wooden finial (neck cap) supplied by the manufacturer. Alternatively, a fabric cover can be made by cutting a disc of acid-free card to the size of the neck…
MAKING A TOP COVER FOR A TORSO TO DISPLAY A SYMMETRICAL DRESS If the bust form has a very small waist and a full bust, leaving one side seam open 10–15 centimetres above and below the waist can make removing the cover easier (see figure 6.27). This would be especially useful for a mid–late nineteenth-century…
RAISING THE WAISTLINE When displaying a dress with a short bodice, or a separate bodice and skirt, it is essential to have the hip padding at the correct height to support the skirt and maintain the correct position of the waistline (see figure 6.16). Without firm support around the hips the skirt could slip down,…
Stitching The most common stitch used when applying polyester wadding is ‘herringbone stitch’ (see figure 6.8). It is used to attach layers of wadding to the form and to sculpt them into the desired shape. A curved needle is used for his purpose (see figure 6.9b). Figure 6.8 Herringbone stitch. © Author. Photography Peter Greenland….
If you are purchasing a torso for a fragile garment, often the best way to assess the size of bust form or mannequin required is to make a toile, a simplified replica, of your garment and try it on the proposed figure (see Chapter 7). Trying on fragile historic dress is always difficult and the…
Bust form or mannequin If this is not appropriate then it will be necessary to select an even smaller size torso. In this case it would be advisable to request a midriff measurement of the torso from the manufacturer before purchasing. An alternative, with a larger budget, would be a custommade figure. Another measurement that…
Selecting and Preparing a Mannequin or Bust Form T he selection of mannequins to display garments in an exhibition is influenced by many factors and you will have to consider each one in order to achieve the best result. Often the most difficult will be the aspirations of the exhibition designer. In order to create…
Measuring historic garments Measuring historic garments needs great care. Fabrics can be fragile and stitching weak, so developing a light touch is essential. When measuring the bodice there is much debate over whether to take measurements from the inside or outside. When creating a mannequin to display a garment it is, wherever possible, best to…
Comparing garment measurements to a body, mannequin or bust form The historic garment exists and a body needs to be created to fit inside it for display purposes. This could be an adapted mannequin or bust form (tailor’s garment stand) or a bespoke creation. For a successful result it is very important to understand not…
Length measurements on the body Figure 5.4 These are the vertical measurements on the body and should be taken perpendicular to the floor. © Drawing author, courtesy of Historic Royal Palaces. Description of the vertical body measurements MEASUREMENT LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE VERTICAL BODY MEASUREMENTS (a) Centre front Taken at the front from the…