Romancing the Sewn

I’m so excited to share with you part two of my 1900s undergarments set. The pattern for these drawers are from a 1901 issue of La Mode Illustrée that was full of bridal and ball gowns. They are typical special occasion Edwardian drawers, lots of lace, frills, and bows!

This kind of super big and frilly pantalon was really common around the turn of the century. You can see that the two legs are only closed by about 3.5″ a the front, and the rest of the crotch seam is left open. However, when you wear them they feel like full coverage because they are full and voluminous!

For these, I did not pay attention to sizing and made the pattern exactly as seen on the pattern, as these were closed with a drawstring. I plan to wear these over the chemise de bal and under the corset so they don’t get in the way of the corset garters (I could also use a little extra padding in the hip area, so these may give me the boost I need!). There are photos of undergarments worn both ways, so although I believe it’s more common to wear drawers over the corset, this is also historically accurate.

I dipped my toe in the water of lace insertion for the Edwardian starter kit chemise, but these drawers forced me to dive in. All insertion was handsewn in, and I think the effect came out really beautifully. I will absolutely be trying an abundance of insertion when working on the petticoats!

Sorry this is such a short post, but I will be showing this garment more in-depth when I do a full Edwardian dressing post!

Now the details:

Material: Organic cotton batiste (Grown and woven in USA! Buy yardage here)
Pattern: La Mode Illustrée 1901, Issue #34
Notions: Cotton thread, antique lace, silk ribbons
How historically accurate is it? Close to 100%, though I am not a master of finishing techniques, and my French isn’t fluent.
Hours to complete: 20+ (this was entirely hand-sewn, insertion takes time!)
Total cost: around $60 USD