The last few costumes I have made, just aren’t right.  And I think its my body.

The first one that really disappointed me was my Victorian seaside dress from last summer. The sleeves and body were just so baggy, that I really missed the mark. And the 3 dresses I made for the Regency weekend just make me sad when I look at the images taken over that weekend. My outfits just didn’t pull it off.

It took me a moment to figure out why they left me so disappointed, but I realise now it’s the fit . And that’s because of fitting issues I ignored to suit my body.

Please don’t misunderstand me here. Its not my shape I’m talking about.That can get padded out. I absolutely love that throughout history the perfect silhouette has been created with padding and tricks to make the perfect proportions.

In fact this last 100 years is the first time in history that fashion has dictated that we should starve ourselves to get the desired look. Magazines encourage us that anything higher than a size zero is overweight and we should not be happy with our bodies unless we can achieve a thigh gap. And I am all for a revolution to bring back the old ways that means everyone can achieve that fashionable fit and who doesn’t want to have a cushion in the back of their skirt everywhere they go?

But I just don’t do well in tight clothing. Even in modern clothing.

Now don’t get me wrong here, I love me a corset. In fact I am considering giving up on modern bras in favour of corded regency stays. They just seem to hold me right and give my core better support. They reduce the aches frm the way I carry myself.

But as soon as clothing is restrictive on my shoulders, sleeves start pulling or it feels tight around my chest or waist, then its a no from me.

Within a very short time, tight clothing will trigger a flare with my fibromyalgia and I will want to rip them off, just because they take more energy to wear. 

There is a reason so many memes about those who rely on the spoon method to get through their day are depicted as living in their PJ’s or a snuggly onesie

And this hate of tight fitting clothing it ruining my ability to level up on my historical costuming game.

This revelation has got me wondering how people like me managed throughout history.

Of course, some of this would have been relieved because they were just used to wearing this different cut. Their posture had not been affected by spending their day staring at a computer screen. And the weight of heavy skirts was relieved by the corsets and stays. Thats part of what these undergarments were designed for. So take the weight off of the shoulder and to stop waistbands from cutting in.

Through research I know there was a trend in Elizabethan times where clothing was purposely restrictive in movement because it showed that you were wealthy enough to have servants to do all the things for you whilst you just stood about in court. During the regency period, the wooden busk in the front of stays, which encouraged the perfect posture, was only worn when presenting yourself in public. Thats part of why they were removable. 

But what about the general population through the ages? The ones who were responsible for completing day to day tasks. Lifting your toddler, carrying basket home from the store or moving around the home in your daily tasks?

There was no stretchy fabric to give increased mobility, so how did they manage?

The majority of clothing was made for the individual because store bought clothes were just not a thing. And those clothes handed down to you would be adjusted to your perfect fit too by home sewing. You can see these later added amendments in most extant garments.

This means that tucks and darts could be put into the garment that helped make them achieve the correct look, and its got me wondering how many of these amendments might have added tucks to helped reduce the restrictive movements within the clothes, maybe giving a bit more space around the armscye.

I am currently working on a Georgian gown and have added a dart in the bust. 

The event I am wearing it to is run by a group that are pretty strict in wearing a historically accurate gown both in fabric and in pattern. And my anxiety that I will be judged because of this dart is real. But if it means I can enjoy my time in the dress, then I’m changing my attitude to so be it. 

I was so fixated on getting the historical pattern right on some of my more recent makes, that I sacrificed the fit. And before that I either felt so uncomfortable at events that I wish i’d never gone, or I put them on just long enough t get a few photos and now they are dumped in the corner of shame. But I really want to be able to make garments, wear them to events and be proud of what I have achieved

If you suffer from any mobility issues or conditions that affect your energy levels, do you experience increased exhaustion when wearing historical garments? And if so, how do you overcome them?