1909 Edwardian Ladies Coat Suit

Description
Purple woollen coat suit, with white cotton batiste blouse, large black decorated merry widow hat, fox fur shawl and brown fur muff.

Inspiration

 

(l) Purple, Liberty&Co, wool and silk shantung walking costume, dated ca. 1906-1907. Part of the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag collection. Here on display during the exhibition Fashion and Art, a love affair. Photograph by Berthi Smith-Sanders of Berthi's Weblog. Be sure to visit her weblog for more beautiful images of this costume. (r) Ad from Grands Magasins Du Printemps, Paris, 1909.

Patterns used

Coat and skirt, Rocking Horse Farm Pattern #909, Ladies coat suit
Corselette, Truly Victorian #492, 1890's Corselets.
Shirtwaist/blouse,Folkwear pattern #205, the Gibson Girl Blouse.
Hat, Lynn McMasters,Universal round brimmed hat pattern.

More information

My inspiration for this costume was a purple, Liberty&Co, wool and silk shantung walking costume, dated ca. 1906-1907, part of the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag collection. On page 78 of Haute Couture & Prêt-à-Porter, fashion 1750-2000, by Ietse Meij. You can find an image of the original coat that went with the skirt. I am not allowed to publish the image here, due to copyright.
The plum colored woollen coat and skirt are made with Rocking Horse Farm Pattern #909. The seven gore skirt is ground lenght and has an inverted pleat in the back. The original skirt was a corset skirt with the corselette attached. I made it with a detached corselette to make the costume more versatile. The Corselette is made with Truly Victorian #492, 1890's Corselets. It is made from the same purple woollen fabric as the skirt and decorated with embriodery. Made after an Self Transferable Embroidery Pattern, from McCall′s Magazine, May of 1908. The top of the waist is edged with black satin piping. Although the original coat of my inspiration costume has Edwardian features it is not typical for a Edwardian Costume, which ofcourse is logical, as it is a Liberty& Co costume. So again I decided not to try and copy the coat but make a, more recognizable for the period, Edwardian coat. Like the ones depicted in the ad from Grands Magasins Du Printemps, Paris, 1909. The collar of the coat is made with purple silk and edged with black satin piping. I altered collar into a shawl collar for a softer silhouette. It closes with three black glass buttons which are vintage. The fox fur collar is a gift from an aunt of my husband. The fur muff was bought in a secondhand store. Underneath the coat I am wearing a delicate white cotton batist blouse. That I made with Folkwear pattern #205, the Gibson Girl Blouse. I made some alterations to the sleeves and yoke. The blouse is decorated with antique white cotton lace. The large hat, which I nicknamed the My Fair Lady hat, is made with the Universal round brimmed hat pattern from Lynn McMasters. The hat is made from black wool and purple pleated silk. And is decorated with a large purple slik bow, black feathers, one black osterich feather and a purple rose.

Alternate views

Better view of the blouse and corselet belt.

Costume worn without coat and with a different blouse.

Coat worn without fur collar.

Details

White cotton bastiste blouse with antique lace.

Embroidery on corselet and an self transferable embroidery pattern, from McCall′s Magazine, May of 1908

The inverted pleat at the back of the skirt.

The decoration on the hat.

Accessories

Vintage silver with marquasite Edwardian style ring, earrings and bracelet.

Vintage silver Edwardian style cameo necklace.

Costume made in 2010 & 2011, worn in 2011.