Making the most Gothic Vampy Dark Witchy Edwardian Outfit EVER

Thanks to this videos sponsor Audible! Audible.com has tons of great audiobooks, podcasts, and more- just check out www.audible.com/nicoler for more! (I highly recommend both The Golden Thread by Kassia St. Clair and Women's Work by Elizabeth Wayland Barber)
It's the final video in my 1910s series! I've made a corset, brassiere, hat, vestee, and shoes leading up to this point and now it's time for the dress. My work is based on an antique belonging to Abby Cox which is from 1914. It's an elegant black silk jacquard skirt and tunic with exquisite details of drapery, tucks, and embroidery. But the inside is even more complex than the exterior! Though the pieces are from an era where sewing machines were commonly used, very little of this garment is done by machine. Instead, we find evidence of a great deal of hand sewing and minute alterations for what was clearly a custom fit garment.
Unfortunately the lining has since deteriorated away, taking with it any chance of a label, but instead we have been left with an open window to its construction methods. Which makes this an ideal piece to reproduce, not only for the sake of the garment itself, but for the sewing techniques we can learn from it!
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🖼 1910: libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/dig...
🖼 1910: libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/dig...
🖼 1913: libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/dig...
🖼 1913: libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/dig...
🖼 1914: libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/dig...
🖼 1914 Skirt: libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/dig...
🖼 1914 Bodice: libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/dig...
🖼 1914 High Collar: library.si.edu/image-gallery/...
🖼 1916: libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/dig...
🖼 1917: libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/dig...
🖼 1919: libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/dig...
🎶Music via Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com)

[@alegria101]

My brain immediately went to "this would make a phenomenal murder mystery dinner outfit". So striking!

[@Kick0a0cat]

For the widow that is surely innocent!

[@jenndixon1002]

I'm just picturing you walking down a dark foggy street in Paris wearing this, with black elbow length gloves and a frilly black umbrella. And scaring the bejeezus out of some poor passerby, thinking they just had a supernatural encounter.

[@rhondacrosswhite8048]

Yes!

[@maryamjoha]

Either than or were experiencing a time slip!

[@thecalicoheart7946]

😂

[@eduardopayton7776]

I guess im asking randomly but does any of you know of a method to log back into an instagram account? I was dumb lost my account password. I would appreciate any help you can give me!

[@willhunter3571]

@Eduardo Payton Instablaster ;)

[@lucie4185]

It's very interesting that so many pieces were made separately, it's useful to remember that "back in the day" dressmaking used lots of different professionals to make one garment and how impressive it is that Nicole has the skills of all of them!!

[@minagica]

Well, a bunch of those professionals' skills overlap, they were just specialized in their fields because the economy supported the existence of said specialized fields. Not to take away from Nicole, just to not underestimate those professionals of past 😘

[@historicalgarb8790]

Imagine being able to just wander around a ocean liner in the 1910s wearing an outfit like that.

[@jenndixon1002]

Omg, yeeeeesssss. Someone get this woman to Titanic 2.

[@melissamenchaca9121]

You mean before you freeze/drown?

[@stevezytveld6585]

I can see her wandering around the older, Bytown areas, of Ottawa. Actually, a few years back, as part of one of the indi festivals, a local actress played a Victorian lady who toured the ghost locations in the city. It was a wonderful effect. Now we have haunted walks. Could you imagine walking by a group of women, out on the town, dressed like this on a foggy night? - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown

[@KKIcons]

@@stevezytveld6585 I wonder if anyone took photos? Those would be memorable, and I would like to see photos of that part of Ottawa anyway.

[@KKIcons]

@@stevezytveld6585 I also think that someone should dress as Glenn Gould and his mother, (just think, she could have worn a dress like this, as she was in her 20's in 1914.) We have a Victorian night in our local town, and I hope to get a group of ladies in Edwardian fashion out someday for it. We might make the Victorians look a little dowdy and old fashioned with our smart 1914 fashions lol.

[@josieofalltrades3559]

Gosh, the level of detail you put into such an accurate reproduction just blows me away!

[@disconouveauneedlework5975]

Well I'll be damned if this outfit didn't improve my night vision and made my canine teeth grow. YOU LOOK SO BLOODY GOOD IN THIS!!!!! (and the skills you showed us on the road to getting here are +++++. Extra blood bag points for elegant wrist movement when you showed us the final ensemble).

[@Kick0a0cat]

Lol :D

[@NinaNorr]

Nicole, you are pure genius, what a level of craftsmanship skills.

[@TheMetatronGirl]

It looks better than I even imagined! I love the draping of the skirt. It’s one of those incredible pieces that you notice something new every time you see it. Incredible job!! My 20 year old gothic self swooned at the reveal and desperately wants to be a 1914 femme fatale.

[@gloglos100]

The skirt is wonderful. Love one of those.

[@oliveu535]

I can’t tell you how much I am obsessed with this witchy Edwardian ensemble. I think you’re the absolute coolest and I’m so glad I found your channel

[@nicolakunz231]

OMG its the witchcore dress, its the actual witchcore dress!! and thats the Vestee... its YOU! *subscribes*

[@robynnhood]

The way you say "hello, everyone and welcome" makes me want to tell you all my secrets. Every. Single. Time.

[@Majmysza]

It is bewitching, isn't it!!!

[@robynnhood]

@@Majmysza Utterly. Bewitching exactly describes Nicole, her voice, and that outfit.

[@Sudenveri]

Every single time, starting a sewing project I think will be easy: "Pfft, this'll take LITERALLY five minutes." Three hours later: "..."

[@madelinebeatlesgirl]

I’m on my fourth week of an 1890s undergarment project I thought would take a single weekend 😂💀

[@andinarizkia]

Same💀 designed my own skirt and thought it'd be finished in two weeks (pattern+mockups+production)... it's been a month.

[@LexiZuhlke]

That black on black embroidery though... There's no other color that seems to have that same effect. I think that's why it's my favorite color!

[@caithemburrow5569]

I really like white work as well but I do agree that black looks amazing

[@ragnkja]

@@caithemburrow5569 This is technically "whitework" (blackwork and whitework got their names based on the assumption that they were done on white fabric), but I agree that there's something _extra_ when it's in black.

[@janusquiamco7128]

I didn’t know skirts had already gone up so high at the end of the 19-teens. I was under the impression that it was only in the 20s that skirts started to go above the ankles. Now i’m curious about fashion in the last five years of the 19-teens. Hope you can go more in-depth on this period in a future video.

[@lenabreijer1311]

WWI was happening and many women started working in male dominated jobs to replace those called up. They started running hospitals and convalescent homes. They worked on farms and in factories and drove trucks and ambulances.

[@lucie4185]

My mum has a photo of my great grandparents taken around 1915 and I am going to be analysing their outfits like crazy next time I see it. Although they wouldn't have been able to afford anything as up to the minute as this.

[@EnnameMori]

Absolutely - there is a spectacular photo of my grandmother at 17 in 1919 and her skirt is mid calf. Even tho she is a country girl from rural Australia.

[@MrsBrit1]

My great grandparents married in 1919 and mommaw's dress was mid calf. It has a large peplum type overskirt which falls right at her hands, so around mid thigh or so. I'm not sure what color it was, but it's fairly dark in the photo. There is some floral embroidery, mostly looks to be tone on tone, at the shoulders and a basic sash belt and slender, full length sleeves.

[@nidomhnail2849]

A tribute to the 1910's makers.

[@fiberterian]

Seeing the garments on a body instead of the original flat on a table makes me understand why you and Abby were so intrigued with it and it's construction. You've done a fantastic job on this and all the accessories. I'm in awe!

[@katwitanruna]

::snaps fan open and flutters it vigorously:: Oh my!! How dashing!!

[@DEMIPINTEcreations]

--insert grovelling in the style of Pain and Panic from Hercules This is everything my teenage death metal princess self would have wanted to make, had I been able to do it back then. I adore it, and you're AMAZING. I’m still getting over the shoes. Aforementioned teenage self is now clamouring at adult me to abandon all current projects to do something like this even though I still don't have the skills lol

[@sarahrosen4985]

We need to see these pieces again individually and in bright light so we can be more awestruck by the details, form and movement.

[@lucie4185]

When she turns and you see all the draping on the skirt 😍

[@francespowell6923]

So many of the people I watch listen to audiobooks. Meanwhile, while I'm sewing/knitting/crocheting/gardening I'm listening to you (the collective you).

[@LonnieMartin]

Me too

[@rhondacrosswhite8048]

Oh Nicole, you can’t see me but I am on my knees bowing down to your talent, patience and skill in recreating this ensemble. You look lovely in it and I know it feels wonderful having that silk charmeuse next to your skin (that’s what I make slips and nightgowns from). The weights in the jacket are reminiscent of the chains in Mme Chanel’s jackets so I know it hangs perfectly. Enough of my drooling, I’m going to watch the whole thing again.

[@ZolaZsun]

Awesome, my grandmother was a teenager in that era ... :) she had a coupla stories for me.

[@jacksonrodriguez2703]

Hi crone

[@katharinedonnelly8343]

This turned out absolutely gorgeous!! It’s really something to see the recreated dress in motion on a real body

[@lucie4185]

It looks completely different even compared to being on a stand!

[@LilienBea]

If you liked the golden thread, I can highly recommend basically every book by Elizabeth Wayland Barber! She is extremely knowledgeable in the textile field :)

[@NicoleRudolph]

I've got my favorite book of hers recommend in the description! Though I have others as well. Definitely a staple in grad school!

[@sharonshields1482]

That dress looks like it belongs in the opening credits for MasterPiece Theater.

[@sarahrosen4985]

I was sure that Christine McConnell was going to knock on the door and ask to borrow the dress.

[@foxxielane2196]

This gives me a very strong Morticia Addams vibe and I'm loving it. Great job Nicole, well done.

[@cincocats320]

"Put together by hand"...words to make my heart sing, being a slow poke hand sewer. This was already my favorite era...this garment is officialy my OBSESSION!

[@taylorr.s8082]

It makes you wonder if people are going to analyze our fashion and trends in 150 years. Those mom jeans, middle parts and cropped shirts. This piece is stunning.

[@lumindoesvideos]

1910's seems like someone got super bored with the usual fashion of earlier times. Also that black on black embroidery is hnnnnngh. There's something about black embroidery on black fabric that makes it so beautiful. Also, my guess for getting the look of this piece would be pattern, embroidery, construction. It's just a thought but it would make a lot of sense.

[@annettemurphy9846]

This channel is SOO informative, you are MAD talented ! 🖤🕸

[@historicalgarb8790]

Total Wicked Witch of the West vibes and I love it

[@wendynordstrom3487]

You must have had EXCELLENT lighting and great eyesight for this INCREDIBLE job. I'm just flabbergasted by all the work out into this. You're so talented, Nicole!

[@thepinkpooper]

Oh My Gods! Hard to believe human hands made such magical witchy clothes. Amazing!

[@rebeccac5021]

I spent most of the video wondering how long it took you just to find the just materials and finishings, let alone even beginning to pattern and make each and every component. I am utterly in awe.

[@astra1653]

All I can say is just... wow! I really didn't think it was going to be as dramatic of an ensemble when you started, after seeing the original on the mannequin on Abby's channel. I am more than pleasantly surprised, I am stunned! The entirety of it worn all together is beautiful, and you certainly deserve to take your bow as a maker.

[@rameyzamora1018]

Holy crow! Nicole could have built a house with all the time, effort, skill & care she used to re create this ensemble! Consider my jaw dropped, young lady.

[@kathleenmarguerite4461]

You look like someone out of an Edward Gorey picture. It’s fabulous and I love it. Thank you for sharing all the sewing secrets that went into it.

[@Majmysza]

I love everything about the process and the final product (the detail!) but I think I'm even more here for the mysterious music that hints we are getting near the end, and how you present the outfit in the end. This is such cinematographic delight to watch!

[@Rotten_Ralph]

The whole ensemble together is just breathtaking. Magnificent. I aspire to half your skills.

[@madeleinerose7090]

Well, I feel like I should just give up sewing now. I. Can’t. Even. I said last week the shoes were the most magnificent shoes I’ve ever seen. They are. The hat was awe-inspiring. The effort and details put into this beautifully embroidered gown - absolutely exquisite! You look like you stepped straight out of the Tardis after attending a very posh affair dressed in your glamorous finery. Brava! 🖤🖤

[@euansmith3699]

The detailing on this outfit is astonishing. I've not seen the rest of this series, so I was kind of shocked to see that it is all hand-embroidery. It is like something out of Edward Gory. Wonderful.

[@misscatalina711]

I’m so here for this!

[@minagica]

Let's please not forget that some people didn't follow fashion, making "outdated" styles historically accurate later than advertised 😉😂 Fantastic series! 😘

[@jirup]

Bravo! I have been waiting since Abbey's unboxing of this garment. Thank you Nicole, for warming my dark Edwardian soul.

[@rd6203]

I love the intro to this. Myself, am specifically partial to 1915... and 1917

[@guineverecassidy4855]

You have outdone yourself with this beautiful recreation creation! Bravo!

[@janicemurphy4373]

THINGS WERE SO WELL MADE LONG AGO, I HAVE A FEW, VERY FEW PIECES OF THINGS AND ACCESSORIES MADE LONG AGO!!!!! I LOVE THINGS LIKE THIS!!!!!!

[@bonniebrown5094]

I paused this video to immediately downloaded Golden Thread, thanks for the suggestion! The ensemble turned out amazing!!!

[@robintheparttimesewer6798]

I just looked and can’t find it... I guess I will have to add it to my list of books to find

[@fiberterian]

I did the same!

[@fieryhun]

What an absolutely beautiful garment!

[@apwhoa7767]

I have been sewing for over 40 years, nothing about this highly detailed piece looked easy. Beautifully Done ✨

[@kathryncoelho2249]

STUNNING!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@adedow1333]

Oh wow!!! It's absolutely gorgeous! 😍 It needs white half-length gloves and an umbrella or parasol with the perhaps the barest fringe at the edge. Well done indeed!!!

[@nicnaknoc]

What a BEAUTIFUL dress and full ensemble WOW

[@TealCheetah]

THIS ALL TURNED OUT SO GOOOOOOD!

[@alicat2416]

Such a beautiful piece! Absolutely obsessed with it!

[@vickiepine5566]

Absolutely Stunning! Love this!

[@jmicha91]

I adore fashion of 1914! Beautiful dress and you look great in it!

[@Mystic3975]

Absolutely stunning!

[@mountainfiber809]

Amazing work!!! I've been in love with this outfit since I saw Abby's unboxing video and it's so fantastic to see it re-created, and learn all about its construction!

[@deniseyoung3738]

Wow! What an outfit! Thank you so much for taking us along on this journey!

[@elfvinson4598]

It turned out so amazing! I’ve enjoyed your series on this ensemble so much💐

[@knittingmoose]

Stunning. Absolutely stunning!

[@heathermaybelleisland6007]

I get so excited when you upload. Love your channel!

[@flyinfox8527]

Wow! Absolutely stunning work

[@jessicawicher]

Absolutely breathtaking. What an inspiration this was!

[@industrialwhimsy]

Oh, this outfit is so cool! What amazing craftsmanship!

[@tacuinummedievale8363]

Your craftmanship is amazing, the whole ensemble is just beutiful. I love seeing reproductions made after original pieces! Great work!

[@SaturdaySewing]

Wow! Thanks for taking us along on the making of the different garments and shows for this magical outfit. I love the skirt and how it moves. I admire your many skills.

[@maryamjoha]

Absolutely beautiful work. Thank you for your efforts!

[@dianabuck7310]

It's absolutely incredible! I'm so glad I got to go on the creative journey so I can now appreciate every detail of this stunning outfit. Brilliantly done!

[@dee-annegordon5959]

That final reveal was worth the wait. Absolutely stunning!

[@annloker4503]

i absolutely adore every inch of this ensemble. simply stunning.

[@eyesofthegoddess2967]

Such a masterpiece. Just beautiful ensemble!

[@gatorbyte5254]

So much detail! It’s beautifully done 😊 thank you for sharing

[@debra333]

Absolutely love your work. This dark tone vibes with my esthetic splendidly!

[@paloma_hill]

OMG I am so glad that you did this project! amazing video and craftsmanship and I really appreciate you sharing it all.

[@KimberlyMackoy]

This is just beyond. So gorgeous!! Lavish, dark and lovely! 🖤

[@chixaninny]

Incredible! So wonderful Nicole, I love the gothic feel.

[@globalhikingcr]

Truly amazing ensemble! Your talent knows no boundaries... 💖

[@saralist1200]

Wow! Thank you for sharing your creation with us!

[@deana7310]

Seeing the full length: Wow! That skirt really does have a lot going on! Impressive recreation!

[@MendyLady]

Definition of epic. Stunning!

[@irenegarcia67]

Beautiful work. Congratulations on completing it, it looks so good. And the shoes!! Your soooo talented.

[@emsk9567]

Aaaaaah this was so good I'm so glad you did this ❤❤❤

[@stacycrowden6210]

Wow! Quite a beautiful work of art.

[@catchacobra4765]

So beautiful. You’ve done an amazing job.

[@robintheparttimesewer6798]

Wow that’s stunning. Congratulations on a beautiful look!!

[@tiffanytomasino335]

Wow, that’s amazing. The dress looks lovely, and you wear it very well. Thank you for sharing your experience ❤️

[@munka214]

Incredible. You did an amazing job. I loved this series and wouldn't mind more of them 😁

[@stinapalo8059]

All the wonderfull embroidery! So impressed with the whole dress. Well done you and thank you for sharing all your hard work with us!

[@stevezytveld6585]

Those two dresses belong in a museum together. One with an applied school of dress history / slash / conservation attached to it. There's enough history tied up into that one garment to be a dissertation piece. You must know some conservators and acquisition directors by now... Beautiful work. As always. And as always I'm barely keeping up. But I'm encouraged that I can kinda keep up with the procedural steps. As always, thanks. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown {by-the-by, I've got a Beginner FR entry under my full name, Cathy MacDonald-Zytveld, I'd love a fitting critique, because it's not quite there...}

[@beeshanx1019]

Incredible! Thank you for bringing life into this dress. I was fascinated throughout.

[@frenetic_muse]

Holy wow... what a stunning final result. Amazing work Nicole, your talents and skills are truly inspiring.

[@meganstedman4728]

This ensemble is absolutely gorgeous and I applaud you for figuring out the mysteries of that dress! Also this video was simply fantastic to watch while I worked on some hand sewing of my own 😄

[@trudicole3520]

The whole outfit looks stunning you do beautiful work

[@seamlyshenanigans861]

Stunning work! It looks like you snatched it right out of a fashion plate! 🤩

[@anieth]

I think that Erte was the one who inspired so much of the change in the 1910's. I remember trying to copy his drawings into costumes as early as 16. I love this decade. This is amazing work--thanks for sharing!

[@caireenbrain9612]

Remarkable ensemble, recreated beautifully. Wow!

[@cayjadoobirsingh2519]

Exquisite! Hat to shoes just phenomenal!

[@reneestarling9525]

Ooooh, I got the Golden Thread for Christmas this year. I can't wait to get into it now! And it's been so fun watching this project. I love how you dive into shoes, millinery, embroidery, AND sewing. I enjoy so many costubers, but I really learn so much from your videos!