Secrets of an Edwardian closet: Check out a complete bridal trousseau from 1901-1908

What's in a woman's wardrobe in the early 1900's?
This is just one source, and it’s not meant to be taken as the end all be all of what was in a woman’s closet, this is just an example of the kinds of things a middle class woman would own. Most women would have owned far less, and some women would have owned much more.
It was a really fun experiment to put this all together and see what it would have looked like! I struggled the most with the afternoon gowns and ultimately leaned on how the article described them and what I already had in my closet. Unfortunately, I do not own a complete set of garments from just one year, so these are all from a small time range of about 1901 (the walking suits)- 1908 (the afternoon gowns and wedding dress) with a few things in the middle like the reception gown which is listed as being from 1904. If this were a real bridal trousseau, the bride would have done her best to make sure all of the garments were up-to-date and stylish.
I hope you enjoyed, and be sure to tell me which garment you liked best!
Sources are also included below.
Link to the Trousseau Article: archive.org/details/sim_harpe...
Wrappers & When to Wear them C. The Art of Dressing Well 1870
tile.loc.gov/storage-services...
First Wrapper: bid.augusta-auction.com/onlin...
Second (Red) Wrapper)
simplicity.com/mccalls/m8304
Reception Gown Original, by M&A Shogren, currently housed at FIT Museum
fashionmuseum.fitnyc.edu/obje...
Information on M&A Shogren including the cost:
www.oregonencyclopedia.org/ar...
Reception gowns, and when they were worn:
ia802301.us.archive.org/BookR...
Hillwood Museum Info on Afternoon Dresses:
hillwoodmuseum.org/collection...
Music:
Plucky Daisy by Kevin MacLeod Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song... License: filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Barroom Ballet by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: filmmusic.io/song/3418-barroo...
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: filmmusic.io/standard-license

[@michdie1046]

Edwardians in the fanciest dress ever: "Don't let anyone catch you dead in this"

[@marymary5494]

A dream trousseau like you said. All my ancestors were Irish farm girls so unfortunately they didn’t have such luxuries, but just like today I’m sure they had their aspirations. ☺️

[@thesewloartist]

Definitely very aspirational, but it’s fun to pretend! 🥰

[@SupremeViola]

For certain! I looked back through my family's history, and none of my female ancestors was married in a white wedding dress. My mom and both my grandmothers wore suits! My mom's was ivory and definitely wedding-intended, but my mom's mom's was blush pink (with matching shoes and hat; I remember her showing me the shoes once and talking about how pretty she felt) and my dad's mom's was pearl gray - Sunday best for both of them, dressed up with veils pinned to their hats.

[@MaxVelocity-er1kz]

Hello, it’s nice to meet you here How are you doing?

[@wyldelf2685]

​​@@thesewloartisthey Sewlo , you made so many great costumes, so much talent , tell us has Hollywood Studios or Georgia Studios or New York Studios ever approached you yet for costuming some "old timey" Movies and or TV shows ???

[@JazzlynnRoscoe]

As much as I love these videos and their clothes with all their layers, wearing just one layer of clothes where I live is still extremely hot.😂

[@teachergirl41]

When I was little, reproduction department store catalogs were popular for coffee table reading. I believe ours was from the early 1900’s. I used to pore over them, marveling at the prices and many pieces for ladies wear. Your videos always bring me back to those days!

[@jenniferfriesen7691]

One f my favorite parts of the Little House series was reading about Laura and Ma sewing her trousseau.

[@juliejohnson497]

Me, too., aged 77.

[@ulvesparker]

I enjoy your videos. I was, in my younger years, a Victorian era re-enactor and have had an enduring fascination with the turn-of-the-century period through the Edwardian era (Chicago expo, Russo-Japanese war, SF earthquake, Panama Canal, Evelyn Nesbitt/Stanford White, Teddy Roosevelt, Titanic, Pan-Pacific Expo, etc). I am also a sewer and former costume designer (for ice shows) so I appreciate your craftsmanship and effort. I especially like how you point out the subtle changes in fashion from year to year as I used to lump them all together into broad categories.

[@bonniehuh]

With how often I drip and make a mess when I eat (I'm 35, not a child, just a clumzy slob), I cant imagine wearing such light and beautiful cloth--especially the one at 3:30

[@_historical_fashion_7567]

Charming! I have read the magazine via the link on your instagram story and interestingly enough, the mourning toques featured before the trousseau page resembled a lot the one worn by Madeleine Astor after her husband's funeral, and considering the magazine is from April 1912, it's even more fascinating lol.

[@user-oj5bw7sl8p]

1. You are a pure vision of loveliness. Just saying. 2. This video is excellent! 3. I wonder, if I can find somewhere a bridal photo of my great-greatgrandmother, who was married to a nobleman, but not a rich one, - he was a high ranked army doctor. I saw her picture from La Belle Époque, where she wears a fancy winter outfit, - a handsome coat of either fur or rich thick velvet, and a beautiful hat! I am not sure, if it was a part of her bridal trousseau, or she has got it from her husband, when they got married. I heard, he was a good chap.

[@henrikmadsen6446]

I dont know why youtube started recommending this channel. I want to put it out there; you and your clothing are simply beautiful.

[@fenixrhyserindoherty-kirby]

This is really interesting! I love how you can make these! Most of my sewing projects are me yelling at simple skirts and petticoats

[@rynrose81]

Love this deeper dive! Your shorts are excellent and your video making the 1890s secret pants was super helpful when I made my first pair (I have like five now lol) 💚

[@thereseremus6849]

I was addicted to Murdock Mysteries. Set in 1898 and the dresses were wonderful. Thank you for your wonderful videos.

[@purplewingbackreadingchair]

This gives me so much help with a story I'm writing. Thank you for making the past come to life!

[@thelaundress11]

I see a lot of your videos are from last years or even two years ago. I just found your channel and can’t get enough! So I hope you make some more long-form videos!!❤ I just binged all of your shorts! 💜💜💜💜

[@YELLTELL]

DITTO

[@GrantValdes]

Did you ever move to Portland? We did, same time, into an Edwardian.

[@emilyanna4667]

Great video! Interesting tidbit I remembered from reading "Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton in a college English class...it was considered appropriate, at least in New York Society, for a bride to wear her wedding gown during the first year of marriage. I think that book took place in the late Victorian era, but it still makes sense. Frankly, it seems like something we should bring back today, especially given how much people can spend on their wedding dresses.

[@alaskacosplay]

Im not a married lady yet but I already am working on my bridal trousseau, including evening and ball gowns, afternoon dresses, walking suits, tea gowns, comfortable wrappers, and a wedding gown or two as the bodice is cut in the princess line for the ceremony and an evening bodice for the reception ball. Basically covering everything, including the partridge in a pear tree.

[@patriciatinkey2677]

Thank you so much. This featured my favorite fashion era. Lovely! 💐😊

[@julianyc422]

I just love the closeups and details you show. And you are so wonderful at posing and showing the clothing. Such lovely expressions to show off the feeling of the clothes. Amazing work.

[@reubenrosenberg7715]

Very lovely! Thank you for such a deep dive into an “ideal” bridal trousseau!

[@juliejohnson497]

Thank you for your channel. I especiallt enjoyed your going to the triuble of reading the budget article in the same Haroer's issue and then analyzing it and translating that to today's dollars. And when you realize that it included the wedding dress, it was all a great bargain! I loved the blue /white afternoon dress best too.

[@Nessi-dances]

Thank you for the video! I've missed your longer form videos! 💜

[@pippaseaspirit4415]

What a treat to see so many of your beautiful dresses in one video!

[@melodybucker3803]

So cool! I loved seeing all of your beautiful examples. Thank you for sharing 😊

[@johnb7499]

I love your Edwardian dresses. You are obviously very talented

[@jojocrater1]

Oh I love love love this video!! Thanks for sharing your passion with us ❤

[@lightowl4345]

I love this era. What beautiful dresses you made. Thank you for sharing.

[@suzannemckenzie2873]

The going away suit is lovely. And the hat is perfect. Silk charmeuse. Lovely for a wedding gown.

[@BladerBabez]

Omg! I was just looking at your channel wishing for a longer video. This is awesome girl!

[@libbybeliveau7506]

The details! and *the* *shoes* make me drool!

[@mmkvoe6342]

I grew up seeing my .ok enjoy house dresses often enough and it took me until my thirties but I acquired two this past year and have worn them more than anything else really, as they accommodate the working schedule and lifestyle I had this year. But as the magazine suggests, I have learned that I should have bought three, so another one is on the shopping list. Thanks for mentioning numbers etc. And in general, the composition of this wardrobe is like Anne of Green Gables or even more her daughter, Rilla of Ingleside, but it all most reminds me of the descriptions of life and clothes and everything in the Betsy-Tacy books.

[@denisegallant4647]

I love white with blue ribbon. These are beautiful.

[@CaitlynGo]

So cool! I just love learning about historical fashion!

[@krism.9363]

This is so interesting & I learned so much! All those dresses are so beautiful. ❤

[@makeda6530]

Such an adorable wardrobe~.

[@queentasha5364]

Love this could you do more video like this for other periods ad I've learned loads 😊

[@donneverae3050]

I'm writing a novella set in 1911-1913 and this is sooo helpful. Thank you for creating it.

[@HeatherLewis1700]

Thank you so much. This so amazing dresses... all for you! ❤

[@sandraryan9403]

Such an interesting video the clothes are stunning 😊

[@RAAAAGGHHH]

I love your videos! ❤❤❤❤

[@elleeNopeNotToday1133]

You are very talented and I love every single outfit you have made and shown us. At times I feel I was born in the wrong era. I also love the 40's and 50's fashion also. 😁

[@lunawolf23]

What a fun insight!

[@bohemiansusan2897]

I'm so glad to see you back! I missed you. Much of the middle class couldn't afford to have the recommended wardrobe listed in the magazines. The upper could do it but with planning. Many sort of combined outfits to get the most. A house dress to wear to get things done and then a nicer dress to interact with others outside. A tailored suit to formally call on folks. What I was told over 40 years ago by someone in their 90s. Being working class, one had maybe three outfits and a Sunday dress. Not too long ago, I posted the average wardrobe for middle class in the late 40s. Jaws dropped at how small the wardrobe size was. They thought my contemporary wardrobe was extremely small, which it isn't.

[@vbrown6445]

From the small closets in my house that was built in the 1940s, I very much believe that wardrobes were small for most people even then. We have gotten so used to fast/cheap clothing that allows us to have such large wardrobes now.

[@MiljaHahto]

​@@vbrown6445 Absolutely. Then again, quality was a bigger issue when acquiring clothes that it is nowadays. Sadly, these days many people do not even recognise quality and do not care for the longevity of their clothing.

[@KAMAKAZE_ZC]

Hello there, I'm one of your probably few male subscribers. I would really like to see an origin story video (if you don't already have one) about how you got into making clothing. If you could throw in a little starters guide for aspiring artists that would be cool too.

[@user-iz9oc6gy4p]

Loved this video! My beloved Nan was wed in November, 1912. I’m sure her trousseau was not a fancy as this but she would have had several beautiful dresses as she was a professional dressmaker who had made dresses for court presentations in England before emigrating to Canada c.1910. Her stitching was perfect. I still have one entirely handmade doll dress from my childhood which was so pretty that one of my young friends tried to appropriate it for her own doll’s wardrobe 😮. A little chat between our mothers resulted in its return. 😊

[@EleneriPenneth]

This is lovely!

[@seattlegirl2077]

Lovely. Thank you so much!

[@susangavaghan]

This was the year the Titanic sank. Fascinating to see what type of clothes a middle class woman would have worn.

[@kingkarlxivjohanofsweden4746]

very nice video, thank you !

[@Jessiebes]

They are all lovely.

[@amandapurplekeys3922]

So interesting. Thank you ☺️

[@user-on5dl9hc2z]

you really need to do cosplay. Pandora hearts's lottie and sharon gowns would suit you so much.

[@Kornholeeoo]

Beautiful!

[@Ladypuppy510]

Fun video. Very enjoyable Thanks

[@EWard101]

Someday you'll have to do a video on what an elegant grandmother would wear.

[@peacefultarot]

Edwardian era is my most favorite especially tea dresses.

[@yuelianghaizi9276]

This is quite insightful. Thank you. By the way, and interesting outfit to make might be a hanfu from China. It is an older traditional outfit. I am curious how your would look if you made one. I am sure it will be lovely just like all of your many creations.

[@akashanumberfive199]

Honestly 3 grand is not bad for a " full wardrobe of well made garments, even if the cloth itself is cheap. There are millions dropping 200 -500 on a pair of shoes. Not to mention two dresses that are meant to be worn basi ally daily

[@sarahmacdougal2117]

I want a wardrobe like this.

[@aldakendall4921]

So beautiful

[@daniellabra4186]

No doubt, Harrison Fisher would have loved to have you as a model for his illustrations... And Sargent too, for his paintings...

[@SamLizziesmom]

I suspect many pieces may have been handed down, or altered. If I remember correctly, Even in 1912, they had separates, so perhaps have a "afternoon dress" made in a color that works in all seasons, and in a style that can be layered by a fashionable under shirt...

[@bellemeri8155]

Per my understanding as a historian - cavat, not a dress historian, but just a historian, the "Afternoon Dress" was literally any dress worn at home between the time you finished your chores in the wrapper and when - if you were upper middle class or upper class - the time you "got dressed" for dinner as dinner dresses were more formal, especially if you were having guests over. It was worn for "recieving" visitors, tea, your "handwork" at home, and those kinds of things. It's not really a dress for the working classes - most of whom wore simpler, yet stylish dresses all day - but one for people who had enough money to have perhaps a single housemaid to help with chores around the house giving the "lady of the house" more leisure time.

[@suzannemckenzie2873]

I so enjoy your videos. I too did reproduction clothing for a while. Mostly Civil War clothing, as I and my younger daughter did re-enacting for a couple years. It was such fun. I live in Oregon too. On a farm outside of Molalla. My son, his wife and three boys moved. Here a couple years ago. God bless you!

[@cheecheetara]

Ummmmm $14.00 in 1913 was $435 today….. soooo yeah. I was thinking to myself, well maybe there stuff cost a bit more but they didn’t have as many outfits. The inflation calculator proved that wrong!! I don’t know anyone middle class who owns a dress (not even an outfit we are just taking the dress) over $300. Sure rich people do. But not middle class. That’s about the same price as my wedding dress & I had it custom made!! Edit: I commented before the end 🤦🏽‍♀️ I’m so fascinated by your content & appreciate it sooo much. My mother & I have been trying to keep up a Victorian garden & wow! It’s a lot! I also have to say I NEED the house dress to come back. So gorgeous & low effort. Thank you for what you do you really make history relatable!

[@MiljaHahto]

People used more money on single outfits, but they had far fewer ones of them and they were made to last long (and they altered them as well, as fashion changed). Their clothing budget wasn't necessarily much bigger than these days.

[@MiljaHahto]

But actually, I've had outfits that cost 300€. A good quality jacket + skirt/pants and shirt (for work, compare it to a walking suit) can easily cost that much - cheaper ones tend to not fit as well, not be as comfortable due to material choices, and have shorter lifespans. Clothes are not supposed to be for 1-2 years only. I also have a winter coat that alone cost me 270€ - 10 years ago. It has gotten a lot of use and I still intend to use it for another 10 years. I had planned on using less before I came across it, but it's been a damn good investment if you calculate the price per times used. And I'm definitely middle class and not even on the higher end per my income.

[@MiljaHahto]

And around here you won't get a wedding dress custom-made with 300€. That's like the ultimate sale, the last dress that's totally out of style that nobody really wants anymore, and then you'll add the price of alterations. Heck, you can barely even rent a wedding dress with that price. A typical middle class wedding dress prices tends to start at 500€ at least. 1000€ is nothing unique.

[@cheecheetara]

@@MiljaHahto I tried on a top I really wanted, but it was $1000, so I found it used online without the beading (which I like better anyway), for $100. I found a high low tulle skirt at Ali express for $40. Then I purchased machine embroidery patterns for like $5 (I used them for my invitations too) I designed a belt that someone custom made for $80. My seamstress put it all together & added ribbons to the corset for a bit over $100. So I guess it was a little more than $300. It was really beautiful & I know no one has one like it! I think my seamstress gave me a deal though, because she was excited for the project, apparently people used to design their wedding dresses all the time & it’s become rare. It was a really fun experience.

[@MiljaHahto]

@@cheecheetara mostly just altering items is of course less expensive. Having the whole dress made to you from start to finish would cost a lot more - even just the amount of work would certainly cost more than the whole price of your dress. (I don't trust Ali express one bit. It's totally a question of luck whether you get what was promise...)

[@julialoughlin645]

Hello I’m really interested in this style of dressing especially the undergarment essentials they would typically wear daily. As someone who doesn’t know how to make there own clothes I’m wondering what practical pieces would be suitable to mimic these pieces and what fabric to look for. There names and such Also highly looking into learning how to sew now 😅

[@donnajeanbrettnacher3349]

Beautiful ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@cherylrosbak4092]

The jacket on that grey and black walking suit is amazing. Is there a place I can find the pattern or is it yours?

[@thesewloartist]

You have to scale it up but it came out of a book called The Voice of Fashion.

[@cherylrosbak4092]

@@thesewloartist thanks!

[@delindalumpkin1171]

Wonderful video…..You are just Lovely!

[@mzlww]

I would love the working women / lower class women version

[@DAGOBE57]

Un trousseau de rêve magnfiquemenr présenté !

[@pnr]

Can you please make a video about laundry? I suppose the inner layers are washed more often than outer layers. I suppose cotton was washed more often than wool. But what about dry cleaning, and what about social classes, affordability of laundry, etc.?

[@MiljaHahto]

Less fortunate families probably used less white in visible layers as it is rather unforgiving and requires a lot of work to stay spotless.

[@warmhearthandhearts6785]

I need all of these in patterns 😅 lol

[@cimalurie]

Did you have a pattern for the reception gown or did you recreate it just from the photo of the original ? I'd like to recreate it as well so as much help as possible would be great, same for the undergarment

[@NREnger]

@The Sewlo Artist Such a helpful video thank you. And if one wanted to start sewing Victorian/Edwardian clothing, where would they start & with what?

[@MiljaHahto]

I'm starting with a walking skirt. For starters I can wear it with an ordinary shirt, but a shirt with that era with a modern skirt doesn't look as good. Also with the winter here I really like the idea of a full-length skirt. I'm doing a mock-up and will use that as a petticoat. And then I contemplate on sewing a waistcoat to go with the skirt, meaning I'll buy enough of the same fabric for that, too.

[@MiljaHahto]

People did use knit underwear as well, and I think basic, old-fashioned underwear (I'm thinking of camisoles and granny panties) which you can still find will do for starters, you don't have to sew everything at once.

[@francislematt7079]

Were those dresses stored folded in the chest of drawers, or meant to be hung in the wardrobe, with some sort of dust covers?

[@thelaundress11]

Ok- final comment….. could you remake some of the beautiful day dresses I see the Crawley ladies wearing in Downton Abbey?

[@tessajohnson8351]

But how would they store everything? Are petticoats folded and put away? Did they worry about wrinkles?

[@elt.214]

Where did the white with black design stockings come from?

[@EngRMP]

67 yo man here, so please bear with me. Old homes have tiny closets, so how much clothes could a house store? I'm sure the man would have a few pairs of pants, shirts and shoes. Smaller garments could certainly go in chest of drawers, but suit jackets and women's dresses would need to be hung, wouldn't they? And, (from your other videos) if fashions are changing year to year, and clothes are expensive, how were your out-of-fashion, custom made wardrobes dealt with in an economic way? BTW, it's fascinating to see the engineering marvel of women's fashions through the ages... great videos... we're so lucky to have people like you that are both good at sharing information, but also willing to take the time to make the videos.

[@foamer443]

They would have probably supplemented the closets with freestanding wardrobes.

[@EngRMP]

@@foamer443 Thanks for that info. Does that imply that we should see lots of antique wardrobes today... do we see lots of them?

[@foamer443]

I guess that might depend where you are and what used furniture or antique dealers may have. For the lower classes they were probably quite lightly constructed and may not have lasted.

[@EngRMP]

@@foamer443 That's a good point. A wardrobe wouldn't have to be THAT strong... it just had to support hanging clothes, hats on top and shoes on a bottom shelf. And, the heavier it is, the harder it is to transport from the store and when/if you move. So, maybe they were too "flimsy" to hold up over time. I'm not an antique collector, so I have no idea how many are around. Maybe another reason that small closets were acceptable is that with a growing population, older garments could be handed down to make room tor newer fashions.

[@foamer443]

I have minor first hand knowledge as my wife had, and we still have and use, one she owned when we met. The construction is clearly of lesser grade material, sturdy enough, though light weight and two even smaller people, unloaded, can easily move it. The other thing that occurs to me, is in NA a century plus ago probably far fewer people owned where they lived so being able to move easily was likely always in mind. Also I believe that were quite a period in NA house building closets just weren't a thing. Mainly because houses didn't have any services. No plumbing, no electricity, no ductwork, Just rooms, hallways and stairs. Closets, I suspect mainly came about because trades needed a means to get those services from one level to another and thus came riser spaces, which took a chunk out a room. So sometimes this resulted in a odd space leftover and rather than waste it they put a door on it and a rod cross it and Ta Da.

[@carsonmcarthur9382]

Have you ever been to mackinac island in Michigan

[@naomi.j.m.]

Commenting again to ask, would she not have had a tea gown? We’re they not as common among the middle class, or was it assumed that she’d already have one?

[@baharpiena9246]

Ok, were do you get the patterns from? Or are drafting patterns your self?

[@thesewloartist]

Most of them are self drafted I’m afraid :( but the red wrapper is an Angela Clayton pattern from McCalls!

[@luditebreaker5065]

did the american fashion follow the edwardian styles?

[@cor3944]

very appreciated video but the price if "real" materials on votton, linnen, silk and laces are actually much higher. We shouldn't forget the natural nature of the the fabrics if those times. thx ❤

[@YELLTELL]

BY THE WAY, YOUR MUFF IS GORGEOUS! 5:08 THAT'S WHY SMALL PISTOLS ARE SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS MUFF GUNS; CAUSE THAT'S WHERE WOMAN KEPT THEM, IN THEIR MUFF!

[@lavenderflowersfall280]

I would just say it's a dress. What does or matter if they ask why I'm outside in my wrapper

[@ryancook8549]

You could go to someplace in your Victorian clothes at night and fool people into thinking you're a ghost.

[@zerocool1ist]

Ah the Victorian era and the “doctrine of separate spheres.” The dark ages for women and fashion. God bless The flapper movement.

[@thelaundress11]

Not to be weird and inappropriate, but could you show a bit closer of your under garments you’re wearing with some of your costumes during GRWM? Often we just see from the waist up and I’m curious about the floofy split drawers vs the cuffed more balloon shaped pantaloon type bottoms. Were they worn under a shift also? Do you wear a separate top or were the bottoms always worn as combinations? And tell us really- do you wear contemporary western underwear under your costumes?

[@thesewloartist]

Ohh, this comment is a little ✨spicy✨ lol. I usually show from the waist up because I am often wearing split drawers + something underneath for modesty and it would just look weird. A lot of those garments are really sheer so you gotta be careful on camera! I usually wear modern undergarments + a chemise. Maybe I’ll do a tour of my underwear drawer sometime if that’s not too weird haha.

[@primalizard8466]

Is she normal?

[@raynonabohrer5624]

This was not the dress. The poor women in the country. Farmer's wives went lucky if they had four dresses. And everybody in my family got married in black. Including my mother.

[@thesewloartist]

Yeah this video is definitely not about farmers wives! If you watch all the way to the end I give more context on what kind of person would own these things :)

[@YELLTELL]

GOD MAN I WISH WOMEN HAD CLASS LIKE THEY USED TO BACK IN THE DAY. MEN AS WELL. MEN WOULDNT EVEN GO TO GET A PAPER WITHOUT A SUIT ON. NOW PPL WEAR PJ PANTS THAT THEY NEVER WASH EVERY WHERE THEY GO. PPL DO NOT TAKE PRIDE IN THE WAY THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES LIKE THEY USED TO...