Once in Royal David's City

 

Happy Christmas from the Bleuettes!

A new dress for winter: LSDS 1923, 20

Russian Blouse Dress

Wool/silk blend with woven braid trim

Model: Ruby Red Galleria limited edition Amorette

 

Hats Crown Bleuette's Ensembles

 

So many choices!

So little time!

Drop-Waist Dress

Here's a little generic drop-waist dress.  The style has been repeated over so many decades, it has become timeless.  Just a few examples follow.  Find the pattern at Bleuette Sewing Club.

What is the "demi-saison?"

 Literally, the half-season, or the season midway between winter and summer:  spring and fall.  In spring and fall, it's moderate weather, not too cold or too hot.

Many Bleuette patterns are intended for the demi-saison.  The first one, for example, was in 1910, issues 13 and 14, a fall dress.  

Next, a dress for spring, in the 1913 issue 11.  You can figure out from the date of the issue whether the fashion is intended for fall or spring.

This is 1924, issue 16 Vetement de demi-saison.

Her hat is from issue 17,

Chapeau printanier, Spring Hat.

Happy Spring!

Celebrating 1922 Fashions: 100 Years Ago

 Many of Bleuette's fashions are past 100 years old, but still stylish, still admirably wearable.  Here are just a few I have made over the years.

 

Christmas is coming

We trimmed the tree, now let's go out and carol!
LSDS 1925, 6 Fur Trimmed Coat

 

Sweater Weather

 

School Begins

 Bleuette returns to her studies wearing a smock for work or play, from La Semaine de Suzette's 1954 issue 14.  

Becassine from Brittainy

 Did you know that Becassine, the subject of magazine cartoons and books published by Gautier and Languereau, came from Brittany?  In the stories, she worked for the Parisian household of Madame de Grand-Air.  She was a domestic servant:  a nanny and maid of all work.  Brittany supplied more servants to the upper class households of Paris than any other province, according to a learned social scientist.

Above:  Becassine and Madame de Grand-Air

Becassine worked in her traditional regional clothing, a wool dress with white apron and coif.  

She wore felt house shoes inside, and wooden clogs called "sabot" when outdoors.  A pattern for this costume was published in La Semaine de Suzette on 15 October, 1908, in issues 36 and 37.  Here is what the pattern looks like when it is made according to the instructions.  A printed silk apron was suggested, rather than a white apron, and felt house shoes are also included in the pattern. 

The traditional costumes of Brittainy are justifiably famous for their beauty and complexity.  This costume is from the Pont Aven area in Brittainy.  It includes a lace coif and carved wooden sabot.

And here is the photo of a girl, a little younger than Becassine, photographed in Paris wearing her traditional costume from the area of Bannalec in Brittainy.