1920s Foundation Garments - Coat Dress Foundation Slip

What makes a coat-dress foundation slip different from the other foundation slips (plain and tunic-dress) is the creation of sections of the slip using the dress material that can be viewed purposefully or inadvertently. The coat-dress foundation slip (illustrated below) is created for use with a coat dress that opens at the side front. By using dress fabric in a band at the bottom and up the side opening, it ensures that the skirt, when swinging open, does not show a contrasting material. Likewise, a vestee of the dress material is attached at the neckline so that it reveals the same fabric at the neckline.

When sewing a coat-dress foundation slip, start with the plain foundation slip (the small figure on the right). Outline the sections for the dress material on the plain slip pattern and then trace to other paper to create a pattern. The lower band replaces the slip lower section so seam allowances need to be added. But the vestee forms an additional layer on the foundation slip, attaching with snaps.

The coat-dress foundation slip can have a round neckline, a square neckline, even a camisole neckline, as needed. As always, adjust the slip to fit the requirements of the coat-dress.

History of Sewing - 1920s Foundation Garments - Waist Linings

In the 1920s, foundation garments were grouped into two main categories: waistline foundations and lining foundations. The topic of this post is to provide an overview of the lining foundations. And just to be clear, in general, foundation garments is not the same as lingerie, which is a different subject (although when we get into slips, the two subjects blur...).

Waist linings serve as both a protection to a dress (though particularly across the shoulders) as well as a means of holding a dress in its correct position, and as a foundation to which a skirt may be attached.

There are three general types of waist linings:

• Camisole or bodice lining
• Built-up or plain-waist lining
• Close-fitting lining

The camisole lining is simplest to make and was considered optimal for young girls and slender women (and also provides a dainty effect under sheer garments).

The built-up lining is preferable for the woman who is size 42 or larger.

The close-fitting lining is essential for dresses that fit closely on figures of all types, and for many types of dresses intended for the "stout" figure.

For one-piece dresses of sheer fabric (as opposed to two-piece dresses), the lining (regardless of type), should be extended to the full length of the dress as a slip, so as to eliminate a conspicuous break at the waistline.

I'll look more closely at the construction of these 1920s foundations garments in future posts.  Something to look forward to. :)

History of Sewing - Introduction to 1920s Foundation Garments

You know that the women of the 1920s obtained freedom from dreadful corsets with stays of whalebone and tight lacing. What you may not know is that they did not abandon "foundation garments" altogether.

There were several types of women's foundation garments in the 1920s. The foundation garment served to retain the correct lines in a garment. Which foundation garment was worn depended largely on the specific lines of the garment and the material of which it was made.

The foundation garments were grouped into two general classes: waistline foundations and lining foundations.
Waistline foundations consisted of two types:

• Inside stay belts
• Fitted hip yokes

 Lining foundations consisted of four types:

• Camisole or bodice lining
• Built-up or plain-waist lining
• Close-fitting lining
• Foundation slips

In future posts, I will delve into more details about these undergarments. Stay tuned!

In Search of Style - 1940s Camisole - An Understudy of Undergarments

Let's look at lingerie from the 1940s!

In search of a cute camisole, a seamstress in the late 1940s took this wonderful 3-page clipping about camisoles, petticoats, and other undergarments from a magazine and slipped it into a pattern for camisoles.

The first image shows a lacy camisole with a ruffle at the waistline and a separate deeply ruffled petticoat:

The 2nd page pictures a pert rayon plaid petticoat with a pretty ruffle, along with a drawing of a lightly boned bra (can you imagine?!) and a matching "waistliner" (corset).

The 3rd page illustrates a camisole and separate petticoat in embroidered eyelet. Equally interesting are the other lingerie items featured - a "revolutionary" bra with seamless molded cups, a very long line bra, and a "waistlet" (corset).

And here is the pattern, McCall 1423 from 1948, which seems to me to be a near-perfect match on all counts! :)

Here is a closer look at the camisoles in the clippings for easier comparison with the pattern.

So delicate and feminine!