Where to Buy Old Fashioned Undergarments? Find Your Perfect Fit

Okay, so check it, I got this wild hair to try making some, like, legit old-school undergarments. I'm talkin' stuff that ladies actually wore back in the day. Figured it'd be a fun history project, plus, maybe I'd actually wear them? Who knows!

First thing I did was hit the books, or, you know, the internet. Found some images of old-timey underwear - corsets, chemises, drawers...the whole shebang. Looked comfy, not gonna lie. Then, I dove into patterns. Vintage patterns are a pain to find, lemme tell ya. Ended up cobbling together a few different ones I found online, tweaking them to kinda fit what I wanted.

The Chemise:

• Started with a simple chemise. Figured that's the base layer, right? I grabbed some cheap cotton muslin 'cause I didn't wanna blow a ton of cash on something I might screw up.
• Cut out the pattern pieces – two rectangles for the front and back, and two smaller ones for the sleeves. Super basic.
• Sewed the shoulder seams first. Easy peasy. Then, the side seams, leaving openings for the sleeves.
• Attached the sleeves. These were just gathered at the top to make them poofy. Looked kinda cute, actually.
• Hemmed the neckline and the bottom. Used a rolled hem 'cause I didn't want anything scratchy.

It came out pretty decent, if I do say so myself. Kinda like a big, cotton sack, but hey, that's the point, right?

The Drawers:

• Next up were the drawers. These were a little trickier. They're basically baggy shorts that tie at the waist.
• Used the same muslin. Cut out two leg pieces, making sure they were nice and wide.
• Sewed the inseams and the side seams.
• Created a waistband by folding over the top edge and sewing it down. Left a gap to thread the ties through.
• Made some cotton ties and threaded them through the waistband.

These were surprisingly comfy. I mean, they're basically pajamas. Not gonna lie, I wore them around the house for a bit.

The Corset (Attempt #1 - Epic Fail):

• Okay, so this is where things went south. I tried to make a simple corset out of coutil fabric (the real deal, you know?) and boning.
• I found a pattern online that looked "easy." It wasn't.
• Cut out all the pieces, but they just didn't seem to fit together right.
• I struggled with the boning channels, kept poking myself with the needles.
• After about three hours of frustration and a lot of cursing, I gave up. It looked like a lumpy, misshapen mess.

Yeah, the corset was a total disaster. I think I need to take a proper corset-making class before I attempt that again.

Corset (Attempt #2 - Modified Success):

• Okay, after the first corset fiasco, I decided to scale back and try something a little less...intense. I found a pattern for a "soft corset" or a "training corset" - basically, a less structured, more comfortable version.
• This time, I used some heavy canvas instead of coutil. Figured it would be easier to work with.
• The pattern had fewer pieces, which was a HUGE relief.
• I still used boning, but I simplified the boning channels. I just sewed straight lines, instead of trying to curve them perfectly.
• I also added a busk in the front - that's the metal closure thingy. It was tricky to install, but I managed to get it in there.

This second corset was a lot better. It still wasn't perfect, but it actually looked like a corset. I even managed to lace it up by myself!

The Verdict?

Making old-fashioned undergarments is definitely a challenge. The chemise and drawers were easy enough, but the corset...whew! It took a lot of patience and a few failed attempts. But, you know what? It was actually kinda fun. I learned a lot about historical clothing construction, and I now have a new appreciation for the ladies who wore this stuff every day. Would I wear it all the time? Probably not. But it's definitely a cool conversation starter!