There are many many layers of clothing that go into an Edwardian outfit. More than you would think. Here are the layers for my black Edwardian gown.
- Drawers
- Chemise
- Bum pad
- Corset
- Corset bust support
- Chemise
- Under petticoat
- Petticoat
- Shirtwaist
- Skirt
- Black blouse
- Belt
In the right order
The order in which the undergarments were worn can vary. I have mine shown here in the order I will try wearing them first. My chemise is too long to be worn under the drawers. I made it long because I have a habit of wearing my chemise was night dresses, and I am going to spare my neighbors the view as I let the dogs out in the morning. I will make a set of combinations eventually so that I have just one layer under the corset.
The bum pad under the corset. This one is going to vary as well. The wonderful Truly Victorian corset pattern has the bum pad underneath. This works with my sew up of their corset because the hips of the corset are big on me. The bum pad fills out the back hip area nicely. While I have plenty of hip, the back of my butt is flatter than the ideal s-curve silhouette. Turns out I am plus size with a flat butt. Eh, whatever. That is what padding is for.
Wearing the pad over the corset gives a much rounder flare, and is more reminiscent of the Victorian styles of just a few years earlier. The curve is lovely. The trouble then is that the edge of the pad is very visible under the chiffon of the black dress. Like “why do you have a pillow there” levels of visible.
The solution will be to take some of the stuffing out of the pad, and add some cotton ruffles to the edges. As I have not done that yet, it is shown underneath the corset.
Bust padding. The two slides of the corset show how the under bust padding fills out the corset silhouette. This padding is there for a somewhat unusual reason. When worn, the padding is completely underneath my bust, at approximately the line of the bottom edge of where a bra sits. It does not accentuate, lift or enlarge my bust, but rather fills in the space underneath.
The reason for this is that Edwardian corsets wear designed to give a full, lower than normal bust line. The corsets flare out right above the waist, leaving space at the wearers midriff under the corset. It is a bit difficult to describe. Without pads in there it feels very strange, and the pattern includes pieces to build the pads to alleviate that.