Woman's Institute of Science

Plain Undergarments by Mary Brooks Picken

Flapper Era Clothes Making

Spiral Bound Book Republication

Originally Published - 1920!

Why Buy Just One?

Receive a 50% shipping/handling discount, on all items in your order after the first purchase, providing all are paid for in a single payment as invoiced!

Up for bid is another marvelous Dakota Prairie Treasures Spiral Bound Book Republication of the original "Plain Undergarments by the Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences" with NO RESERVE!"

We scanned and reformatted a scare original and are pleased to offer you this wonderful vintage Flapper Era Underwear Making reference for your reenactment or personal recreation sewing pleasures!

This HISTORIC item has general directions regarding undergarment design, materials used, etc., for the making of Brassieres, Corset-Covers, Petticoats, Flounces, Silk Petticoats, Night Dresses, Kimono Night Dress, Plain and Circular Drawers, Simple and Envelope Chemises, plus; Trimmings, Embroideries, Laces, Mending, Laundering, Tinting, etc! (Original is not for sale)

Our new line of Spiral Bound Book Republications oh-so-conveniently lie flat while in use!

This is a unbelievably nice touch if you have every tried to read a pattern's instructions while your hands are full of your in progress project. As an avid needleworker myself my personal experience prompted my choice of spiral binding for it's ease-of-use alone. I bet you'll love it too!

Producing the best Spiral Bound Book Republications for you since 1999!

This item is a great resource for those who are historical reenactment enthusiasts, students of historical clothing, fiber and textile arts, etc!

This is certainly a fine source of historically valuable techniques and inspiration for the creative dress seamstress and fabric artists out there who recreate the clothing for women, misses' and girls from the Flapper Era. This is the perfect opportunity to purchase your own version of another wonderful craft instructional revealing our heritage from an earlier America culture!

A Few Excerpts:

" Perhaps no other part of a woman's wearing apparel appeals so much to her as her undergarments."

" Perhaps no other part of a woman's wearing apparel appeals so much to her as her undergarments. Every woman has an inborn longing for dainty articles of wear, and to satisfy this desire she generally makes the best of the opportunity afforded by the garments that are intended to be worn under her dresses and gowns. True it is that women at one time did not realize that their undergarments gave them a chance to express their own individuality, but such is not the case nowadays. Instead of making and wearing such garments simply because of necessity, they now derive pleasure and satisfaction in wearing garments produced to gratify their personal desires.

Credit for such a change is perhaps due to the French women, who, long before others, took delight in dainty, personal things and who gave to undergarments the name lingerie, which word really has a tendency to make such garments appear less ordinary. It must, of course, be admitted that the term lingerie does not seem applicable to the practical and serviceable undergarments that many women find necessary to wear; yet it always seems a little more womanly to apply the name lingerie to those garments which mean so much for a woman's happiness and in the making of which she has opportunity to express so much of herself ."

"Bearing of Styles on Lingerie Until within very recent years, but little attention was given to the relation between undergarments and outer garments. Indeed, style and variety were practically unknown so far as lingerie garments were concerned, the rule being undergarments that were full of ruffles and unnecessarily burdensome.

However, the time has come when the requisites of milady's lingerie are daintiness of fabrics and careful, thoughtful shaping of such garments to make them trim and neat in appearance and of a style that conforms to the outer garments with which they are to be worn.

The woman who had a fondness for ruffles and unnecessarily burdensome garments has, perhaps reluctantly, had to give way to changes wrought by Dame Fashion; yet the comfort and freedom derived from the sensible, graceful garments that now prevail should make her appreciate that the change is for the best."

" Although style changes in dresses, suits, and skirts are announced almost weekly, extreme changes are rarely sudden. For this reason, it is usually safe to plan and make underwear so that it will last a full season or even an entire year, but always with a determined effort to choose for 'every undergarment a model so well designed that it will remain satisfactory, so far as style is concerned, as long as its material lasts.

As it is advisable to study style books in selecting styles for dresses, so it is with undergarments, for the same effect is usually carried out in both. For example, if narrow skirts are in style, narrow underskirts should be worn; if waists are worn tight, tight corset covers are best; and so on.

No woman cares to wear a petticoat that is so much fuller than her outside skirt that it hangs beneath the skirt, all the way around, when she sits down, nor can any woman expect a close-fitting bodice to set without a wrinkle over a frilly, fluffy corset cover. "

" It is always well to bear in mind that the figure remains much the same at all times, and that underwear that is made from correctly fitted patterns and worn over a good corset is sure to produce a smooth exterior.

The best patterns tend toward garments that fit the figure correctly and are not so extreme by being either so scant or so full that they have to be discarded as often as there is a change in the style of the outer garments.

Undergarments made with an excess of gores or gathers invariably destroy the lines of the outer garments, and, what is almost as bad, require endless time in laundering. The thoughtful woman will therefore constantly realize the advisability of striving always for styles in undergarments that express a happy medium. "

" The method of trimming lingerie must not be overlooked, either. Scarcely a year passes without the appearance of a new way of shaping yokes or of trimming the front, armholes, or sleeves. All of these merit attention, for the cleverest and quickest way in which, to apply trimming of any kind is usually the best.

At no time can the importance of keeping informed as to new things in sewing be overestimated, for to grow in proficiency and to develop originality it is necessary to be ever on the alert for any new feature that tends to save time or material or that serves to aid in developing ideas. "

" Selection of Materials for Underwear - The most effective and serviceable fabrics for lingerie are those which will launder well and which will permit of a neat seam finish. To insure durability and neatness, all raw seam edges must be concealed in undergarment construction, and it must be admitted that Flat-trimmed underwear is more easily ironed and stands washing better than underwear that is trimmed with lace and ruffles.

Soft nainsook and long cloth are very practical materials for general wear, and if laundering is a serious problem cotton crepe is highly desirable, because if garments made of this material are carefully stretched when hung out to dry, little or no ironing is required. Crepe de Chine is another very desirable material, but its initial cost is considerably more than that of soft muslin and, consequently , it is not the most popular fabric... "

" Before ironing, nearly all muslin undergarments should be starched with cooked starch that is moderately stiff not cold starch. If the garment is a petticoat, the flounce and dust ruffle should be well dipped into the hot starch.

In rinsing a petticoat, turn it wrong side out and wring it as dry as possible; then, holding it at the band, dip it into the starch and let the starch come up almost to the hip portion of the skirt.

It is always best to avoid starching around the waist line and hips of any undergarment, unless the figure is very slender, in which case the starch is not amiss, because a garment so starched will make a person's figure appear a trifle larger than it really is.

In wringing out a petticoat thus starched, perform the operation thoroughly but gently with the hands, so as not to tear the flounce of lace or embroidery; and before hanging the garment out to dry, shake the ruffle and flounce well... "

CONTENTS

Styles and Materials

Bearing of Styles on Lingerie

Selection of Materials for Underwear

Economy in Purchasing Materials

Bearing of Time on Undergarment Construction

Importance of Cleanliness

Making a Plain Brassiere

Corset-Cover Styles and Materials

Making a Practical Corset Cover

Variations of the Practical Corset Cover

Petticoat Materials

Petticoat Widths

Petticoat Styles

Petticoats of Narrow Materials

Petticoat Construction

Scallops at the Petticoat Bottom

Petticoat Flounces

Dust Ruffle

Silk Petticoats

Material Required for Night Dresses

Trimming for Night Dresses

Sewing Machine Work

Making a Kimono Night Dress

Making a Flannelette Nightgown

Making Plain and Circular Drawers

Making Simple and Envelope Chemises

Mending Undergarments

Laundering Undergarments

Tinting Undergarments

What a historically educational and delightful needlecraft art instructional piece this is!

The ladies of earlier times put their hands to such marvelous work and now you can too! These are beautiful items and sure to delight you and yours! These instructions are very clear and easy to follow and yet the experience needleworker will be capable of altering as per individual needs and artistic whim.

The antique and vintage thread, fabrics, trimmings, etc., can be found on Atomic Mall quite readily. You just have to hunt a little bit! :) Or, of course, you can utilize contemporary tools and materials found at a near by fabric, craft or hobby store.

The Spiral Bound Book Republication you will receive is representative of the types of handicraft expertise of earlier genteel and feminine American and European culture! If you're into nostalgia like I am you will have many hours of enjoyment recreating antique needlework items for yourself or others dear to your heart just the way your great-grandmothers did!

You will appreciate the attention taken in providing a TOP QUALITY PRODUCT that you will use for many years to come. This information has been scanned at a high resolution and electronically revamped to provide you with the very best hardcopy reproduction. Unlike other reproduction sellers this is NOT a cheap, grainy photocopy! Our Spiral Bound Republication has so many more advantages over the original book.

What are the benefits of our antique book Spiral Bound Book Republications ?

* Our products are produced with front and back covers of heavy stock paper.

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