When I’ve walked into department stores lately, the fashion selection has been very similar to what I wore in late high school and college. I’m not even mad. What it has done is make me want to adapt all the small print florals to a version that I’d wear for everyday wear. The solution I came up with was a Historybounding Capsule Wardrobe. I figured with some parameters I’d be able to come up with something quite fun, easy to mix and match, comfortable for both working from home or the office.
- Do I want to constrain time period?
- What fabrics?
- What colors?
- Inspirations?
- Goals? What do I want out of this project?
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
Capsule wardrobes have been around since the 1940s as a way of mixing and matching a selection of clothes that can be worn for all sorts of different occasions while also encouraging fewer items of actual clothing. There are “rules” to making a capsule wardrobe and all of them center around making it right for you in terms of fit, form, function, color as well as comfort.
What is Historybounding?
Historybounding is the act of incorporating historical or history-inspired clothing into your day-to-day fashion choices.
The Lazy Historian
Goals
- utilize the historical clothing ideas/patterns/techniques I’ve ammassed over the many years I’ve been sewing
- become less dependent on fast fashion
- Weave these projects between quilts and other home projects I’m working. Nothing will be done right away and I should be able to build upon it slowly.
Inspirations
- Wildflower Design Patterns – These patterns already have many historical details I love built in. Making the Liseron Dress is what inspired my desire to create a historical capsule wardrobe in the first place.
- Cottage Core – There are such good inspirations on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram under the #cottagecore tag. Pick your favorite platform then dive into so many good ideas of how people merge history into their every day lives.
- Jane Austen – The final inspiration was cemented when I saw the Village Theatre do a modern costumed version of Kate Hamill’s stage play Sense and Sensibility. The production utilized quick changes of multiple historically inspired modern pieces in the show. I loved the jumpers and overalls under regency overdresses, Dr Martens with fancy dress, cellphones and social media as props.
Planning
- dress – done!
- jumper (Use Liseron Dress pattern for top but do the bottom half in wide leg pants)
- skirt/apron (2 – Coquelicot Skirt)
- overdress (2 – one short sleeved, one long)
- fancy dress (maybe)
- jeans – done!
- shoes – Already have several pairs from American Duchess that will work
