Thank you for sharing these historical sewing channels on youtube- what a treat. I also wanted to dress as a victorian child as a kid and have never really gotten past it. Growing up in America led to some serious Little House on the Prairie fantasies as well, where I sewed bizarre baggy skirts out of old fabric and wandered around in the yard after dark wearing them. The fact that no one in my family registered these practices (along with my daily watching of the Music Man in the dark) astonishes me to this day. They just gave me more fabric and a sewing machine 🙌💓✨
Lovely to have a kindred spirit here. Thanks for sharing this piece with me- I can’t wait to see your apron!
Oh, I had plenty of Little House on the Prairie fantasies too, despite growing up in the UK. I think the world needs more people dressing up in whatever costume they want! Enjoy the historical sewing channels (there are more in the comments)!
Comfort is key for me now. I spent such a lot of years in clothes which pinched or hurt me,it's ridiculous really. I got rid of all my high heels years ago and am now usually in trainers or boots, I like comfortable trousers and a big shirt. I also love a pinafore and I've been really happy with the recent reappearance of long dresses with that Laura Ashley 1970's vibe. I have a summer dress which does both - a long tiered skirt pinafore, and it Has Pockets.
I can spend hours in the historical dress YouTube rabbit hole, Bernadette Banner being the initial white rabbit - her films are fascinating. I do sew a bit, but knit more, and love the feeling of having made something that fits me, though my skills are way behind BB's!
I hear you on the comfortable movement front. I wear leggings and some sort of tunic every day to work. A friend and I joke that we change out of our sleeping pajamas into our work pajamas and then into our lounging pajamas after work. She’s definitely not wrong.
I enjoyed this Emma and I’m a big fan of overalls and dungarees. I did very much love a gym slip as a girl and thank you for the memory jog of Trebizon!
I'm glad you enjoyed the post, Margaret, and that it reminded you of Trebizon! Was that your favourite school series? Mine was the Chalet School series!
It is serendipitous that I should stumble across your article this morning. I’ve had a pinafore dress in an online shopping basket this weekend and been hemming and hawing whether to purchase said pinafore. After reading your article I am going to take the bull by the horns and go for it! Once it’s arrived, I’ll upload a photo 📸
Barbara! Lovely to see you on here. Thank you for reading and commenting - it really means a lot to me. I’m looking forward to seeing your pinafore purchase!
How nice to meet you Emma. Another book to add to your "nun" collection might be Revelations, by Mary Sharratt, which is about female mystics Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich, and Sharratt's book Illuminations, which is about Hildegard von Bingen. I loved reading both.
Lovely to meet you too, Nancy! Thank you for reading my post and commenting.
And thank you so much for the book recommendations - I’ve added both to my (ever lengthening) ‘to read’ list. I have read a little of Julian of Norwich’s writings and The Book of Margery Kempe, but it was many years ago. And I know very little about Hildegard von Bingen, but I have wanted to learn more, so I look forward to reading these.
And I see your novel about Mary Wollstonecraft comes out in early 2025. How exciting! I’ve signed up to your newsletter so that I can be updated about that.
Thank you, Emma. I really appreciate you signing up for my newsletter. I have been thinking of moving my blog over to Substack, at least reprinting it here, because I like having the content on my website. What I like about Substack, however, is all the people like you I have met. It's so much more interactive than other outlets, and it seems more conducive to long-form posts and ongoing conversations, not to mention easy to navigate. But I won't be moving my newsletter over, so I'm glad you're on my list. Mary W. has been fascinating to write about. I received the cover layout from the publisher last week, so it is all starting to feel very real.
I definitely think it is a good idea to copy your writing over on to Substack as well as keeping it on your website. I think having both should work well. I've done the opposite - I've got a website, but I'm putting all my writing here, and am planning to repost it on my own website at some point. I am only a beginner, baby writer though!
What a wonderful experience to be receiving such things from your publisher! Getting to meet people like you, who are further along in their writing career, is very inspiring. I will keep going with my own novel writing, with the hope of being in your position one day!
Still not sure I've found my 'dressing style' comfort is foremost and pockets very important, cool enough for hot flushes. I do love summer for vest tops and shorts and less thinking about clothing!!
Really enjoyed your post Emma! I love pinafores too, but can be hard to find the perfect pinafore! Like you, I have often thought about making my own clothes so that I can wear whatever I like! I used to make things when I was younger. My grandmother was a wonderful dressmaker. I did come to the conclusion that it would take more time to make wearable clothes than I have available at the moment. I’m curious to see where you go with crafting your own clothes.
Thank you for reading and commenting Claire! I agree, it is hard to find the perfect pinafore. The one I often wear at the moment doesn’t fit me quite right around the bust, but I don’t (yet!) have the skills to fix it.
I am in the same position as you right now, that I don’t currently have the time to make wearable clothes, mostly because I would need to learn how! I am slowly stitching myself an apron though, and, as I already know how to knit, I am slowly knitting myself a cardigan (only the second ever adult size item of clothing I have knitted, beyond gloves and scarves).
A few random things you might enjoy!! Related to your interests, of course.
There's a nun in Rhode Island, Arlene Violet, who left the church to become a prosecutor. She was a part of the Sisters of Mercy, and part of their orders were to help wherever they could. The Order actually encouraged her to leave, because Arlene could be doing better work elsewhere.
I also love Bernadette Banner, and in that vein you should check out Crow's Eye Productions! They do realistic getting ready videos of what different clothing throughout the centuries (primarily in Britain and the UK) would have looked like. They are also highly historically accurate which just makes them a pleasure to watch.
Thank you! Those both look really interesting. I'll check them out later.
Great to meet another Bernadette Banner fan! I mostly just love listening to her voice honestly. Another historical clothes YouTuber I like is V Birchwood:
Ooh thank you! I'll definitely have to check that out. While I have no desire to ever recreate or make my own clothes, I do enjoy a good costuber.
Which is part of the reason I deeply enjoy Bernadette. She clearly knows so much, and it's so interesting to watch her make the clothes that she does. I always learn so much when watching her videos, even if I have no intention of ever recreating any of those looks myself.
Oh, watching only is totally valid! As much as I would *like* to do some actual sewing and garment creation, there is a strong chance I won’t get round to it. 😅
I am so with you! I love comfort and don't want to have to fit into the norm of sometimes ridiculously uncomfortable fashion. I finally found my place in Arizona after growing up in the UK. Boots are my go to in the colder months (I live in Northern Arizona) and I live rural so rarely dress up these days. Ps, I used to love reading Mallory Towers as a kid! 🤗
Oh, and weirdo dressers are the best! I love it if I see someone out and about wearing whatever they want to be wearing, even if it isn't what I would choose. 💕
Thank you for sharing these historical sewing channels on youtube- what a treat. I also wanted to dress as a victorian child as a kid and have never really gotten past it. Growing up in America led to some serious Little House on the Prairie fantasies as well, where I sewed bizarre baggy skirts out of old fabric and wandered around in the yard after dark wearing them. The fact that no one in my family registered these practices (along with my daily watching of the Music Man in the dark) astonishes me to this day. They just gave me more fabric and a sewing machine 🙌💓✨
Lovely to have a kindred spirit here. Thanks for sharing this piece with me- I can’t wait to see your apron!
Oh, I had plenty of Little House on the Prairie fantasies too, despite growing up in the UK. I think the world needs more people dressing up in whatever costume they want! Enjoy the historical sewing channels (there are more in the comments)!
Yay!!! And Yay for costumes and pinafores!
Comfort is key for me now. I spent such a lot of years in clothes which pinched or hurt me,it's ridiculous really. I got rid of all my high heels years ago and am now usually in trainers or boots, I like comfortable trousers and a big shirt. I also love a pinafore and I've been really happy with the recent reappearance of long dresses with that Laura Ashley 1970's vibe. I have a summer dress which does both - a long tiered skirt pinafore, and it Has Pockets.
I can spend hours in the historical dress YouTube rabbit hole, Bernadette Banner being the initial white rabbit - her films are fascinating. I do sew a bit, but knit more, and love the feeling of having made something that fits me, though my skills are way behind BB's!
I knit much, much more than I ever sew. I have a lot to learn when it comes to sewing. Watching Bernadette Banner is just so soothing!
Hooray for comfort! I'm with you on that. It is interesting that that has been the main focus of the comments on this post...
I hear you on the comfortable movement front. I wear leggings and some sort of tunic every day to work. A friend and I joke that we change out of our sleeping pajamas into our work pajamas and then into our lounging pajamas after work. She’s definitely not wrong.
This sounds like a fantastic way to live! I usually have leggings under my pinafores. They are a wonderful item of clothing, imo.
I enjoyed this Emma and I’m a big fan of overalls and dungarees. I did very much love a gym slip as a girl and thank you for the memory jog of Trebizon!
I'm glad you enjoyed the post, Margaret, and that it reminded you of Trebizon! Was that your favourite school series? Mine was the Chalet School series!
It is serendipitous that I should stumble across your article this morning. I’ve had a pinafore dress in an online shopping basket this weekend and been hemming and hawing whether to purchase said pinafore. After reading your article I am going to take the bull by the horns and go for it! Once it’s arrived, I’ll upload a photo 📸
Barbara! Lovely to see you on here. Thank you for reading and commenting - it really means a lot to me. I’m looking forward to seeing your pinafore purchase!
How nice to meet you Emma. Another book to add to your "nun" collection might be Revelations, by Mary Sharratt, which is about female mystics Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich, and Sharratt's book Illuminations, which is about Hildegard von Bingen. I loved reading both.
Lovely to meet you too, Nancy! Thank you for reading my post and commenting.
And thank you so much for the book recommendations - I’ve added both to my (ever lengthening) ‘to read’ list. I have read a little of Julian of Norwich’s writings and The Book of Margery Kempe, but it was many years ago. And I know very little about Hildegard von Bingen, but I have wanted to learn more, so I look forward to reading these.
And I see your novel about Mary Wollstonecraft comes out in early 2025. How exciting! I’ve signed up to your newsletter so that I can be updated about that.
Thank you, Emma. I really appreciate you signing up for my newsletter. I have been thinking of moving my blog over to Substack, at least reprinting it here, because I like having the content on my website. What I like about Substack, however, is all the people like you I have met. It's so much more interactive than other outlets, and it seems more conducive to long-form posts and ongoing conversations, not to mention easy to navigate. But I won't be moving my newsletter over, so I'm glad you're on my list. Mary W. has been fascinating to write about. I received the cover layout from the publisher last week, so it is all starting to feel very real.
I definitely think it is a good idea to copy your writing over on to Substack as well as keeping it on your website. I think having both should work well. I've done the opposite - I've got a website, but I'm putting all my writing here, and am planning to repost it on my own website at some point. I am only a beginner, baby writer though!
What a wonderful experience to be receiving such things from your publisher! Getting to meet people like you, who are further along in their writing career, is very inspiring. I will keep going with my own novel writing, with the hope of being in your position one day!
I would definitely encourage anyone writing a novel. It is a labor of love, for sure, but to see it come to fruition is very rewarding. Good luck!
Thank you Nancy. It definitely feels like something that requires a lot of encouragement, so thank you for encouraging me!
Still not sure I've found my 'dressing style' comfort is foremost and pockets very important, cool enough for hot flushes. I do love summer for vest tops and shorts and less thinking about clothing!!
I love not having to think about clothes on a day to day basis, which is why the idea of a 'uniform' (a chosen, voluntary one) is so appealing to me.
Comfort, cool and pockets are probably my top requirements too! (Even when I was younger I needed not to be overheated, let alone now!)
Yes absolutely!
Really enjoyed your post Emma! I love pinafores too, but can be hard to find the perfect pinafore! Like you, I have often thought about making my own clothes so that I can wear whatever I like! I used to make things when I was younger. My grandmother was a wonderful dressmaker. I did come to the conclusion that it would take more time to make wearable clothes than I have available at the moment. I’m curious to see where you go with crafting your own clothes.
Thank you for reading and commenting Claire! I agree, it is hard to find the perfect pinafore. The one I often wear at the moment doesn’t fit me quite right around the bust, but I don’t (yet!) have the skills to fix it.
I am in the same position as you right now, that I don’t currently have the time to make wearable clothes, mostly because I would need to learn how! I am slowly stitching myself an apron though, and, as I already know how to knit, I am slowly knitting myself a cardigan (only the second ever adult size item of clothing I have knitted, beyond gloves and scarves).
A few random things you might enjoy!! Related to your interests, of course.
There's a nun in Rhode Island, Arlene Violet, who left the church to become a prosecutor. She was a part of the Sisters of Mercy, and part of their orders were to help wherever they could. The Order actually encouraged her to leave, because Arlene could be doing better work elsewhere.
https://www.lennyletter.com/story/arlene-violet-nun-rhode-island-attorney-general
I also love Bernadette Banner, and in that vein you should check out Crow's Eye Productions! They do realistic getting ready videos of what different clothing throughout the centuries (primarily in Britain and the UK) would have looked like. They are also highly historically accurate which just makes them a pleasure to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb1odBsfUVstnlaYW_IiHWw
Thank you! Those both look really interesting. I'll check them out later.
Great to meet another Bernadette Banner fan! I mostly just love listening to her voice honestly. Another historical clothes YouTuber I like is V Birchwood:
https://www.youtube.com/@VBirchwood/featured
Ooh thank you! I'll definitely have to check that out. While I have no desire to ever recreate or make my own clothes, I do enjoy a good costuber.
Which is part of the reason I deeply enjoy Bernadette. She clearly knows so much, and it's so interesting to watch her make the clothes that she does. I always learn so much when watching her videos, even if I have no intention of ever recreating any of those looks myself.
Oh, watching only is totally valid! As much as I would *like* to do some actual sewing and garment creation, there is a strong chance I won’t get round to it. 😅
I am so with you! I love comfort and don't want to have to fit into the norm of sometimes ridiculously uncomfortable fashion. I finally found my place in Arizona after growing up in the UK. Boots are my go to in the colder months (I live in Northern Arizona) and I live rural so rarely dress up these days. Ps, I used to love reading Mallory Towers as a kid! 🤗
Hiyyeeeee! I’m right by you and also a weirdo dresser!
Oh, and weirdo dressers are the best! I love it if I see someone out and about wearing whatever they want to be wearing, even if it isn't what I would choose. 💕
Shelly and Sharon - you are my two Arizona subscribers?! I can't tell you how happy knowing this makes me!
Comfort is everything, imo! Also, midnight feasts! 🥳