I Recreated a Victorian Walking Suit Bodice But Made It Dark Academia

Hand sewing this dark academia version of an original 1890-91 Victorian walking suit bodice is the secret project I have been working on for the past 2-3 months. I was shocked to find out when upsizing the extant pattern, that the original measurements of the garment are EXACTLY my size. It gave me an especially eerie feeling. Therefore, not only is this bodice a recreation, it's a recreation in the original size.

I'm very pleased to finally be able to release the footage for all of you to see. This late Victorian bodice/jacket was certainly a labour of love, and it took me more than 300 hours to complete. Now, I am on to making the walking suit skirt, which will be released as another video (part 2) in 2 weeks time (June 24th, 2021), at which point I will also do the grand reveal of this entire ensemble. This was an especially fun but tedious process, and as a historical sewing novice, it truly tested my abilities and forced me to think outside of the box and dive deep into research.

Each section covers in-depth the chain of events and techniques required for the construction of this Victorian bodice, however, this certainly is not a tutorial. Rather, a collection of things I deemed might be interesting or entertaining for you all to see.

I cannot wait to add this entire ensemble to my daily historical fashion wardrobe. What historical sewing projects are you all currently working on?

A massive thank you to Fashion Museum Bath for providing permission to utilise the images of the original walking suit.