For Your 18th Century Wardrobe- Getting that fit

 

The world has always been obsessed with body image, our own and others around us. For a large chunk of history, this has meant constraining the female body especially to small waists that create emphasis on wide hips and large busts. Fertility ideals, if you will. But not every body has room for much constraint, some people are just built small. What do you do when you're a petite person and need to get the right fit for your historical clothing? 

Trust me, I know this difficulty all too well. I've tried the Uniquely You forms, which are okay, but don't stand up to heavy garments and long usage. I've bought young male forms and added padding for the chest, but the waist isn't really narrow enough so it throws the fit of the bodice off. I'd love to be able to just fit everything on my own actual body, but I lack a fitting partner to help me pin such things so I need a reliable body double form. 

Enter the customizable dress form patterns from Bootstrap fashion. This may be the last great hope of those who need a true double for hard-to-fit sizes, like, say, teeny tiny women with traditional curves and not androgynous waif proportions (which is what very small sizes often seem to assume). Most standard forms go down to maybe a 2, but some of us need more like a 0 or even XXS in the waist with a short torso. These patterns allow you to make all kinds of adjustments, spend less than $50 on it, and get a pattern in as quickly as a few minutes. 

This is my first time trying this, so we'll see how it goes, but I feel hopeful. Tried it yourself? I'd love to hear what your experience was like!