Adventures in Costuming

by Lisa VandenBerghe, First published for the January/February 2010 issue of Finery

Bonjour from Paris, France! A year ago my husband started a new job in Europe, and I packed up our three teenagers and dog to join him. While the move literally turned our lives upside down, we saw it as a unique opportunity that simply had to be taken. And so I have been exploring what it’s like to be a Costumer in Paris!

There are really only two places to see extant garments on display: Galleria Museum and Decorative Arts Museum. Neither has a permanent exhibit and sometimes the exhibitions are as modern as the 20th century. I saw the Galleria’s Second Empire Crinoline exhibit. Empress Eugenie had a tiny waist! The exhibit included portraits of the era and wonderful examples of dress accessories. Chateau Versailles had a special exhibit on 18th century European court dress. Seeing the garments in first person and 3-D where you can appreciate the scale and texture was very educational.

The art museums have been a rich source of inspiration. Whether it’s a reconstruction of a room that gives you a comprehensive understanding of the setting a costume would have been seen in, or a collection of jewelry and accessories that gives a broader view of the style of a period, or paintings that convey something new about the people and their lives, there is much that I have been absorbing, enriching my creative well-spring. My goal is to understand an era well enough that I can imagine myself a dressmaker in that time and trust my design instincts. Paris has a wonderful fabric district, full of small stores packed with disorganized bolts of fabric. And as Paris is filled with tiny boutiques, there are plenty of places to find supplies for needlework, haberdashery, millinery, arts/crafts, and the most beautiful real silk flowers you have ever seen!

While there are no thrift stores in Paris, there are several flea markets, both permanent and seasonal. They are a mix of high-end antique store plus antique mall plus the San Jose flea market – complete with dollar-store vendors and people who’ve cleaned out the garage. There is such a huge variety of incredible vintage and antique stuff never seen in California that there is no hope of seeing it all in one day. It helps that most vendors specialize. One lace vendor I visited showed me some 18th century lace that was about 6” wide and must have been made of gossamer.

There is a semi-annual historical re-enactors’ market outside Paris. The expo hall was filled with row after row of artisans. A couple of the vendors I talked to work with museums and film companies, so we are talking about REALLY authentic, high quality items! And again the variety! Anything you can think of was for sale. I was measured to have a pair of 16th century shoes made. I’ll go back in the spring for some ceramics, leather goods, and metal work.

Learning ribbon embroidery at Lésage was both humbling and a nearly religious experience! The French don’t say, “That’s pretty good.” They say, “Not bad.” Or, they tell you it’s completely wrong and REDO IT! Lésage has a long history of supplying haute couture, including the House of Worth, with embroidery and beading. The class room looks just like a Diderot drawing of an embroidery workroom from the 18th century, with the same embroidery frames on trestles, ladder-back chairs and large windows.

Another major highlight was the Tudor Study Day in Bath, England sponsored by the West of England Costume Society. The main presenters were authors Dr. Sandrine Levey and Dr. Maria Hayward. Dr. Hayward, author of Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII, spoke about clothing in the context of Henrician sumptuary legislation and Tudor social structure. Dr. Levey, who helped finish Patterns of Fashion 4 after Janet Arnold passed away, spoke on embroidered linen.

There are public opportunities to attend costume events all year round. Imagine a renaissance faire at a renaissance castle or a medieval faire in a medieval village! Chateau Chambord has a baroque/renaissance ball in October. Vaux le Vicomte has a June Rococo picnic on its grounds. The 15th century Battle of Agincourt is commemorated with a summer faire and battle reenactment at the site.

I recently found out about a restaurant in Paris that has a vaulted stone cellar it uses to recreate a medieval tavern once a week. If they really like your costume, you get a drink on the house! There are also societies that hold events for their members. I had the special opportunity to be invited to Cologne, Germany for an 18th century dinner/dance held in a 16th century inn on the Rhine River. It was such a transporting evening, being in a venue that was actually older than the event theme. The hosts had decorated the dining room beautifully and as the daylight dwindled, we were dancing by candlelight. As the room was on the ground floor, people kept stopping at the wavy, paned windows to look in at us.

For a costumer who is fascinated by period clothing and believes in carrying on the hand-crafts of old, Paris is a wonderful place to be. I’m surrounded by inspiration, rich resources, learning opportunities, and plenty of chances to dress up for time travel!