1950's Peasant blouse goes Medieval - Advance 6754

In one of my previous posts I told you I was going to attend to a special event, the Highland Games held in a short drive's distance. Many visitors wear Scottish dresses, some even medieval outfits with a Scottish touch to them, so I thought it would be lovely to do the same.

I have a kilt I bought once from a kiltmaker in Inverness, and my husband has one as well. But when we went to a medieval festival some years ago, I was impressed about the attention many people payed to the details of their outfits. So it might be a lovely opportunity to have both, medieval and Scottish united in one outfit. (Besides the fact that my kilt is black and is very heavy, so a lighter cotton dress would be lovely.)

Looking for a decent women's peasant dress pattern for the top, I came across this wonderful blouse from the 1950's. It seemed perfect for my project. The long-sleeved version sewn of a natural coloured cotton voile, it would look quite "medieval". And I hoped the good patern design would provide a better fit than the usual peasant chemise patterns.

Etsy

I'm well aware, the use of a serger is not very authentic for a medieval garment, nor is the elastic I inserted in the neckline and sleeves. But in the end, the blouse would be very comfortable to put on and to wear this way. As I was not going to a re-enactment event and the blouse would probably be worn also on other occasions, I didn't care.

Etsy

I changed the pattern slightly, as I wanted more fullness, so I added 2 inches on both front and back and 1 inch on the sleeves. I also made the blouse a little bit longer, as well as the sleeves. This is the thing I like so much about sewing - you can make a garment fit your taste and your needs - not contrariwise.

So here's the finished blouse. I wore it with a handmade leather corset belt, which was not as comfortable as usual, as it was a very hot day. And I still am a little bit more chubby than when I bought the belt. I think the blouse would also look nice with a waistcoat or a full corset.