Fabrics, Part 2

It may come as a disappointment to discover that some historical fabrics are no longer available today. What we call muslin is a vastly different thing from Regency muslin. That was a fine and elegant cotton fabric, suitable for day dresses, and sometimes woven with "sprigs," as was illustrated on the cover of an excellent romance by Georgette Heyer.

Muslin nowadays, at least in the USA, is nowhere near the lovely, delicate fabric that made such dainty dresses. In order to get the same look, you'll need to substitute similar fabrics. Cotton gauze or a fine batiste will give much the same effect. Silk muslin or mousseline is still in use, but has a stiffer weave. You can also use lightweight printed cottons to much the same effect.

The movie versions of Jane Austen's novels had such a problem, which they solved admirably. Note the similarity between the actual printed cotton fabrics in the Museum of Costume in Bath, UK, to the costumes used by the BBC. Polly Maberley wore the yellow printed dress as Kitty Bennett in the 1995 BBC television production of Pride and Prejudice. Note how similar it is to the actual period dresses show just behind it. For more information, be sure to visit the Museum of Costume website. (Link above.)

1871 Parisian Mourning Dress
Surrender Dorothy has this
page from a fashion magazine
offered on their page.

Another fabric you may have difficulty finding is bombazine. (Also spelled bombasine.) This was a heavy silk and woolen blended twill, with a silk warp and worsted woof. Black and dark blue were the most typical colors, and it was used most often for mourning garments, especially in the Victorian Era.

TextureImages.net shows this incredible photo, giving an idea of just how firm a fabric you'll need as a substitute. While jean can be suitably heavy, it won't have the slight sheen the silk gives. You can use a woolen twill, or search for a heavy silk twill.
While searching for bombazine online, I came across Thistle Hill Weavers. They don't offer bombazine currently, but they do work with the fibers that go into it, and they take custom orders. It would be expensive, but if you absolutely must be completely authentic, you could request a custom order.

Whatever you decide in creating your costume, enjoy the process. Finding the right pattern, fabric and trims is half the fun!

Happy Sewing!