Shopping Where to find Victorian/Edwardian dresses?

Good luck finding any - I make my own because almost all the ones I've seen for sale have non-period details (like the wrong sleeve style or whatever) or are covered in modern synthetic lace.

Teddy

 

*cracks fingers* As someone who got into historical costuming over quarantine, it's my time to shine!

The best stuff I've seen available can actually get pretty decent although it will still mostly be inspired by/emulating a certain time period rather than accounting for things like bodice/sleeve/skirt shape, etc. Pretty much all the stuff I'm going to list is from SophieToyParadise on Etsy, which is a Taobao reseller. If you have the ability to dig through taobao to find the listings there, you might be able to get it for much cheaper- but I've bought from the etsy shop myself and I can confirm that they send stuff that looks just like the pictures.

• This blue/white sailor look is the best one I've seen. Totally 1880s, just not so much in the details. But it's really dang good.
• Here's an Edwardian "hobble skirt" dress! With 1890s sleeves lol. This is also one of the few outfits with a decent hat.
• This one is also ~vaguely~ Edwardian. The bodice is not even close, but with the sleeve/cuff combo & all the lace, it reads as very Edwardian if you squint your eyes haha.
• This kind of reads as maybe 1880s shift/nightgown? The fabric has a print to it but I find it kind of cute, especially with the high collar/neck.
• This one is also shift/nightgown territory, but maybe more like from Crimson Peak.
• Same story with this one, except it has a waistband. If you tailored the skirt you could definitely make it the all-white lace insertion fever that was going on in the 1900s. Maybe even add some more lace to the front to get the signature pigeon-breasted look.
• A blue dress with great mid-1890s sleeves, except the skirt is awful lol.
• This one actually has a second-era bustle! Lotta lace, though. And I don't even know where to start with that sewn-in capelet.
• 1860 sleeves & bonnet, but the bottom half of the dress is having a medieval fantasy moment. Definitely not enough skirt material for an 1860s silhouette if you added petticoats & krinoline.
• Pink 1860s southern belle look, almost looks like one of those barbie cakes it's so voluminous.
• Another 1860s look, this one has color choices and looks pretty decent!
• Here's a runner up, but it's more cottage core meets Rozen Maiden. But if you are up for some tailoring, it has potential.
• Also, I have no idea what the heck this is supposed to be, but I like the the fabric and all the lace details haha.

There's other "kind of historically inspired" stuff on the SophieToyParadise etsy page, but this is just the shortlist of the ones I find the most adequate. BeckyStudioArt is the other main shop BTW

Edit: Just found this one and this one from a small artist. Etsy is a treasure trove!

Double edit: I just looked at your instagram and holy cow, I don't think most of these dresses would be up to snuff for the incredible stuff you're doing I also love Crimson Peak and I adore your dolls omg!!

 

WOW!!! You are amazing! I'm not heavily into period costuming, but this is awesome info. Thanks!

 

I just can't bring myself to pay the prices asked for them when they're vsibly inaccurate.

You could always commission stuff. Raj of Sewing Box Designs made my boys three lovely Norfolk suits, Is good about following buyer instructions nad checking the details, and sews well. I can highly recommend.

Teddy

 

I’m pretty sure Sophie’s Toy Paradise is a reseller

 

You can find the original listings on Taobao, at least sometimes, by doing reverse image searches of the product pictures.
Here's a random example (from the post above): Emily's Do...

 

I would avoid Sophie's Toy Paradise, they sell dolls from time to time that are clearly not legit...

 

That's what @Mainframe110 said....

Teddy

 

I need to read everything before I comment, my bad

 

Oh geez, I cannot find the name of the shop for the life of me (maybe someone else here knows? I swear I first heard about it via DOA….) but there is a site that sells doll clothing in historical styles (mostly 18th century France) and also some scans of patterns from the late Victorian/early Edwardian period with the caveat that they may be hard to read or follow due to being old.

In any case it may be worth looking for vintage sewing patterns from the appropriate time period/location as fashion dolls have always been dressed in slightly fanciful versions of adult clothing from their period.

 

I think it will always be hard to find doll clothes that are historically accurate from bigger companies or sellers, because the demand is not high. Most people do not have the knowledge of historical costume to know which styles and features are accurate and are instead focused on what looks good or most impressive, and of course the companies cater to this. It ends up being a mishmash of eras, styles and fantasy!
If you really want accuracy, you probably need to make the clothes or commission them, this was actually how I got into sewing years ago! There are some excellent books about making historical clothing with patterns that can be scaled down, or maybe someone here knows of doll sized patterns?

 

I do it all the time.

I mostly draw up my own patterns but there's thisv one (I haven't used it yet, but Adams-Harris patterns are generally very good (and this one includes the pattern for the bustle) :
Lucy’s Reception, SD ball jointed Doll Clothes Pattern

Teddy

 

I decided to try a few Taobao agent sites and I came across this lovely early 1880s outfit: Superbuy-Shopping Agent

Aside from the scale of the lace, it looks pretty adequate in terms of the overall silhouette, sleeve shape, bustle, and little cording decorations. The fabric has a nice sheen to it as well.

 

It does indeed and I should have remembered to point it out. I saw it some time ago - but I was shopping for myself, at the time, and had dismissed it completely from consideration because the colour (I can't abide grey) meant I wouldn't be getting it despite the rest of the details being close enough to acceptable.

Teddy

 

Oh hey wow that's my shop! I'm the small Etsy maker, I noticed there was traffic from Denofangels and it surprised me but!! I love making historical styles and I have plenty of things planned in both Victorian and Edwardian styles for SD male and female both. I work mostly in the romantic era, but I'm open to other eras- I just wasn't sure there was much of a market for more realistic historical styles but I might be wrong

 

I certainly will then!! you can definitely keep an eye out on the store, there's going to be plenty of historical styles for all sizes of doll soon, after we move

 

Perhaps you could do us all a favour and mention it here once you're all settled form the move and start production again? Although I've asked Etsy to email me when your shop reopens, it never heurts to have a belt-and-braces approach.

Good luck with the move.

Teddy

 

Oh thank you!! Yes, the shop will reopen in October after we get settled (there will be lots of little YOSD dresses and little MSD sets but nothing historical yet) I have Victorian and Edwardian stuff planned for the future for many sizes now, since I now know people want it! I'll definitely keep everyone posted

 

Yay!

Thanks!

Teddy

 

Please do!

My personal dream: I love the idea of Victorian masculine clothes tailored for female doll bodies. Just a thought.