1921 Bathing Suit

[atherleisure]

I finished the main piece of the 1921 bathing suit.



I still need to knit the trunks and finish the socks and figure out what goes on my head. I also want to try making boots to go with it like in the pattern illustration.

I basically crocheted it as given except that I knew I wanted it a size smaller than given so I started the decreases for the waist three rows early and did one extra row of decreases at the end. That worked out perfectly. It took a little more yarn than I had anticipated, but if I hadn't been just a little over the given gauge, I might have come in at the 9 balls called for by the pattern. Instead I used 9.75. The socks call for 2 but will need about 3. I had assumed 3 for the trunks, but they'll take 4.5. I used just over 4 balls of the yellow, when the combination of socks and suit called for 4. The socks definitely used less than 1 so the dress probably used close to 4.

The point of this project (other than making a 1920's bathing suit, of course) was to get more comfortable with crochet, and I achieved that purpose. I learned to hold the hook more loosely and got better at seeing stitches. I'm still not great at it, and I still don't much like the look of crochet so I don't think I'll be doing it a lot in the future. Still, I do think that when I get to the crochet part of the 1902 vest I'll be more comfortable and confident. Of course, it's actually got a pattern to it so it will be more difficult. And smaller. And slicker. I didn't say it would be easy. Fortunately, that's an undergarment so no one is likely to see it.

Comments

[mala_14]

The bathing suit is so cute!

[atherleisure]

Thank you!

[koshka_the_cat]

I love it!

For the first two times I wore it, pictures and Costume Con, I tied a triangle of fabric on my head. I tried to do the knot from a period pattern, but I'm not coordinated enough.

https://pin.it/3Hx2YDq

When I went to the beach, I left it off because I knew it would just blow off my head. There are pictures of women with nothing on their heads.

[koshka_the_cat]

https://pin.it/ZJamDMJ

Here's my 20s board. There's a section on bathing. You've probably seen most of them, but there are good ideas!

[atherleisure]

Thanks for sharing. There are a lot of pictures on the board I hadn’t seen. Now I’m thinking I want to do bathing shoes instead of boots. I had gotten the impression from something I had read that shoes were out by the 20’s and boots were in, but there were a lot of women clearly wearing shoes. I flipped through my book on Victorian bathing suits, and slippers seem like they would work going back a lot further. Plus they’re really fun looking.

[atherleisure]

I’ll see if I can figure out the knot because it does look really right. Otherwise I might not bother.

[koshka_the_cat]

I think the ideal was suit, head things, stockings, and shoes or boots, but the reality was everything from just a suit to everything.

I recommend rubber overshoes if you make canvas shoes. It was really nice to be able to walk on the street to the beach! I think mine are Tingley Rubber, but I don't see my style there, they're all higher cut. I bought them probably 15 years ago and the seller scraped off any identifying marks.

These look nice for a ballet flat style! Of course, a ballet flat style would be easier to put on at the beach.

https://www.target.com/p/sr-max-unisex-black-overshoes-slip-resistant-work-shoes-extra-small/-/A-89485975

I'm planning on making new shoes for the new suit. I'm probably going to wear them without stockings. This page has good pictures. I'm weirdly intimidated. I made boots! These should be easier!

https://www.1860-1960.com/xs0408p0.html

[atherleisure]

Those are the same bathing shoes I was thinking I'd make! There are some good views of them.

Overshoes sound like a good idea, though I had no idea they still existed. There was a lot less pavement in the 1920's when these canvas-soled shoes were popular. The Tingley Commuter might work style-wise, but its minimum size is a woman's 8.5, which is too big. The target ones look good.

[atherleisure]

Apparently I didn’t order the size overshoes that I meant to order, but since I’ll be wearing them over cloth shoes instead of sneakers, it looks like it will work out just fine. A lucky mistake.

I was able to do the kerchief knot from the picture you linked so now I just need to hem a triangle of silk to coordinate with my suit. That will be easy.

Then I might actually want to go to the beach.
I will order more yarn tomorrow to finish the socks and the trunks. I bought cork for soles and already have white canvas so I just need to get navy or black canvas for the uppers, and I’ll be ready to start the shoes. It’s rather a terrifying prospect.

Then I might actually want to go to the beach.

[marianme]

Nice and hurrah, one part done

[atherleisure]

Always exciting. If only I didn’t have to put the rest in hold for a few weeks. I’m just too cheap to order yarn at full price now when I know I have a coupon that starts soon. It’s not like I don’t have other projects in progress to work on.