Good morning,
I am needing to find a chemise other than the normal white and natural ones. My dh bought me new garb and I need a black,emerald green or sapphire blue chemise. I'm thinking a short one that does not have elastic in the neck. I have found long black ones but I'm not to fond of those. I am thankful for any and all help. As you can see I'm still fairely new to this. :)
First, are you going for fantasy or h/a? In period, they did not have any colors other than white, off-white, and saffron for the chemise. It has to do with the dyes of the period and you'd end up that color dye.
Do you have a picture of your garb? That might be helpful for anyone trying to figure out what would look best.
Really the white smock thing has to do with laundering practices of the time. Undies, I.E. smocks, shifts, and shirts, where boiled in pots with lye. They would go through this regiment quite frequently. Even natural, unbleached linen would have faded to white with time, with such rigorous cleaning regiments.
The colorfastness of pigment dye is unstable and would not stand up to regular bathes in pots of boiling lye. This is especially true of linen. Linen takes dye well, but it fades rapidly.
It would not have been economically sound to dye shirts repeatedly. Fabric dying was often only performed by professional dyers' guilds. Pigment dying is an interesting mix of chemistry and trial and error. It was not a diy clothing embellishment, like embroidery.
Dying fabrics that were worn as outerwear, and not washed as frequently was far more practical.
Broadcloth comes in various colors.
What I do when I make Chemises is rather than lay the front piece on the fold, I place it on the straight and add an inch or so to make a seam down the front. I make sure I leave enough of an opening to sew in the single fold wide Bias tape that makes the casing for the drawstring tie. Lace can always be added, even decorative stitching.
(http://thumb9.webshots.net/t/63/663/3/90/18/2636390180025619629kZxalq_th.jpg) (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2636390180025619629kZxalq)
With a drawstring, it is easier to adjust for the amount of skin desired to show.
(http://thumb9.webshots.net/t/59/459/8/22/81/2157822810025619629knrPhp_th.jpg) (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2157822810025619629knrPhp)
Hope this helps.
Elizabethancostume.net has great instructions on making fitted neck smocks. I advise you to try there. Also, if you go the broad cloth route get the quilter's solids or spring for some kona cotton.
I vote for a white chemise even for fantasy. If you've got beatiful garb a colored chemise may detract from it rather than accent. A nice crisp white peaking through the sleeves and above the bodice is a wonderful accent.
Moresca, Ophelia's, and Heart's Delight all sell colored chemises, though you won't find much on their sites. They all have numbers you can call (including Moresca, which is down for maintenance) and inquire about what you're looking for. I've purchased from Moresca and talked to them over the phone, and they have excellent customer service.
www.moresca.com
www.opheliasonline.com
www.heartsdelightclothiers.com
These vendors have quality products, but they tend to be on the expensive side. If you're on a budget, I recommend making your own garb. If you don't sew, it's never too late to learn, and making a chemise is easy. The upside of sewing, at least in my experience, is that it's much easier to find fabric in the color you're looking for than it is to find a specific piece of garb in that color. Jo Ann has a large assortment of cotton broadcloth, in every color. They run from 2.99 to 5.99 a yard, and if you sign up to receive their 40% off coupons, you'll get some great deals!
I don't know this seller but he/she may have what you're looking for. Here are a couple of styles offered on EBAY. Both are offered in a variety of colors. Hope it helps. :)
http://tinyurl.com/48jv6r
http://tinyurl.com/4asnjb
Suprised no one said Odd Bodkin yet...They have tons of colors that you can order your chemise in, they also have several sleeve options, styles, are elastic banded, and can have lace added to them. If for some reason you don't like what Odd Bodkin has, try Unicorn Clothing.