Caroline had a Big Bustle party for her birthday in October, held both at the Arboretum in DC and at her lovely Capitol Hill house.
I don’t have a bustle gown, and I was also a month from my due date, so I was unprepared to sew one! She kindly let me wearing 18th century since it was kinda bustle-y. It’s a stretch, but I appreciated it, since I wanted to see everyone, especially Merja who came all the way out from Finland!
I wasn’t sure what I had that would fit, but I was inspired by Chelsea wearing a Francaise when she was very pregnant, and mine totally worked. I just let out the back laces and worked great! I did wear stays, but I wore them unlaced. Mine are sorta permanently laced and I just have a very very long single spiral lace that I knot so it doesn’t come undone and I can loosen it a lot to get in and out of them. So I just wore them like that, totally untightened. I actually found it they provided nice belly support without squeezing.
I was so happy to see Merja, and to get to see this lovely costume in person!
There was a gorgeous picnic spread of delicious things: