No, They’re Not Floaties: Recreating Early Victorian Sleeve Supports for Theatrical Use.
Design Arts & Humanities 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by Hilary Hayes
Exhibition Number 606
Abstract
When reproducing the 1830s silhouette in theatrical costumes, a decision must be made of how to support the large sleeves popular in women’s clothing during this time-period. While more modern materials can aide in this goal, often this comes at the expense of historical storytelling. However, historically accurate supports often come with their own difficulties. Traditionally costume professionals are faced with two options when creating sleeve supports: stuffed pillow-like supports placed on a performers arms and tied to their corset, or cage-like structures of steel or plastic directly sewn into the garment. These options come with their own advantages and drawbacks. Stuffed supports can be used by one performer for multiple costume changes. However, often like pillows that constantly need to be fluffed, these type of supports require extensive maintenance during the course of a production. Conversely, the cage supports are better at holding their shape, but are not quickly transferred from one garment to another. These styles are modeled after surviving examples from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum, two of the primary avenues for research for costume professionals. During my initial research I came across a pair of sleeves supports from the National Museum of Scotland, which appear to combine the best qualities of the two traditional options without any of the drawbacks. Using these images, I created my own pattern to aide costume professionals in the balancing act between the visual storytelling and the practical aspects of Theatre.
Importance
Theatrical costuming provides endless avenues of learning encompassing historical research, construction methods, artistic vision, emerging technologies, and a growing library of stories. While the daily act of putting on clothing can seem trivial in everyday life, when clothing a character for the stage, even the smallest decisions can add to the overall effect of a production. By considering every detail, costume professionals help build characters who - after a few moments on stage - become a part of our collective history forever.