Sary jumped in to this interpretation of a young woman who grew up on a plantation in Alabama, and lost everything in the Civil War. The ensemble was created for a 12 year old to grow and change into. The costume succeeded! It worked well for the changing body of a 12 year old AND the mature body of Sary.
The character leaves her comfortable home, bringing high fashion undergarments with her, plus an adaptable and functional version of high fashion of the day. This shows how western and rural women still wore the silhouette of the era, but made it work for function first.
When Sary’s character reached Nebraska, she would have traveled almost a year on the Mormon Trail, and most likely would have fallen in love and married. It was easier to have a man on those wagon trains.
Sary herself is a newcomer to The Gals, and a very hard worker with enthusiasm and energy we really needed. She’s cute as can be in her corded petticoat that was the project that took the most time in the whole show, and her beautifully hand and machine embroidered 1860’s waist cinching, but functional corset (its bones run just short of the waist in both directions and she has hip gussets, so unlike her eastern high fashion peers, she can BEND at the waist and the hip!) We love this new interpretation of an existing outfit during an era when women’s feet were never supposed to be seen.
So.. stop looking at them!
We are developing a beautiful 1878 evening gown of irridescent silk taffeta with lobster tail bustle for Sary, to bring her own interpretation of the character at her correct age.. 12 years later and settled on her uncle’s profitable Nebraska farm.