Lusting after a breezy and casual fantasy look, I borrowed inspiration from the Germanic farmers of northern Europe during the middle ages to create this muslin peasant top with rustic trim.
Muslin is considered a practice fabric. It’s cheap, lightweight cotton that’s easy to work with and abundant. Unbleached muslins like this often have speckles throughout or slight texture in the weave. When used for a finished garment, this fabric is only seen in very casual or costume pieces.
The idea for this shirt came about when I discovered this very interesting jute trim at my local fabric warehouse. The trim incorporates rows of jute, pulled cotton fibers and rough-spun threads to create this highly textured stripe. I knew right away that I wanted to make a bib detail out of it and that it needed to be paired with something very earthy and unrefined–like muslin.
Tunic construction was very straight forward. All the edges are serged and hems turned under once. The front and back neckline have a facing which keeps the collar rigid and its edges nicely finished without lining the entire shirt. The tunic front is made of three panels: a front, and two front-sides, allowing for a feminized shape in the bust. Otherwise the tunic is fairly androgynous but very practical. I could see myself wearing this tunic in unexpected settings this summer. At the beach, gardening, or to meditation; historical costuming meets modern leisure time.
