Second, most of the designs show an oiled silk cap to be worn either over the hair or over a little shallow-brimmed straw hat. How would you create oiled silk? Is it similar to the linseed oil canvas people use for floor cloths? Does the oil just soak into the fabric eventually? Or is it some form of resin?

Lastly, for the footwear, I found a cute pattern for crocheted slippers, which seem to fit reasonably well when made of worsted wool. The original pattern (1864 Godey's) calls for a leather sole, lined with wool felt. I was wondering whether chamois wouldn't work better? I've seen lots of baby slipper patterns that called for chamois soles, but so far every adult slipper pattern I've found calls for leather or cork. I don't think that would work for a bathing costume. I assume they might have used cork, but I can't find that anywhere and doubt I could figure out how to sew my crocheted uppers to cork anyway, i.e., not without breaking them. The chamois might be a good solution because it's used for washing cars these days, so it must be able to withstand a wetting.

On the other hand, if there's a more period correct way to do it, I'd rather go that route. I've seen late 19th c bathing slippers, but never anything from our period, so I'm kind of groping in the dark here.

Thanks for any advice you might have!

Cute as can be, and easy to make--- and thus your LYS is likely also carrying the leather bottoms for the felted slippers, holes already punched and ready to sew on your cute CW period slippers.

And if your LYS doesn't have them--mine does, and I can bring you a pair to Charleston.

Normally in August the Des Moines River between Croton and Athens is not very high.

However, there are sometimes very deep holes formed by the currents. It can look very shallow and mild and the next step one takes could be over a twenty five foot deep hole.

If you ladies are intending to take a dip in the river in bifurcated bathing costumes, take the necessary precautions for water safety.

Know how to swim in your costume.
Have a buddy to swim with you.
Perhaps have a rope or pole to pass over to a swimmer in trouble.
Know first aid for a drowning victim.

Watch out for big carp! No, that is a joke, the others are serious though.

Soldiers have been know to skinny dip out there too, so keep an open eye to the camps where they may jump in to cool off.

Your affectionate uncle, Beau

Here are directions for making a bathing cap.

Workwoman's Guide by a Lady (1838) p.68
Bathing Cap:
These are made of oil-silk, and are worn, when
bathing, by ladies who have long hair. Cut a piece of
oil-silk, 4 nails long and 8 nails wide; double it so
as to make a square; let the doubled part be the back
of the cap, and slope off the corner at the top,
towards the back, in a curve, so as to shape it to the
form of the back of the head. Sew up along the top of
the bathing cap, binding it with tape at the seam,
both at the top and in the front. Lay on a tape
behind to form a hem, making oylet-holes at the ears,
and passing a string through each oylet-hole, which is
fastened down at the opposite side; these strings draw
up the cap, when worn, to the size required.

I also found some information on oiled silk.
From "Scissors and Yardstick" by C. M. Brown and C. I. Coats (1872): "Oil silk. A very thin, white silk, saturated with oil, and dried. This process renders it waterproof, and transparent. It is used for hat linings, etc. An imitation is make of cotton. Width, 30 to 40 inches."

From "Cole's Dictionary of Dry Goods" by George Cole (1892): "Oiled Silk. Thin silk saturated with boiled oil, semi-transparent and waterproof. It is much used in tailoring and dressmaking to prevent perspiration from passing through, as at the armpits of garments and the linings of men's hats and ladies' bonnets."

One word of warning, if using linseed oil, I think it is highly flammable so you might be able to find a safer substitute.

>
>Lastly, for the footwear, I found a cute pattern for
>crocheted slippers, which seem to fit reasonably well when
>made of worsted wool. The original pattern (1864 Godey's)
>calls for a leather sole, lined with wool felt. I was
>wondering whether chamois wouldn't work better?

Chamois might stretch and would not be very sturdy. It would be similar to wearing a pair of socks.

I've seen >lots of baby slipper patterns that called for chamois soles, >but so far every adult slipper pattern I've found calls for
>leather or cork. I don't think that would work for a
>bathing costume. I assume they might have used cork, but I
>can't find that anywhere and doubt I could figure out how to
>sew my crocheted uppers to cork anyway, i.e., not without
>breaking them. The chamois might be a good solution because
>it's used for washing cars these days, so it must be able to
>withstand a wetting.

You could try using cork flooring squares or rolls of cork from art supply stores. Both are fairly pliable and should not be too expensive. The tiles would need to be made from acutal cork and not the chopped imitation cork. Not being a shoemaker, I don't know if that would work but it may be worth a try.

You would need to punch holes in the cork and attach the uppers through the holes.