Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Dr. Christine Millar has two passions: anesthesiology and 18th-century fashion. The New York native moved here in 2012 for a medical residency at Washington University, and she’s now an anesthesiologist at Memorial Hospital Belleville. In her spare time, Millar re-creates attire from the 1740s–1790s through her business, SewStine. Her elaborate creations are the product of a process mixing modern technology and historically accurate sewing techniques.
Are all of the costumes you make historical? Most of them. There’s one dress I’m making right now from 1760. During that time, they had a very odd lace called fly trim. There’s nothing on the market that even remotely looks like it, so I taught myself how to weave it. Each meter of lace takes me eight hours to make, and I need 20 or 25 meters. It’s very slow going, but I think it’s going to be worth it.
How long does one outfit take? Anywhere from 180 hours for a simpler gown to about 450 for a [man’s] full court suit.
Why the 1740s–1790s? I love the aesthetic. In the 1700s, you get those dresses that are really wide. The way they patterned the dresses out and sewed and embroidered them astonishes me, because it was all done by hand.
Where do you wear your outfits? My husband [Matthew Millar] and I love to go to Paris once a year for the Versailles ball. In order to get in, you have to be wearing historically accurate clothing from the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XVI.
How do you balance your passions? I wonder how people don’t do something outside of medicine. You get to help a lot of people and save a lot of lives, but you also see a lot of death and sadness. You need something to balance that with. For me, art and creativity is a way to focus those emotions into something else.
Visit sewstine.com to see more of Millar’s intricate historically inspired handiwork.
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Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
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