horsehair braid

ever heard of it?

in the past horsehair braid was made of—get this—horsehair. now it’s made from polyester or nylon. either way, it gets sewn into the hem of skirts and dresses, adding structure and body to the end result.

you can buy it by the yard or you can buy packages of it, either in sewing stores like jo-ann’s or online. just remember—you’ll probably need more of it than you think you do. the circumference of a hem, especially on a circle skirt, can get big. and depending on how much you pay it can quickly get pricey (use those 40% off coupons!!!)

i bought four yards to use on gigi’s houndstooth dress, and used pretty much all of it.

i’ve wanted to use it for a while, but this was my first time actually experimenting with it.

sewing wise it’s quite easy. before you hem your outfit, sew the braid onto the RIGHT side of the bottom edge. then just fold up your hem and sew, thereby enclosing the horsehair braid into the hem.

even without a crinoline or slip it adds an element of fullness to the finished hem. with a slip or crinoline—it’s fluff city baby!

(she didn’t have a slip on when she wore this)