In case anyone stumbles across this post looking for a Victorian gown I did end up uploading this to TheSimsResource:

https://thesimsresource.com/members...own/id/1340733/



Well here's the first Sims 3 content that I've made. I started this, because I found that the Victorian clothing available wasn't historically accurate enough. I'm not sure that I've done much better, but at least the waist is smaller ;P

Where it stands now:


I'm not really sure what my next steps are. I'm sure it needs polishing, but I'm not really sure what direction it needs work in. Any advice?

Update


Latest Update

see more below

EEEPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!! *jumps for joy* *inner history geek gone crazy*

ok, I'm calm now; this is AMAZING I'm so glad someone finally decided to make something like this. It's really great work for something in the early stages.

The one point in partciualr I'd like to bring up is there seems to be something missing for the front -not missing, missing. More like lacking, missing...does that make since? Maybe like a apron or a vest.

Also it seems the skirt dress could stand to be wider/fuller at the hips.

Ca't wait for an update.

Sorry about your other thread being locked, love this so much!!!!!!

Great job

Not really sure about what exactly to do next but here is some images of the dress your trying to make that might give you some idea's



Hope that helps, only thing i can think of is maybe some more ruffles in the sleve and around the hips?

Haha, yes I've seen most of those pictures many times. Probably more than 90% of the work I put in this is "research" (aka looking at pretty dresses online).

I was going for more of a "natural form bustle", which is more columnar than the other Victorian bustle styles, with less volume. I was actually thinking of narrowing the skirt more at the bottom, so maybe that will balance out the hips more.

These were my two main inspirations:


I ended up simplifying a bit to bring it to viewable-sharable stage, and cut down on some of the Victorian "froof" (which suits my personal style more), but maybe I went too far. I'll work on adding some more details.

There's also a list of little things that are bothering me. I don't know if I should list them all here, so you can help me prioritise, or if I shouldn't say anything, and see if anyone besides me even notices.

You've made a great start! About the only thing I noticed is that you might need more shadow around the edges/outline of the print/bustle. It doesn't look like a separate layer yet. You'd know better than I, of course, but the skirt split at the side seam into purple and black looks a bit odd to me. Perhaps those two pieces the same fabric? Maybe smooth the back a bit more so that it doesn't "kick up" quite so much when the sim is walking? Looking forward to updates!

I was thinking that thing at the back needs to be more like a shape of something. Like they have used tons of fabric and made it look like two different fabrics in a knot or something. Do you have a bad graphics card or perhaps there is something missing with the mesh? I totally agree with Katie Turners feel of there being something missing at the front, but it may just be our modern shape definitions not being valid. You may like to include a necklace perhaps.

If you had some complicated mesh problems you should go to the mesh forum with those. This is more feedback on the surface kind of.

Being victorian clothes are really frilly and lacy perhaps adding some bows, ribbons, & lace would help, maybe a bow on the back of the bustle skirt at the top, and at the top of the corset right below the bosoms

Examples



Maybe a more layered wrinkle look on the back like this?



I know you wanted to bring the as you said "froof" down but maybe a little wouldn't hurt? Minor details like a flower broach on the dress, or some ribbons/bows could really help

Hope i gave some idea's, im more of an expert in Rococo fashion so i can only help so much

I have two major issue with your dress. First is the way the skirt turns in a bit right under the hip (at the bottom of the first tier of "fabric"). You can see this when the model is standing, but it is very obvious when she is sitting. This is my first and biggest complaint.

Second is what SimmyRN touched on above. The hem of the dress is warped when the sim walks. You have made the dress look like the hem touches the ground, with the back, or train perhaps, flowing behind. But the hem does not in fact touch the ground, so even when standing it looks a bit off. I have no experience with meshing, so I don't know how you could fix the hem kicking up, but I suspect that reducing the billowing train effect might help.

Other than these two issues I think you have done something pretty awesome! The dress looks lovely, and I'm not sure it needs more frills. I think if you accessorized it well (with gloves and stuff!) it would look very nice and properly victorian.

Here's an update on how I'm doing. This is just the texture amendment, I'm still working on the mesh because CTU was giving me grief, and also I thought it would be easier to learn s3oc/s3pe than learn how to re-addign bones.



Still to do:

- colour trim ivory using overlays

- replace mesh with one that's almost identical, but with better bones

- learn how to do this using s3oc/s3pe

This looks much better! But what I suggest is: the blueish-purple overdress needs to have a smother transition with the blue/green skirt (No I'm not good with color names.)

You'd still need CTU when using s3oc/s3pe, as well as the mesh tool kit. My word of advice here would be to put some more work into the mesh. IMO painted on stuff is not good, ever. The over coat, bows, sleeve ends, etc, all should be meshed.

Could you please do a plain texture option as well? As nice as your textures are it's always nice to use our own textures in Create a Sim.

Looking good love the update!!!! Its soooo pretty

Take a peek at this movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZN-IXcpGQs (recommend the whole thing its a good film) at 1:13:02 & 1:19:56 for a good shot of the back of a bustle skirt to give some idea's

Its quite formal, might be to frilly for you, but as you notice like on the little bump in the back there is plenty of ruffles and a bow, if you could mesh that it might be the only addition i can think you might add because right now your work is looking awesome!!!!!!

Well< I've still been messing with this. I was going to say it's pretty much finished, except that I have a wierd neck attachment issue, that I'm not sure the source of. I've pretty much got the design where I want it. I took away the bows because I didn't like the way they stretched for the walking animation. But, I did fix the nordic-track effect when it walks. I think I just can't have a train. I kind of miss the way it glided, because the bones weren't in the right spot, but this way the animations work better.

Updates

It looks much better now when she's walking! Great work!

The lighting does look a little off in the side view when walking, with the front of the green skirt looking washed out. Is that correctable?

I'm glad you're making good progress. I wouldn't mourn the loss of the bows if I were you. Bows are not universally loved, and what you have now is more versatile and should satisfy many Simmers....

I don't know anything about making clothes, but I do know what I like to look at, and I'm looking at some now. I agree completely with lulume - don't mourn the loss of the bows, it looks infinitely better without them. While there may be a few minor glitches, I think it's looking very good indeed.

The washed out flash is the underside of the skirt showing through during the animation. I think if I lower it a little, and recolour it to be the same colour as the skirt, rather than the trim, it'll be fine. I'll do that. I can't figure out what the problem with the neck is. There's a gap between the head and the neck, but I definitely didn't modify any of the neck vertices when I modified the mesh.

Other than that, I think it's pretty much done, and ready to be uploaded. I'm not 100% happy with the sculpt, but I think it's better to just upload this, and then start working on a new dress.

Woot! I am finished. I finally gave up on STU and tried TSR workshop, and fixed all the crazy warped morph issues I didn't know I was having. I've got the sims3pack all ready for submitting here.

Here's my last screencaps.

http://imgur.com/a/GW1l2

I'm gonna submit it, and then see how much feedback/downloads I get before deciding if I want to attempt more. I've already spent waaay too much time on this (weeks) and the rest of my life is getting behind. On the other hand, most of that effort was learning how to use the tools, which I know how to do now.

Wow, that dress really turned out nice. Good luck with your submission!

Well, I've submitted. We'll see if it goes through.

Gorgeous! Good luck with the upload!

Well, it was rejected I got 1 star out of 5 for quality, mostly for "photoskinning" and "being completely non-recolourable"??? despite the fact that I uploaded pics of several colour variations, and explicitly stated that there were 4 recolourable channels.

The only handwritted explaination was "good start, but unfortunately this still needs a good amount of work" I don't think I care enough to put in a significant amount of work to meet some vague and nebulous standards.

I don't think I'll be re-submitting. I feel like I've just wasted a month of time, which I should have spent fixing my own life. :'(

Oh, gosh, that's too bad! Perhaps if you sent a message to a moderator, explained about the channels, and asked for more specifics? (Maybe they couldn't tell from the pictures or your description what parts were re-colorable.)

Your work is amazing! You don't have to upload them to MTS just put them on medfile or something and post the link, I'd love to have these is my game!

The shape is perfect and the recolourable channels were unfairly overlooked, but I agree with the photoskinning critique. The fabric folds look painted on, which just looks ugly to me. Sorry!