Recently, I have been making some more stays to wear beneath my eighteenth century costumes, and I had the idea to begin work on a chemise for the same period. Since I have made my Regency Day Cap,…
Man's drawers of linen, France, 1750-75; 'TL' laundry mark in dark pink thread
Soap: It's Not Just for Lords Anymore! The topic of cleanliness and hygiene comes up frequently at events. You know the questi...
I continue my series of antique French Fashion plates from the time of Maire Antoinette with a few examples of some of the more extreme fashions of the day. Most of us modern ladies think of historical clothing prior to the 1920's as being very conservative and buttoned up; however this is not always the case. Low cut bodices were very much in fashion for much of the 16th - 19th Centuries. Strange how it was permissible to expose so much of ones bosom in public yet exposing ones shoulders would have been too risque'. Many fashionable women in the late 18th century even went so far as to expose one or both nipples on occasion; or their bodice was cut so low that with the slightest movement a nipple might make a surprise appearance. Now mind you the woman would act just slightly shocked at the occurrence but it was well known that by wearing gowns of that "cut" it was bound to happen. I can just image the men of the day placing bets as to when Madam X's nipple(s) would appear during a ball or supper. It must have been hilarious to watch. French Fashion plate from c1780 showing an exposed nipple Above is a French fashion plate from the 1780's showing just how low fashionable bodices had come. There is no question that the ladies nipple is indeed exposed. This is not a solo fashion plate. I have several that show exposed nipples from this same time period and others where a majority of the breast is exposed even if the nipple is not obvious to see. This extreme fashion was not only in France but to some extent in England and other progressive European countries. Not all women went as far as to expose their nipple(s), others chose only to allow the areolae to be visible and those more modest, would allow the bodice to come just to but not quite expose the that much of their charms. Any way you look at it, showing cleavage or one's décolletage was an acceptable fashion statement of the day. The question was not would you show cleavage but "how low will you go"? ***** I thought it would be interesting to post about some of the more daring fashions from this time of Marie Antoinette (the late 1770's through the late 1780's) that show how low the bodices could be. Some do not blatantly expose the nipple(s) as seen in the above engraving; however in many of them on closer inspection you realize just how exposed they really are. Extreme "Naughty" French Fashions Exposed nipples are shown in these fashion plates Both nipples are exposed in this fashion plate (they are very pale but they are there) A slight lean over to the side and her left nipple is exposed Age did not seem to matter either - both nipples are exposed but she does wear a scarf. Both nipples are in plane sight in this fashion plate These could be "exposed" if not they are very close to giving a peep show Looks like her left nipple is exposed to me Same here - her left nipple appears to be peeking just above the lace This time I believe there is a hint of nipple above the lace on her right breast "Exposure" is just a question of time With a deep breath or a slight turn - everyone would be in for quite a surprise. Almost exposed but not quite. Just below the lace - so don't breath too deep if you don't want all revealed She looks as if she is tugging up her bodice but it's too low to hide for long Widows Weeds with a bit of flash, because there isn't much keeping her in that bodice Just dare me! Just a bit of lace keeping her charms under wraps I say she is a good candidate for a possible show and tell session later in in that gown Hidden behind a scrap of lace - but not for long by the looks of it Looks like she is loosing/winning the battle with her right breast I still love historical fashions yet I can't say that I would have been very comfortable exposing myself in any of these gowns. I probably would have dared to go fairly low but I would not wished to risk putting myself "all out there" if you know what I mean. Still I wanted to have a bit of fun with one of these fashion plates and chose to make the last on into a png and then proceeded to play with colors. Here are an assortment for you pleasure. The original turned into a png file Toned down version of the original Blue and Teal version Teal and Blue version Olive and Blue version Blue version Teal version Olive version Brown and Olive version Brown version Olive and Brown version Purple two-tone version Purple version I hope these "flashy" fashion plates from the late 18th century have given you a few grins and giggles; as they have me. Till the next set of fashion plates from the late 1700's... For more information on Décolletage see HERE Portrait of Princess Lamballe with exposed nipples can be seen HERE with an interesting discussion about it HERE And if you find this subject "titillating" you might also enjoy viewing a few other blog post like those found at Isis' Wardrobe - HERE or "The Naked Child in Art" from novelactivist.com found HERE
Man's drawers of linen, France, 1750-75; 'TL' laundry mark in dark pink thread
The split bum, perfect for 1776 - 1790s, worn with polonaise and Italian gowns. This is particularly effective for gowns with the skirts pulled up. From the American Duchess Guide. Ah, bum pads...nothing like wearing a pillow around your waist to make your derriere look bigger!
For the Embroidery Illiterate such as Myself… As I have confessed multiple times, sewing and embroidery are not my strong points (You can see one of my better attempts here). However, I am st…
One of the things we really enjoy doing during our research is to look at the advertisements in the newspapers of the day to see what sort of items were for sale. Don’t you just wonder what it woul…
I thought I would do an entry about my shoes and stockings since I have been getting so many compliments about them! It took a while to decide I wasn’t sure at first, before I had really look…
Sebastiano Galeotti Mercury in clouds 1741 drawing Prado Earth was not, nor globes of attraction. The will of the Immortal expanded Or contracted his flexible senses. Death was not, but eternal life sprung. Donato Creti River God 18th century drawing Ashmolean Museum, Oxford The sound of a trumpet the heavens Awoke, & vast clouds of blood roll'd Round the dim rocks of Urizen, so nam'd That solitary one in Immensity. Giovanni Battista Cipriani Classical figure pouring a libation 18th century drawing British Museum Shrill the trumpet; & myriads of Eternity Muster around the bleak desarts Now fill'd with clouds, darkness & waters That roll'd perplex'd lab'ring, & utter'd Words articulate bursting in thunders That roll'd on the tops of his mountains. Gian Paolo Panini Angels on a Pediment 18th century drawing British Museum From the depths of dark solitude: "From the eternal abode, in my holiness Hidden, set apart in my stern counsels Reserv'd for the days of futurity, I have sought for a joy without pain, For a solid without fluctuation." Francesco Bartolozzi Figure studies 18th century drawing British Museum "First I fought with the fire, consum'd Inwards into a deep world within, A void immense, wild, dark & deep, Where nothing was, Nature's wide womb: And self-balanc'd, stretch'd o'er the void, I alone, even I! the winds merciless Bound; but condensing in torrents They fall and fall; strong I repell'd The vast waves, & arose on the waters A wide world of solid obstruction." Francesco Bartolozzi Académie 18th century drawing British Museum "Here alone I, in books form'd of metals, Have written the secrets of wisdom, The secrets of dark contemplation." Anonymous Italian artist Ornamental figures with Griffin 18th century drawing British Museum "Lo! I unfold my darkness, and on This rock place with strong hands the Book Of eternal brass, written in my solitude." Giuseppe Cades Levitation of St Joseph of Copertino 18th century drawing Ashmolean Museum, Oxford The voice ended: they saw his pale visage Emerge from the darkness, his hand On the rock of eternity unclasping The Book of brass. Anonymous Roman artist Acolyte with attendant angel 18th century drawing British Museum Urizen explor'd his dens, Mountain, moor & wilderness, With a globe of fire lighting his journey, A fearful journey, annoy'd By cruel enormities, forms Of life on his forsaken mountains. Anonymous Italian artist Académie late 18th century drawing Ashmolean Museum, Oxford And his world teem'd vast enormities, Fright'ning, faithless, fawning Portions of life, similitudes Of a foot or a hand or a head Or a heart or an eye; they swam, mischevous Dread terrors, delighting in blood. Placido Costanzi Virgin and Child with Angel 18th century drawing Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Most Urizen sicken'd to see His Eternal creations appear Sons & daughters of sorrow on mountains Weeping! wailing! first Thiriel appear'd, Astonish'd at his own existence, Like a man from a cloud born, & Utha From the waters emerging, laments. Grodna rent the deep earth, howling Amaz'd; his heavens immense cracks Like the ground parched with heat; then Fuzon Flam'd out, first begotten, last born. All his eternal sons in like manner, His daughters from green herbs & cattle, From monsters & worms of the pit. Anonymous Italian artist Study for a sculpture 18th century drawing British Museum He, in darkness clos'd, viewed all his race, And his soul sickened! he cursed Both sons and daughters, for he saw That no flesh nor spirit could keep His iron laws one moment. Giovanni Battista Piazzetta Profile of a youth ca. 1715-18 drawing British Museum And their thirty cities divided In form of a human heart. No more could they rise at will In the infinite void, but bound down To earth by their narrowing perceptions, They lived a period of years, Then left a noisome body To the jaws of devouring darkness. Domenico Zanetti Fall of the Giants 18th century wash drawing Morgan Library, New York – quotations are from The Book of Urizen (1794) by William Blake
Serafimerkraschan broderad i silver med paljettrader på stjärnans uddar. Utsökta ansikten på seraferna med tydliga ögon, ögonbryn och ansiktsdrag.
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Robe a la Francaise, 1770, LACMA M.2007.211 - beautiful and expensive printed cotton One of the top questions I get from budding 18th century costumers is
*INCLUDES NEW BONUS CHAPTER*'Dark, funny and wild.'- Chloe Ashby, author of WET PAINT'As ballsy as you'd hope' - Grazia'The words just sizzle off the page' - Glamour'Another triumph for feminism' - Red'Set to be one of the best books of 2022' - Red'A thrilling, bisexual romcom that doubles as a smart skewering of social media' - Evening Standard'... enjoyable first novel...' '...easy-to-read story...' - Independent'... the voice of her generation' '... the face of the future' - The Times Magazine'It's Carrie Bradshaw's columns in Sex and the City on steroids.' - The Times'Everything is IMMEDIATE. Emphasised.' - The Times'It's a kind of rags-to-unexpected-riches-to-devastating-realisation-back-to-older-wiser-rags type tale, almost 18th century in progression, except set in a thoroughly modern, even slightly futuristic world where life online is even more all consuming than we know it now.' - Sunday Independent'Women Don't Owe You Pretty was a concise, witty, compassionate guide to navigating feminism' - Observer'A hot debut novel with a dash of relatable existential dread' - Cosmopolitan'Seriously hot' - Cosmopolitan'Girlcrush is a funny, filthy and furious exploration of sexuality, identity and the expectations on us all. It's a rare combination - a page turner with a message.' - Daisy Buchanan'It feels like a ball of energy coming right for you. I loved this debut.' - Emma GannonGIRLCRUSH is a dark feminist retelling of Jekyll & Hyde by bestselling author Florence Given.In Given's debut novel, we follow Eartha on a wild, weird and seductive modern-day exploration as she commences life as an openly bisexual woman whilst also becoming a viral sensation on Wonderland, a social media app where people project their dream selves online.The distance between her online and offline self grows further and further apart until something dark happens that leads her into total self-destruction, forcing Eartha to make a choice; which version of herself should she kill.
Following on from our previous articles about career choices in the eighteenth-century, from 1761, we have some more to share with you, so, here goes. The Barber The boy, intended for this business…
Använd vid bröllopet med Sofia Magdalena den 4 november 1766. Rock i silvertyg med svagt böjd framkant, vida skört med veckade sidsprund, snäva ärmar med mycket breda ärmuppslag eller manschetter.
It's always nice to complete a lingering project! I started a little embroidery kit two years ago... A progress photo from spring 2013. ...and then got distracted, and forgot about it. It's a Scissors Pocket kit by Wellingsley Studio (WS doesn't seem to have an internet presence). The kit contained wool and silk threads, linen screenprinted with the pattern, and the usual directions. The mountains of winter snow provided extra time to stitch up the remainder, as you can see in the following images... The buttonhole stitch on the flowers was fun. The flower buds should have been French knots, but they didn't knot well. The leaves are worked in double satin stitch, and the flower pot pattern is satin stitch with some stem stitches. Please ignore the sloppy blue bit at the bottom! The flower stems are just back stitches. Et voila! To finish the project, I assembled it just like my 18th century pocket. It's tiny... ...but good for four year-old fingers. It's bound with silk scraps... ...and was all handsewn. The back features a scrap of printed cotton. I'm calling it Lucy Locket's pocket and am using it to store my daughter's "history work" marbles, which are from Plimoth Plantation. She's requested to do more "history work" this year and, when events arise, we have a new period-appropriate toy to tote.
Explore Mme. du Jard's 1232 photos on Flickr!
The Sailor's Return, Francis Wheatley, 1786, National Maritime Museum. As I've posted before, the sailor returning to loved ones is a well established trope in the eighteenth century. In this image, the sailor carries his gold in his round hat, much to the delighted astonishment of the young lady who comforts a sick man. This is a popular image for slop clothes, as it is detailed and typical of other depictions of sailors' attire. The sailor's neckcloth is the familiar orange/red, but spotted with white. His white shirt is so thin that you can see a bit of his skin beneath! Translucence in eighteenth century art is a topic entirely of its own, and this may not be intended as a true representation of the material in sailor's shirts. Once more, we have a sailor who has neglected a waistcoat. The lack of a waistcoat on sailors is far more common than I would have guessed going in to this project. Though the National Maritime Museum states that his jacket buttons are brass, I'm not so sure. They appear to be the same color as the blue jacket, but they also appear to be reflecting light. Perhaps they buttons are of a death's head style, and woven with a more expensive thread. It's a tough call, and I'm not sure I'd put a solid conclusion to it. What we can say about the jacket is that it is double breasted with slash cuffs and unlined. His trousers are of a broad fall style, and a beige color. The trouser buttons here are undeniably metal, though whether it is a white or yellow metal isn't obvious. The trousers are very short and end right at the bottom of the calf. His stockings are white, his shoes with a very slight point at the toe, and preposterously large white metal oval shaped buckles. In his left hand, our jack holds his black round hat, with its brim bound in black tape. Because he holds it out for us to see the gold coins, we can also see the white lining of the hat, a detail usually invisible in contemporary images. In the same hand, he holds his stick. There's a lot more in this image beside our sailor: the odd pattern of the blanket, the nail on which the basket hangs above, and the visible stays on the woman are all wonderful little tidbits of daily life that are often under represented in extant eighteenth century art.
*INCLUDES NEW BONUS CHAPTER*'Dark, funny and wild.'- Chloe Ashby, author of WET PAINT'As ballsy as you'd hope' - Grazia'The words just sizzle off the page' - Glamour'Another triumph for feminism' - Red'Set to be one of the best books of 2022' - Red'A thrilling, bisexual romcom that doubles as a smart skewering of social media' - Evening Standard'... enjoyable first novel...' '...easy-to-read story...' - Independent'... the voice of her generation' '... the face of the future' - The Times Magazine'It's Carrie Bradshaw's columns in Sex and the City on steroids.' - The Times'Everything is IMMEDIATE. Emphasised.' - The Times'It's a kind of rags-to-unexpected-riches-to-devastating-realisation-back-to-older-wiser-rags type tale, almost 18th century in progression, except set in a thoroughly modern, even slightly futuristic world where life online is even more all consuming than we know it now.' - Sunday Independent'Women Don't Owe You Pretty was a concise, witty, compassionate guide to navigating feminism' - Observer'A hot debut novel with a dash of relatable existential dread' - Cosmopolitan'Seriously hot' - Cosmopolitan'Girlcrush is a funny, filthy and furious exploration of sexuality, identity and the expectations on us all. It's a rare combination - a page turner with a message.' - Daisy Buchanan'It feels like a ball of energy coming right for you. I loved this debut.' - Emma GannonGIRLCRUSH is a dark feminist retelling of Jekyll & Hyde by bestselling author Florence Given.In Given's debut novel, we follow Eartha on a wild, weird and seductive modern-day exploration as she commences life as an openly bisexual woman whilst also becoming a viral sensation on Wonderland, a social media app where people project their dream selves online.The distance between her online and offline self grows further and further apart until something dark happens that leads her into total self-destruction, forcing Eartha to make a choice; which version of herself should she kill.
creative and industrious stocking knitting men
