Attending an Edwardian evening affair or wedding? This Titanic and Downton Abbey time period is a romantic one filled with stunning vintage evening gowns of lace, beading, chiffon, and silk. You can easily achieve a romantic vintage-inspired look by using a new Edwardian style gown or dress and adding period shoes and accessories to take
This week I finally started my Gibson Girl ball gown! After much study and deliberation, I have formulated a game plan. My vision for the dress is a bodice based loosely on this dress: 1898-1900 Jacques Doucet, Met Museum I love the draped crossover bodice with chiffon peeking out at the neckline, and I'm really into the idea of shoulder drapery, though I will probably use more chiffon instead of flowers. I want my skirt to have a little more visual interest, so I'm thinking about a flounce and embellishment inspired by this dress: 1898-1900 House of Worth, Met Museum Though I'm sure I won't have the patience to cover my flounce in spangles, I very much like the line of applique/embroidery where the flounce attaches to the skirt. To plan the actual construction of the dress, I have been consulting all my usual reference books and resources. In addition, I have found Cathy Hay's Worth Oak Leaf dress diary especially insightful. She faithfully recreated an incredible 1903 evening gown by the famous design house, right down to the insanely detailed embroidery. Here's the original dress: 1903 House of Worth And yes, her version is about as jaw-droppingly beautiful as the original. While I have absolutely no intention of putting even a tiny fraction of the effort she did into the embellishment of my gown, I found her notes, photographs, and diagrams of the dress immensely helpful. Please go visit her site and enjoy it as much as I have. In addition to her dress diary, I have studied period patterns and dressmaking manuals, patterns taken from extant dresses, and photographs of dresses in museum collections. Based on these sources, I have identified a few nearly universal techniques for the construction of evening/ball gowns from this period: 1. The bodice, rather than being flat-lined, is built over a separate silk lining, sometimes an off-white color, sometimes a shade to compliment the outer fabric. This bodice base is boned and has a petersham waist stay, and has its own closure in either the front or the back. An example: 1897 House of Worth, Met Museum This photo is intended to show the stay tape and label, but it also shows inside of the bodice base. Notice all the vertical seams and the hand-finishing. Seam allowances are overcast, bone casings and stay are hand-stitched in place, and the bottom edge is finished with a facing or tape. You can see the outside fabric (actually a piece of ribbon in this case) peeking out from the bottom. It is clearly separate from the lining. 2. The outer layers of the bodice are arranged and applied to this base. They have their own closure, either concealed in their drapery, or along one of the side seams. The careful placement of closures completely disguises the openings. The same bodice as above, but from the outside this time: 1897 House of Worth, Met Museum It is clear that all the frill and frouf that constitutes the outside of the bodice is lightly applied to the exterior, and is not in any way structural. The boned lining provides all the structure, the rest is just decoration. This is true even of more solid-looking bodices, like the silver-blue Worth dress above. Here is its bodice laid flat: 1898-1900 Worth, Met Museum If you look closely at the inside back edge, you'll see the outer fabric floating free from the lining, which has a drawstring at its upper edge (also a common feature). That back piece wraps across the back from the right hand side of the body to the left, where it fastens with hooks and eyes along the side seam (just visible in the full-length photo up above). 3. The skirt is usually separate from the bodice and has a free-hanging lining. This lining serves as a petticoat, with rows of ruffles to help fill out and support the bottom of the skirt. The skirts close at the center back. You can see the free-hanging skirt lining in this dress: 1899 House of Worth, Met Museum Within the framework of these general guidelines, there is a huge amount of variation in the patterning, cut, layering, and ornamentation. The bodice linings are fairly standard, following the common bodice shapes of the 1890s, but the skirts can be cut in any number of ways. Most are gored, but the size, shape, and number of gores vary widely. Some skirts are cut with only a single front gore, paired with large circular-cut panels extending to the back. A very few skirts are cut in a single-piece, circle skirt layout, though the narrow width of period silks makes this an uncommon technique. The gored skirts tend to have some pleating or gathering where the back portions attach to the waistband, while the circular skirts tend to be fitted much more smoothly over the hips. I prefer this smooth-fitted approach, and also like the easiness of a circular skirt — fewer seams — so I plan to cut my skirt as one large circular shape. If you take a look at the diagram of the Worth dress by Cathy Hay, you will see the shape that I am using for my skirt. This is supported by a dress in Janet Arnold, as well as a few period patterns in The Voice of Fashion. I have decided to make my dress without a train, even though they were very popular in this period. Every extant dress I have seen has a long sweeping train, but I personally have no desire to experiment with dancing in one. I have seen written references to "dancing length" dresses, showing that at least some women thought about foregoing the fashionable trend in favor of practicality. But without having seen even one example of such a dress, I am doubtful as to the historical accuracy of my choice. Since I am wearing this to a ball where I will be dancing for hours, I have decided that I am willing to compromise historical accuracy in order to be able to dance without fear of me or anyone else stepping on my elegant train and tearing it to pieces. These are the choices we costumers must sometimes make. Here's a lovely painting showing ladies dancing in dresses that do not appear to have long trains: The Ball, Victor Gabriel Gilbert For my bodice base, I am using the basic 1890s bodice pattern from Period Costume for Stage and Screen (pg 146-7). I considered using the Truly Victorian 1892 Ball Gown Bodice, which would have given a similar shape (raising the bottom edge, and dropping the giant sleeves of course), but decided to save my money and just work with the pattern from the book. I was very lucky, the pattern required very little alteration once I scaled it up. While doing this research and planning my patterns, I was also collecting materials. I found a muted blue-green silk taffeta for the main body of the dress. To trim it, I decided on a pale pink silk chiffon for the drapery and skirt flounce, and a peachy rose silk taffeta for accents. For lining, I settled on a pale pink acetate taffeta; I would have bought silk, but couldn't justify the extra expense for something that no one will really see. It has a similar hand and body to silk, and it breathes. At $3/yard, I couldn't resist. For embellishment, I bought a beaded trim in grey and silver that I thought was somewhat evocative of the cloud motifs on the blue Worth dress above. I also plan to accent the dress with black velvet. Here's a picture of all my materials together: From left to right: pink acetate taffeta for my lining, blue-green silk taffeta for the body of the dress (shown with the grey and silver beaded trim for embellishing the skirt), peachy pink silk taffeta for an accent color, pale pink chiffon for the neckline/shoulders and the skirt flounce (shown with black velvet ribbon, which will get worked in somewhere) I have already made mockups of my bodice base (from Jean Hunnisett) and my skirt pattern (from the Oak Leaf dress and a dress in Patterns of Fashion by Janet Arnold, pg 50-51). I cut out the bodice lining, the skirt lining, and outer skirt over the weekend, and will hopefully start sewing my dress this week! I'll post an update once I have something worth seeing.
The House of Worth is a French house of high fashion that specializes in haute couture, ready-to-wear clothes, and perfumes. The historic house was founded in 1858 by designer Charles Frederick Wor…
Japanese styles are always attractive in negligees.-The Delineator, April 1903 Kimono dressing gownc.
Worked on my lecture notes and slides today for class on Wednesday. I talk about the period 1870-1899 this week. This dress, c 1860, was designed by the first and very famous fashion house, the House of Worth, Founded by an Englishman and former draper, Worth managed to charm the French Empress Eugenie and convinced her to wear his designs.
Minimalist grey-brown, expensive looking and elegant even in jeans. Gucci Sunglasses and extravagant dogs as accessory. I think one can never tire of people-watching in Italy.
Robe de soirée - Maison Worth - 1890 Robe d'après-midi - Maison Worth - 1892 Robe de soirée - Maison Worth - 1898 Robe de soirée - Maison Worth - 1899 Ensemble - Maison Worth - 1892 Robe - Maison Worth - 1897 Robe - Maison Wo
Correspondence (detail) - Frederic Soulacroix Oil on canvas c. undated
With the internet on a crazy faze to look into our pasts I want to take this time to look back at the fashion of a certain era. Today is Victorian. According to Wikipedia; “The Victorian era…
Step back in time and experience the elegance of the 18th century with our LOUISE, 18th-Century Dress in Ocean Blue Linen. This breathtakingly beautiful historical garment is a faithful reproduction of the "English dress" popularly worn in Western Europe and America from 1770-1785. Crafted from high-quality ocean blue linen, this one-piece dress is a testament to the timeless allure of historical fashion. Our LOUISE, 18th-Century Dress Ocean Blue is designed with meticulous attention to detail, featuring eyelets on both sides of the front opening to ensure a perfect fit. The large skirt, a prominent feature of 18th-century fashion, is pleated in the same manner as it was in the era, measuring 37.5 inches (95 cm) long. The ocean blue color not only captures the aesthetic of the period but also adds a modern touch, making this dress perfect for historical reenactments, themed parties, or simply to satiate your love for vintage fashion. This dress is not just a product; it's a meticulously handcrafted piece of history. The quality of the linen used, the thoughtful design, and the skilled craftsmanship that goes into each dress reflects the authenticity and creativity that Atelier Serraspina stands for. With the LOUISE, 18th-Century Dress in Ocean Blue Linen, you're not just wearing a dress; you're wearing a piece of history, lovingly recreated for the modern woman. ☆ FABRICS ☆ LOUISE is made of prewashed medium-weight linen (205gr/m), in a range of colors matching Atelier Serraspina's color palette. — Outer Fabric — · 100% European linen · Medium weight linen - 6.05 oz/yd² / 205 g/m² · Prewashed so it didn't shrink anymore · Mechanically softened so it is very soft and especially pleasant for your skin · Fabric woven according to universally accepted quality requirements which correspond to OEKO-TEX 100 standards — Bodice Lining — · Composition: 100% Cotton · Type of fabric: Raw Cotton · Approximate weight: 155 gr/m² — Sleeve Lining: — · Composition: 100% Cotton · Type of fabric: Poplin · Approximate weight: 110 gr/m² ☆ SIZING ☆ — Finding the Right Size: --- Please refer to the size chart in the photos gallery to select the correct size for your dress. Keep in mind that historical costumes don't follow standard sizing, so getting an accurate fit is important for comfort and effectiveness. — Custom Sizing:---- If your measurements don't align perfectly with the sizes on the chart, we recommend choosing the "custom size" option. Please submit your measurements in the customization field when placing your order. — Important Note: … Made-to-order items cannot be returned. Please make sure you're certain about the size you choose. If unsure, opt for the custom fit option. ☆ CARE INSTRUCTIONS ☆ To care for your costume, we recommend dry cleaning only, ensuring your costume remains in pristine condition for all your historical adventures. ☆ HOW TO DRESS ☆ · After putting on your historical underwear, step into the dress by sliding it over your head. · Allow the back of the dress to hang behind you, and position the front panel against your abdomen (ensuring the waistband covers the lower ribs). · Secure the front panel around your waist with the cotton ties. · Finally, put your arms through the sleeves and arrange the train folds. · To finish, thread the cord through the eyelets from bottom to top and conceal the knot in the neckline. ☆ PROCESSING TIMES ☆ All our garments, including the LOUISE dresses, are handmade in our workshop in Spain. Each piece is crafted with love and care, using the finest materials to ensure excellent quality. These garments are meant to be cherished for years to come. Please note that our items are meticulously handmade, which means it will take some time for us to create them. The typical production time for a LOUISE dress ranges from 6-8 weeks, depending on the current order volume. Keep in mind that the processing time does not include shipping.
One of the most striking features of Queen Adelaide’s frock in this week’s Rate the Dress is her glorious blonde lace sleeves. Perhaps you’ve read a Georgette Hayer novel and come across a description of the heroine heading out to a dinner party in a dress trimmed with blonde lace and wondered what that meant? Maybe you already knew! If not, wonder no more. ‘Blonde’ is the term used to describe the natural colour of undyed silk, and blonde lace was originally the name for a specific style of continuous bobbin lace made in France (primarily Chantilly, Caen & Bayeux) from natural, undyed silk thread imported from China. While blonde lace was originally made from undyed and unbleached silk the name later came to refer to lace in a particular style made from silk thread, even if it was bleached white, or dyed black (and occasionally other colours). In 1902 an ad offers it in white or ‘butter’, and a fashionable 1895 tea jacket is made up in ‘black blonde lace’. Sometimes different shades …
The hub page looks at the best dressing gowns from period movies. This page includes The Other Boleyn Girl, Gone with the Wind, and The Young Victoria
Fashion and beauty trends to steer clear of that are actually aging us
There’s something about 1840s fashion that instantly enchanted me; was it the dark colours, Gothic influence or sentimentality and melancholy of Post-Romanticism that dragged me into this bea…
I never thought I’d see the day when a yellow 1820s frock would beat a blue 1910s one in rate the dress ratings, but last week’s historical+classical+paisley number far eclipsed the blue grecian from the week before, with a score of 9.1 out of 10 to the blue’s 8.7 out of 10 – and those last few decimal points to break the 9 point barrier are the hardest to earn! This week we’re borrowing the two elements that lost the most points for last week’s frock: the sleeves and hem ruffle, and seeing if they can win the day in a totally different frock. This early 1870s portrait shows Russian heiress Nadezhda Polovtseva in a luxurious evening dress (probably for a court occasion) with definite elements of historicism. Her sleeves, like those of last week’s dress, have a Renaissance inspired ‘slashed’ effect, and her tabbed bodice looks back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Her bustling and folding back of her train is also a nod to 17th and 18th century mantua and court trains, …
