Oooo, fits niiice… LIES! I spent all day yesterday working on this new robe a l’Anglaise, draping, then cutting and stitching. Then correcting. Correcting more. Cursing. More correcting. Ah, if only that…
-
-
V189: Beginning a Robe a l’Anglaise a la Polonaise
I’ve been procrastinating on, well, everything costume-related, and with Costume College a mere month away, it’s time to get down to business with this striped gown. My material – I have enough…
-
V178: 1770s Polonaise Jacket Progress
I haven’t been in a super-sewing mood, but I have made a little progress on the polonaise jacket planned for our Colonial Williamsburg trip this coming October. I draped the pattern for…
-
V147: Gowns a la Pompadour – 1740s – 1750s
Madame de Pompadour by Boucher, 1759 The 1740s and 1750s in France was the time of large, beautiful Robe a la Francaise gowns, made from stunning textiles, and decorated in all manner…
-
V145: Costume Analytics: Madame de Pompadour, c. 1750
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a “Costume Analytics,” but now is a good time to bring it back! This time we’ll be looking at the famous Madame de Pompadour’s…
-
V129: 18th Century Reds
Imatex – red velvet jacket, bound in blue, 1780-90s. This is a must-someday-make jacket I’m a sucker for red, I’ll admit. My second 18th century gown was red and still love it…
-
V96: The 1780s/1910s Double-Period Hat
A few posts ago I staked lampshade style bonnets of the 1780s against similar chapeaus of the 1910s. My idea was to see if one hat could be used for both periods,…
-
V89: Fashion Face-Off – Hats of the 1780s and 1910s
As we all know, history repeats itself, and fashion especially. Nothing is ever “new” on the runway (well, maybe if it’s a suit made out of bubble wrap, etc.), and this was…
-
V60: 1770s Hair Notes
Today’s post is a page out of my dress journal. I went through a great many images, a lot of them fashion plates, and broke down the various parts of the big…
-
V52: 1770s Pannier Experiments – Style 1
In poking around the 1770s it becomes obvious that panniers are the thing to wear. I’ve never made panniers before – I usually land in the 1780s and 90s, when I visit…
-
V36: SuperStripe Sunday – Stripes in the 1770s
Met It’s Superbowl Sunday here in America Land. I don’t follow football, so I’ll be burying myself in the sewing loft and trying to accomplish something on the 1912 Titanic gown. Yesterday…
-
V3: Reconciling Myself to the 1770s
My dear mother and I are planning a trip to Colonial Williamsburg in October of this year. Of course, that means getting all excited about costume possibilities NOW, and planning all the…
-
1790s Wrap-Front Gown, Complete and with Shoes
I finally finished the 1790s wrap-front gown I’ve been working on foreeeeever. I will be wearing this gown, plus its accompanying accessories – pashmina, pineapple reticule, and Pemberley 1790s Regency shoes –…
-
1790s Wrap-Front Gown … Finally Again
You know those projects that get postponed, only to pop back into your life and demand to be finished? This 1790s voile gown is one of them. I originally intended to wear…
-
1780s Green Half-Boned Stays Finally Completed
I went ahead and finished these, even though I will never wear them. I originally started these for The Revolution Dress, but I cut them too short for my long waist, so…
-
Shoes of the 1790s and Regency
Most likely late 1790s. https://blog.americanduchess.com/2007/04/shoes.html Those of you who have been following the development of my historical footwear line will know that we have plans for a Regency era slipper. This begs…
-
1790s Wrap-Front Gown – More Progress
The front crossing. The ties will meet with as-yet-existent ties on the sides. I love the adjustability of the drawstring, too…one can go from modest lady to regency floozy in seconds! I…
-
1780s Half-Boned Stays
Finished – they close edge-to-edge across my bust, but I also like them open like this – more thrust! See the difference in shape between these and Olympe’s? In my recent obsession…
-
How To Make An 18th Century Petticoat
/Update: This tutorial is getting quite old! While it’s still a goodie, for a more in-depth look at how to make an 18th century petticoat stitch-by-stitch in the historically accurate 18th century…
-
Costume Analytics: 1780s Casaquin Jacket
This week on Costume Analytics we are taking a look at an extant garment from the 1780s. This little jacket is known as a “casaquin,” a short jacket usually pleated at the…