Unadulterated Robing - Gold Gown Progress
Greetings, everyone! Alas, this isn’t the Gold Gown Finale - if I waited until I’d finished it to post pictures, you might think I’d died in an exhausted puddle of fabric somewhere. But the main body of the gown is slowly but surely getting there - once this baby is sewn, its just the sleeves and a bit of trimming, and the Gold Gown is finished!
I’m using the Nehelenia Patterns Open Robe for making this, rather than the Simplicity costume pattern:
Let me start my announcing both my appreciation and my frustrations with 18th century pleating. It is time-consuming and tiring to do, but I can totally see WHY they did it, in an age before disposable fashion when you want to make your clothes last - and by last I’m easily talking 20-30 years for a formal gown you don’t wear very often. There’s plenty of documented examples of daughters and granddaughters altering silk gowns to accommodate the new fashions. Pleating lets you do that and affords you extra material for a bunch of things!
Say your size fluctuates quite a bit (In the 18th century, this would be mostly on account of frequent pregnancy) You need to be able to adjust your clothing rather than spend vital money on new things that will only be worn for a short time.
The 1700s solution is to have that extra fabric pleated down so you can simply unpick and adjust your gown to fit you, should your body change - which is a really great idea!
You’ll notice here that Elizabeth doesn’t have pleated robings on her gown (the folded parts at the front) and that’s because it’s a movie costume - made to measure, perfect fit for a period of however long shooting takes.
But if you’re looking at this through a historical background eye, as well?
Weatherby Swann’s ordered this fashionable gown from London. Even if he sent Elizabeth’s measurements to a London dressmaker, there’d be bound to be a few fitting issues when it arrived, because human bodies be like that. No way would he buy such an expensive dress without there being some leeway on the fitting side.
I’ve opted to include the robings on my version of the gold gown. Because I’m a history nerd. And also, if we’re talking perspectives, the Georgians damn well knew what they were doing with gowns and stomachers in flattering your body shape. the triangular shape and the fall of the skirt over the hoops tricks the eye into thinking you have a small, Keira-Knightley sized waist, even if you’re decidedly not Keira Knightley sized!
Shown above, beginning to take shape... still sans sleeves, but that will follow later. Just roughly pinned skirt pleats, but it has that lovely 18th century silhouette already...
Which brings me to the delightful pleated back!
I really LOVED doing this, weird as it is given my complaints about pleating above. Because when you get the fiddliness of a pleated English gown back right, it just looks so neat and tidy! I mean, have you seen the beauty of the pleat on the orginal gown?
*chef kiss* Artistry, right there.
Now, my version is nowhere near as pretty or as perfect - I’m a hobbyist who just trundles along in her own sewing groove. But I was so, so happy at the way the pleats lined up on this. Best bit of hand-sewing I’ve ever done, and I love the way the seams curve down the back and flare out again. Can’t wait to make more progress on it!
That’s all for now - hopefully I’ll be able to post the REAL finished gown next time once I sort the sleeve and skirt pleats!
