Sartorial Adventure

Woman’s waistcoat ca. 1785

From Kerry Taylor Auctions

A turquoise-blue brocaded satin robe a l'Anglaise

“the silk 1760s, but heavily modified construction, woven with meandering white blossom, the ground figured with leaf sprigs, with 1770s front bodice closure, 19th century boning and alterations, later added lace engageants, together with a reticule made from matching fabric”

Kerry Taylor Auctions

Illustrations from Gallery of Fashion, vol. I: April 1, 1794-March 1, 1795, Nicolaus Heideloff, 1794-1802

Hand-colored etching and engraving 13.38 x 10.44 in. (34 x 26.5 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY, USA

I've been putting off making stays for years because I knew it was going to be a bit of a pain. After much dithering I started with Laughing Moon 115 and made a mockup. It was a tough choice between the theatrical but easier version and the harder but more accurate historical version.

Eventually I decided on the corded historical option. New skills and all that. Mockup from scraps.

Not bad. After consultation from the Laughing Moon Facebook group I lengthened the straps and widened the hip gores to correct the fit.

On to the final! Light blue twill for the lining and charcoal sateen for the fashion fabric. I used regular pencil to mark the proposed cording channels.

This... may have been a mistake since I couldn't get the marks to go away, even after washing.

Oh well. I used Lily and Cream cotton yarn as the cording and modified some of the lines on the front. Powder blue bias binding machine sewn to the front and hand whip stitched to the lining finished off the top and bottom. I used blue satin ribbon to conh in the top a little and as the lacing.

Next up: petticoat!

Robe à lá anglaise - silk, linen, hand painted. British.

ca 1780-85.

Victoria and Albert museum

source

1770s

Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costume Parisien, 1 avril 1798, (29): Turban à pointe, orné d'une aigrette et d'une guirlande de myrthe. Spencer sans manches. Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Netherlands

Gallery of Fashion, vol. V: April 1, 1798 - March 1 1799 - English Court Dress

From the Met Museum

I think these are half-mourning, so is this the equivalent of the stylish "no officer i have no idea who shot my husband" outfit?

Boris Bilinsky’s costume design for Alexandre Volkoff’s Casanova (1927)

Sarah Campbell, by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1770’s).

Dress and petticoat (robe à la polonaise)

French

About 1785, altered at a later date

Block printed cotton in polychrome on white with Indian style floral motifs. Robe à la polonaise: square neckline; Watteau back; short fitted sleeves; side fullness gathered into pleats; ribbon front closure to hook-and-eye at waist; linen and cotton lining. Quilted petticoat: fullness cartridge pleated into tan linen tape waistband; linen suspender tapes; narrow horizontal quilting at base.

MFA Boston

ab. 1735 Man’s suit - coat, waistcoat, breeches (Britain)

coat - brown corded silk, with large cuffs made from brocaded fabric in silk and metal thread, featuring a floral pattern in shades of green, blue, pink and silver on a light blue ground

waistcoat - pale blue corded silk, brocaded in coloured silk in shades of green, blue and pink and silver thread with a large exotic flower design

breeches - brown corded silk, lined with linen and leater, with button fastenings and linen braiding at hems

(National Museum of Scotland)

Gown ca. 1790-1810

From Cora Ginsburg