Late 1770s robe à la Polonaise à coqueluchon

Judging from the amount of hooded robes à la Polonaise you can see in portraits and fashion plates they were quite popular in their time. I think it's a cute style, kind of a crossover between a dress and an overgarment, so I wanted to give it a try. It's made of striped silk taffeta with linen and silk lining and trimmed with silk gauze. It's hand sewn with linen thread. It closes with hooks and eyes. I'm wearing it over a shift, stays, a false rump, two linen petticoats, silk stockings, silk shoes and accessories, all hand sewn by me.

Snow and -14℃ aren't the best conditions to photograph a dress, but today was the first day off I've had in months without snow or rain falling from the sky, so we took few quick photos before running back inside.

Construction:

I was mainly inspired by these three drawings. 

Gallerie des Modes, 1778

Carmontelle, Madame la marquise du Dreneux

Vigée Le Brun, Standing Woman Holding a Sheet of Music, 1772

A lot of the basic construction I owe to the the research Kendra and Brooke have made over the past years. I drafter the pattern myself using my riding habit and late 18th century jacket patterns as a guide.

I sewed it together by first back stitching the two silk layers and one linen lining layer and then folding the seam allowance under from the other lining piece and whip stitching it over the seam.

Back has only one layer of silk and linen. Front has two separate layers and both are stitched to the side back seams and are joined together also on the neck edge and armhole. The outer front pieces are lined with silk to prevent the stripes of the inner bodice from showing through.

The joined neck edge on the finished dress.

I set the sleeves the same way I usually do. All four fabric layers together under arm and sleeve head sandwiched between shoulder strap an it's lining.

To loop up the skirt, the tapes running over side back seams continue unstitched from where the seam ends to be tied up on the inside.

Close-up

All the trim is roll hemmed and pleated in place.