Costume College dress rehearsal part I, 1770s robe à la Polonaise à coqueluchon

This dress was one of the seven I took with me to Costume College this year. I hadn't had a  proper chance to try out all the different ways to drape the back having only worn it a couple of minutes in freezing cold when it was finished, so I wanted to try it on before I packing. And while I was at it, I did a simple hairstyle to go with it and took a couple of photos that I thought I'd share.

C. 1800 robe à lAthénienne

Although neoclassical styles were a norm during the Directory and Consulate eras, the dresses that took the classical ideal to the extreme was a fashion phenomena among only very few privileged French ladies. As I'm not tied to any re-enactment group or persona, I felt curious about experimenting with that extreme. To those not very familiar with the high waisted era, I'd like to emphasize that this would not be a suitable outfit for most historic events, like a Jane Austen Ball for example. And if you are not sure about the dress code, I would strongly recommend wearing a shift, stays, stockings and shoes with the rest of your outfit. But if you are not bound by any dress code, this style will make up as a most delightfully comfortable little white dress. 

The dress is made of thin cotton muslin. The lining is made of linen and it's completely hand sewn with linen thread. I'm wearing it over only a high waisted cotton lawn petticoat with shoulder straps, also hand sewn with linen. It's accessorized with greek style leather sandals and a shawl with painted borders at both ends. I achieved the length by joining two shawls like Jen did in her regency shawl post.

The dress without the shawl.

Construction:

I looked through a bunch of portraits of ladies dressed in the Merveilleuse style when I was deciding the design. Eventually this portrait became the main inspiration for the bodice and sleeves:

David, Jacques-Louis, Portrait of a Young Woman in White c. 1798

And Juliette Récamier the inspiration for a slimmer skirt.

François Pascal Simon Gérard, Portrait of Madame Récamier, 1802

For patterning, I used the c. 1798-1805 morning dress in Patterns of Fashion as main source. I sewed the bodice lining together first and then mounted corresponding cotton pieces on top and back stitched them down from the right side.

The skirts seams were sewn together leaving them open from the top to allow the bib front to fall open. The center back is cartridge pleated and then the skirts whip stitched to the bodice and to a waist tape in front. 

Then I made the v-neck front piece and attached it to the waist tape as well. The bodice closes with hooks and eyes and then the bib front is pinned to the shoulder straps after the waist tape ends are tied together in front.

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.