All posts filed under: 18th Century

Rate the Dress: Dudes dress-off

WOW! Such consistent ratings for the red-velvet-and-chains 1880s dress last week! 8-10 across the board! I don’t think we’ve EVER had a Rate the Dress before (exempting, of course, the one and only 10/10) where everyone concurred so wholeheartedly on a frock. The final tally was 9.3/10, for being unusual, striking, and restrained in the face of overwhelming temptation to just be…overwhelming. It’s feeling very spring-y here in Wellington. The kowhai are in full flame of glowing golden yellow, my freesias and irises are blooming, and the promise of summer is in the air. It’s also been a few Rate-the-Dresses since I’ve posted a Dress-Off, where you compare two garments on a similar theme, and rate each of them. So this week’s Rate the Dress will be a spring-themed Dress-OFF. For your sartorial judgement, I present a spring-green gentleman’s suit from the end of the 18th century. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art gives us two views of this ensemble. First, an elegantly sober variant, with matching pale green coat, waistcoat and breeches: Version …

ca. 1760 Robe a la Francaise inspiration

Published by The Dreamstress

Though it’s going to be very late, I am working on my Robes & Robings project: a 1760s robe Ã la franÃ§aise. My progress hasn’t been quite as fast as my very ambitious schedule, but it’s coming along. I’ll show you the progress soon, but for now here are the extent garments and paintings that I am using as inspiration, because every good frock begins with research and inspiration. My original jumping off point was, of course, Ramsay’s painting of Queen Charlotte: The painting was begun in 1764, but Charlotte’s dress is not particularly fashion forward, which is good because I would like my dress to date a little earlier, without any design details that would be out of place in 1755. The big problem with Charlotte’s frock is that you can’t see much of it. You get a better look at these two frocks. I’m particularly fond of Laura’s scrumptious blue & white number: For some earlier inspiration, I adore this depiction of Louise-Elizabeth of France. Her skirt trim is amazing, although my petticoat …

Terminology: What’s the difference between stays, jumps & a corset

Published by The Dreamstress

I’ve already posted about the difference between swiss waists, waist cinchers, corsets & corselets. This week, I’m going back in history, and back to basics, to discuss the differences between stays, jumps & corsets. Stays, was the term used for the fully boned laces bodices worn under clothes from the late 16th or early 17th century, until the end of the 18th century. Before this boned garments were called (in English at least) a ‘pair of bodies’ – for each side of the stays. via here (but if anyone knows the original source I’d prefer to credit it!) The term stays probably comes from the French estayer: to support, because that is exactly what stays did. Stays turned the torso into a stiff, inverted cone, raising and supporting the bust, and providing a solid foundation on which the garments draped. Despite their heavy boning, and how stiff and constricting they may seem to modern eyes, stays were originally seen as more informal wear, as opposed to garments with the boning built in, such as the …