This is Fragonard’s ‘The Joy’s of Motherhood.” Yeah, I don’t think he spent a lot of time around women with young children. Of course, looking at the painting, it doesn’t really look like he spent a lot of time outside either. Those are some impressively fantastical and chinoiseried trees!
I’ve told you all about the 18th century jacket I made. Here are the construction details of the waistcoat that goes with it. The fabric is a white cotton with a slightly irregular diagonal rib woven in. The breeches are made out of the same fabric. There is more info on the fabric and trims here. Like the jacket, the pattern basically comes from Costume Close-Up, though I made so many changes that CCU ended up being just a basic guide to 18th century waistcoat construction. I patterned up the waistcoat without having anyone to try it on, and I was really worried that it would be too small, so I used a clever feature that I saw on an extent waistcoat (unfortunately I can’t remember where from!) and left the back seam open, with ties to make it adjustable. I’ve also seen images of waistcoats with closed back seams and ties, and waistcoats that laced up the back. The LACMA has a pattern for one. As with the jacket, I managed to do a …
Last week you dubbed Belleuse’s turn of the century madame with her cinched waist a mis-match. None of the garments was particularly special, and they certainly didn’t go together, earning it a dismal 4.4 out of 10. To avoid last week’s complaint, this week is all about matchy-matchy, and I also thought it was due time to show you an extent garment again. This ensemble of yellow striped caraco and petticoat is on display at La Petit Trianon until 9 October in Le XVIIIe au goût du jour, an exhibition celebrating the 18th century influence on modern fashion. If you can’t make it to France in the next month, you’ll just have enjoy it online, and you can start by considering whether you enjoy this late 18th century frock. The later 18th century is generally a popular era, but this ensemble has some challenging aspects; yellow isn’t everyones favourite colour, especially when paired with pink, and the ruffles on the bodice might be just a bit overwhelming. What do you think? Rate the dress on …
