All posts filed under: 18th Century

Rate the Dress: ca. 1800 innovation & tradition

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week  I was a little disappointed in the lack of interest in Élisabeth de Valois and her velvet dress.  I thought it was a fascinating fashion choice, but it just wasn’t a good week for discussions.  Those of you who commented did like it though – it came it at 8.6 out of 10, which was just off its most common rating (8.5).  And it was a big hit as a pinterest pin, which is always a good indication of popularity! This week, let’s return to the HSF as a source of inspiration for my Rate the Dress choices.  The next fortnight’s theme is ‘Innovation’ and one of the most innovative fashion periods ever was the streamlined neoclassical styles of the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century.  Few fashion innovations are introduced completely out of nowhere: there is often a period of transition, in which elements of the old style mingle with the new trend. This dress represents both the innovation, and the transition: radical in its overall simplicity, it …

Terminology: What is a reticule or indispensable?

Published by The Dreamstress

Since I don’t want my HSF-marathon posts to get monotonous, I’ve come up with the clever idea of combining them with other thematic posts, for double-goodness.  Today I have a cute finished project, and a long overdue terminology post. First, some terminology: A reticule is a small drawstring bag carried as a purse by a woman in the 18th and early 19th century.  It was also used as a synonym for any kind of purse or handbag carried by a woman. The name comes from the latin reticulum, meaning a net or mesh bag (the same word has given its meaning to reticle – the cross-hairs (or net) in a firearm scope or telescope).  It entered English, as so many fashion words did, from the French, in this case, reticule. The word was first used in the 1730s, but remained relatively uncommon through the 18th century.  The Memoirs of the Reticule states ” I am not aware of any mention of the reticule until after the French Revoluton.” At the end of the 18th century, …

Rate the Dress: Felipe I, Duke of Parma circa 1760

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week I showed you a striped 1820s dress with a variety of different trim ideas across the dress, and contrasting sleeves.  As a whole, certain bits of the dress you loved, other bits you hated: problem was there was no consensus as to which bits to admire  and which bits to condemn!  Some of you loved the purple sleeves, others loathed them.  I was among those who adored the bias striped trim at the hem, but many of you found it awful.  It was a very bitsy dress, and the bitsy votes came together at 7.4 out of 10, which impressed me considering all the criticism. Many of you were also quite critical of the display, which I think is a bit harsh.  They are auction-house pictures after all.  It’s very generous of Augusta Auctions to make so many detailed photos available online in the first place, and they have a lot of stuff to photograph and dress: you can hardly hold them to the same standards as the Metropolitan Museum of Art! This …