The Dreamstress

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The Kashmiri Shawl, and the dress made of Kashmir shawls

I love paisley (the design) and the history of Kashmir shawls. The interaction between the paisley design and Western fashion is fascinating, with both elements impacting the other in equal fashion.

Kashmiri shawls were first introduced to Europe in the late 18th century by English traders who had encountered them in India. In India the shawls were worn by men, but in Europe they were taken up by women as the perfect warm wrap to accompany to new light muslin dresses. The cashmere wool was lighter, softer and warmer than anything available in Europe at the time, and the paisley patterns were deliciously exotic to Western eyes. Kashmiri shawls were also the perfect status symbol – they were extraordinarily rare, and prohibitively expensive.

As with anything rare, expensive and incredibly desirable, those who could afford it flaunted it, and those who couldn’t scrambled to find a cheaper alternative. Manufacturers in Europe almost immediately began to replicate paisley designs (the name paisley comes from Paisley in Scotland where many imitation Kashmiri shawls were made) on wool-silk blends and on cotton, and even in India fakes were made.

As the fashion for Kashmiri shawls spread and the importation of real Kashmiri shawls and manufacture of replicas made them more common the design moved beyond shawls, and paisley motifs were seen on dresses and cloaks. Sometimes these items were made from actual shawls (Kashmiri or European), and sometimes they were made from fabric specifically woven with paisley designs.

The ever fashionable Josephine de Beaunharnais, then Empress of the French, was certainly the most famous person to wear a paisley shawl. Gros painted her wearing a very simple tunic dress made from a Kashmiri shawl (this being Josephine, we can be sure it is real) over another dress, and a shawl as a shawl.

Empress Josephine by Baron Antoine-Jean Gros, ca. 1808, Musee d’Art et d’Histoire at Palais Massena, Nice France

The artist Robert LefÃ¨vre loved the look and painted two different noblewomen in dresses made from Kashmiri shawls, though as the poses and dresses are identical down to the last fold we can assume that Salome’s frock probably owes more to the artists imagination than anything the Comtesse actually had in her wardrobe.

Elisabeth Alexandrovna Stroganoff countess Demidoff (1779-1818) by Robert LefÃ¨vre, ca. 1805 Hermitage Museum St Petersburg

Ã‰lisabeth Alexandrovna Stroganoff, Countess Demidoff (1779-1818) by Robert LefÃ¨vre, ca. 1805 Hermitage Museum St Petersburg

Salome Louise Coulmann, Comtesse Walther by Robert Lefevre, 1811, Versailles

Fashion plates noticed the trend and disseminated it further.

Fashion plate featuring a dress made from Kashmiri shawls (right), 1812

Dress with paisley design, 1810

Not all frocks were made from real shawls. This frock is of red net over a white undergown with a paisley border, creating the effect of a Kashmiri shawl gown without the weight and warmth.

Dress with a paisley border, ca. 1810, Musee Historique de Tissu de Lyon

This gown also uses an fabric which gives the effect of a paisley shawl, and echoes the daring neckline of the Lefevre portraits on a more modest scale.

Evening dress, 1815, cotton & silk, Snowshill Wade Costume Collection, Gloucestershire

The next one is much less sophisticated in its silhouette and construction. The narrower, stiffer paisley design at the hem of this frock is purely European in creation, demonstrating how quickly the design was picked up and adapted in the West.

Evening dress, 1810, Centraal Museum

And not all paisley garments were dresses, as evinced by this charming cloak made from a paisley shawl.

Kashmiri Embroidered Cloak, Early 19th C, sold at Augusta Auctions

The height of the Kashmiri-shawl-as-a-dress fad was from 1805-1815, but examples were seen into the 1820s, as evinced by the famous Amelie Augustes (her frock was the only 10 out of 10 Rate the Dress ever).

Amelie Augustes von Bayerne, Princess of Bavaria and Queen of Saxony by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1823

So what does this have to do with me? Well, my project for the Historical Sew Fortnightly Bi/Tri/Quadri/Quin/Sex/Septi/Octo/Nona/Centennial Challenge will be an 1813 Kashmiri shawl gown inspired by this fashion plate from 1812:

Fashion plate featuring a dress made of Kashmiri shawls, 1812

I figure that a wool or cashmere dress would be worn in winter, so if this was made in winter 1812, it would certainly have been worn in Jan 1813 – if not for years later. And, of course, women further from Paris and London could wait for months to get the latest fashion plates. I’m having to tweak a few things to fit my fabric, but based on the extend dresses compared to plates, that’s perfectly historical!

I’ve been making very good progress on it, and am so excited about the project! I’ll be showing you my work-to-date shortly.

Five for Friday: Tips for doing the Historical Sew Fortnightly

Published by The Dreamstress

I loved doing the Sew Weekly last year because it really made me look at my sewing: my stash, how I sew, what I sew, what I spend the most time on, and what I waste the most time on. At the end of the year, I’m sewing much more efficiently, both in how long I take, and in creating things that I’ll really use and that work with what I have. That was part of the reason for suggesting the Historical Sew Fortnightly this year: I want to turn all that I learned towards my true sewing love.

Here are five tips based on what I learned last year that may help you tackle the Historical Sew Fortnightly.

Plan ahead
I’m announcing the Challenges 8 challenges ahead so that you have plenty of time to figure out what you are making for each challenge, where you are going to spend your time, and what you need for each challenge. Make a list of the challenges and note what you are going to make. If you really want a super elaborate striped bustle gown for Challenge #6, plan on very small projects for #4 (Embellish) and #5 (Peasants & Pioneers) so that you have almost 6 weeks to work on your big one.

Just don’t do what I did and get your fabric out all ready for a Challenge 3 ahead and then misplace it 😉
Just do it
Procrastinating and spending too much time looking at all the options, looking at my stash, and dithering about what to make is where I waste the most time sewing – and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this. Sometimes I waste so much time I could make two outfits in the time I spend wondering about one garment and trying all the different options in pattern and fabric and buttons and trim.

I get so focused on the ‘best use’ of all my pretty sewing bits that I forget that any use is a better use than just sitting there in the stash. I hoarded my 1940s Western novelty print fabric for so many years – I’m thrilled that I finally made myself make something with it that I’ve stopped wondering if there was a better use. Just pick a pattern, pick your fabric, and stop worrying about what you could have made – because what you did make is what is important.

And if things don’t go according to plan, just makes something simple – you can never have to many chemises, and the sense of accomplishment at having finished something is way better than the feeling that you get when you look at an elaborate UFO.

This leads me to #3, which is…
You can never have too many chemises
The Sew Weekly version of this tip was “You can never have too many simple tops” and it’s true. Without challenges and deadlines I made far too many time consuming elaborate dresses – and I don’t have that many opportunities to wear elaborate dresses – modern or historical. With deadlines I made a lot of simple tops, and they get worn almost weekly. Not as exciting, but ultimately more fulfilling.

I know many, many incredibly accomplished historical seamstresses who have a dozen beautiful Victorian dresses – and they wear the same raggedy chemise for all of them, and one corset. This is exactly the opposite of what our ancestors would have done: guides for what immigrants should bring to NZ in the mid-19th century suggest 2 dozen chemises, and only 2 dresses. So use the challenges as an excuse to spiff up your undies, build your historical hope chest, and make simple things (whether they are chemises or fichus or bloomers or caps) that will really grow your wardrobe. They won’t take as much time, they won’t use as much fabric, they may not seem as exciting, but they will be used and appreciated.

On the same lines…
You can never have too many accessories
Accessories are another quick, easy and satisfying way to fill a challenge. They are also something I suck at. I make a fabulous historical gown, loose interest, and never make the bag/hat/scarf/shoes that should go with it. It’s really silly of me, because most of these finishing touches would only take an hour or two, compared to the dozens of hours I put into the gown. So one of the things I really want to do is assess my outfits, and make all the bits that go with them – it will be quick and simple, and I’ll be so glad I did!

Accessories are also one of the bits of historical sewing that most easily fit into modern wardrobes. Both my Capelet of Yay and my Little Bit of Magic cape are based on a 1930s original, and I wear them all the time with jeans, but I’ll also wear them with ’30s frocks.

So whether you have the full dress that needs the little bits that go with it, or want to add a vintage touch to your modern wear: accessorize.
Look at what you have, and work from there
Rather thank making a lot of orphan outfits that don’t go with anything, concentrate on building on what you do have.

For example, this year I’d love to: make a pelisse or spencer to go over the Recamier gown; make a 1630s bodice that can be worn with the skirt from Ninon; make a 1860s bell crinoline and an evening bodice that can be worn with the Greek Key gown; make a walking-length late 18th century petticoat that can be worn with my pet-en-l’aire, and then make a pierrot jacket to go with it.

I’ve also got a ton of UFOs to finish.

Does this help? Anyone else have any other tips or suggestions?

Some Bi/Tri/Quadri/Quin/Sex/Septi/Octo/Nona/Centennial Inspiration

Published by The Dreamstress

The first true Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge of the year (due 15 Jan) is Bi/Tri/Quadri/Quin/Sex/Septi/Octo/Nona/Centennial – sew something from a year ending in _13, whether it is 13AD, 1913, or 1413.

Obviously people don’t throw away their clothes at the end of every year (as I write this I’m wearing a T-shirt that is at least 4 years old, and a pair of shorts that I bought at an op-shop and could be a decade old), and it’s hard to date historical garments to a precise year, so what you really want to do is make something that would be worn in 1813 (or 913, or 1613) without looking too outdated. If your item would have been worn by someone poor, it could be quite a few years earlier, if it’s a Paris ballgown, it should be very close to the date.

I’m making a dress based on a 1812 fashion plate – it’s a wool dress, so I presume it would have been worn during the winter, and would have been quite appropriate in January 1813. I’m so excited about it. I can’t wait to show you my progress!

If you haven’t picked a project, or just want to drool at some pretty pictures, here is some inspiration:

For AD 13, take inspiration from the frescoes at Pompeii, which were made in the decades before the town was destroyed in AD 64:

The Cupid Seller – fresco from Pompeii, now at the Getty

Wouldn’t the gold cap worn by the young woman (often referred to as Sappho) be a wonderful project?

Pompeii fresco – Portrait of a Young Woman

For 1313, make a simple Medieval frock like one of these:

Two examples of women’s dress in the early 1300s, on the right is Margurite d’Artois from her tomb carving, 1311

For 1413, be inspired by the Golden Gown of Queen Margaret (the Uppsala Gown) – Carbon-14 dating has shown that the cloth was very probably woven during the period 1403-1439. There is plenty of research and sketches of the pattern shapes available on the internet, and images of the beautiful reproduction on display in the Historiska Museet in Stockholm.

Gown of Italian gold brocade with a pomegranate design in gold on a reddish-violet silk ground. First half of the 15th century.

For 1513, no one wants to look like the Ugly Duchess (the poor woman probably suffered from Paget’s disease), but her headdress and bodice are quite magnificent, and meticulously rendered.

Quinten Massys (South Netherlandish, 1466-1530). An Old Woman (The Ugly Duchess), ca. 1513, National Portrait Gallery, London

For 1613, this striking jacket is actually quite simple in cut. What makes it so special is that there is a painting of the jacket being worn some 10 years after it was made. It’s been updated for the painting and the change in styles with the addition of silver-gilt trim, and by wearing the skirt over the jacket to achieve the new higher waistline.

Jacket, English, 1610-1615 (made), 1620 (altered), Linen, embroidered with coloured silks, silver and silver-gilt thread, V&A

Margaret Layton, ca. 1620, Gheeraerts, Marcus (the younger) V&A

For s, not every creation needs to be a full dress. These delightful shoes date to between 1700 and 1715. There are various ways you could try to replicate them. Start with a pair of American Duchess Pompadour shoes and add gilt lace and sequins, or use the free tutorial on Your Wardrobe Unlock’d to re-make a pair of modern shoes in 18th century style.

Pair of Woman’s Shoes, circa 1700-1715, Silver lace, metal sequins, silk satin, leather, LACMA

For 1813, you can’t beat a classic white Regency frock, this one in white satin with a magnificent Kashmiri shawl.

Reisner, Portrait of Josephina Fridrix (1813)

Finally, for 1913 why not make yourself a spectacular muff, or the equally fabulous dress it’s being worn with? Or, if you need more inspiration from this era, I have an entire pinterest page.

Advertisement for McCallum silk hosiery. 1913, NYPL