The Dreamstress

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Rate the Dress: a new start in green

I’ve got a bit of a tradition on Rate the Dress of sharing a wedding dress for New Years. A dress to celebrate a big change, and a new life. That doesn’t mean it’s acres of white silk every New Years though. Women in the past got married in all sorts of fabrics, in all sorts of shades. This year’s wedding dress is an 1850s number in soft green. Let’s find out how you feel about it!

Last Week: a 1910s evening dress in dark pink-red

Most of you loved last week’s dress. You adored the sparkle and colour, and thought it was the perfect blend of ornamentation and simplicity. Others thought it might be a bit matronly. And some of you thought it was just not quite right: not well thought out and poorly balanced. But nobody hated it, so there’s something to be said for that!

The Total: 8.8 out of 10

Pretty good! And a pleasing 1.1 point up from last week, which appeals to my sense of organisation.

This week: an wedding dress in soft green from 1850

This wedding dress is a perfect example of the transition from classic 1840s style to classic 1850s style, having many elements of both.

Wedding dress, 1850, England, silk, cotton, 145.0 cm (centre back) 51.0 cm (sleeve length) National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Gift of Mrs Betty Blunden, 1979, D5-1979

The skirt is wide enough to accomodate a large hoop, but still has a clear bell shape.

The bodice features a crisp fan-pleated front, a very popular feature in the 1840s that became less common and fashionable as the 1850s progressed.

The bodice features a false front closure ornamented with wrapped thread toggle buttons. Their aqua shade complements the hues in the brocaded flowers of the silk fabric.

Note the double layer of extremely fine piping finishing the waistline. Double piping edge finishes, particularly at the waist, are seen on many 1840s and 50s dresses, although this is a particularly narrow example.

The fabric features four different kinds of flowers, some realistic, some more fantastical. There are roses, and one that two that look like looks like a rose surrounded by small flowers. The other two are daisies or chrysanthemums (or perhaps a waterlily for one of them?).

The sleeves are widening into the classic pagoda shape of the 1850s. They would probably have been worn with decorative cotton engageantes underneath.

The cuffs have very interesting trimmings: strips of self fabric unravelled on each edge to create a soft fringe, and gathered in to create a soft ruched puff.

What do you think? The perfect mix of new and classic for a mid-century bride? Or does the old rhyme about ‘Married in green, ashamed to be seen’ apply?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10

A reminder about rating — feel free to be critical if you don’t like a thing, but make sure that your comments aren’t actually insulting to those who do like a garment. Phrase criticism as your opinion, rather than a flat fact. Our different tastes are what make Rate the Dress so interesting. It’s no fun when a comment implies that anyone who doesn’t agree with it, or who would wear a garment, is totally lacking in taste.

As usual, nothing more complicated than a .5. I also hugely appreciate it if you only do one rating, and set it on a line at the very end of your comment.

Jacket, ca. 1785, French, silk, linen, Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, Isabel Shults Fund and Millia Davenport and Zipporah Fleisher Fund, 1998, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998.253.1

The Amalia Jacket: the inspiration

Published by The Dreamstress

I thought you might enjoy a little insight into the inspiration behind the Amalia Jacket, and the design and patternmaking process.

After making the Augusta Stays pattern, Amber & I knew we wanted to do something 1780s that could be worn over them.

We discussed a couple of options and came up with a shortlist of things we loved that weren’t well covered by other patterns. I left the final decision up to Amber, and she settled on a jacket pattern with both a longer version, and a short pierrot version.

This was her primary inspiration:

1780s Caraco and Petticoat, Musee Galliera — Caraco and Petticoat, 1780s, probably French, cotton & linen, Musee Galliera

It’s a great piece to work from as a patternmaker, because the design lines are so clear, and the stripes make the grainlines and angles very obvious.

Note the pleats on the jacket’s skirt, the higher, rounded neckline, the 3/4 length instead of elbow-length sleeves, and the cutaway front.

For a short ‘pierrot’ version she also looked at this jacket from the Met. It’s very similar to the Musee Galliera caraco, but with a shorter skirt. There are nearly identical skirt pleats, a similar cutaway front, and those slightly longer sleeves.

She also took looked to this charming pierrot that was sold by Christies, which inspired the long sleeves of View B.

1785-1795 Cotton Print Pierrot Jacket, Christie's Auctions — 1785-1795 Cotton Print Pierrot Jacket, Christie’s Auctions

And this pierrot from the Kyoto Costume Institute:

Pierrot jacket, 1780s, silk, Kyoto Costume Institute

We really wanted a second front view, to maximise the mix-and-match potential of the pattern. A plain front was the obvious choice: while there aren’t as many examples of jackets with plain fronts as there are with cutaway fronts, they definitely existed. A plain front gives so many options for playing with design features, and let’s more adventurous sewers take advantage of those and really customise the pattern.

Inspiration for the second front view came from pieces like this pierrot from the Kyoto Costume Institute. It’s dated to the 1780s, but still has the short sleeves of the 1760s-70. It appears to have a one-piece center fastening front.

There’s also this cute cotton jacket from the 1790s. Note the horizontal sleeve stripes. Both are seen in the 1770s-1790s, which is why the pattern includes either grainline for the sleeves. Interestingly this one has almost entirely straight sleeves, with no curve at the elbow.

We also looked at other jackets, including a couple from Colonial Williamsburgs collection (unfortunately their online collection database is has been unavailable for a while), and ones representing regional styles from the Netherlands, where plain fronts and longer skirts were very popular.

With all that in mind, Amber took the most relevant elements and draped a pattern using 18th century methods.

She sent me the pattern, and I used CAD software to turn it into a digital pattern, and adapted the draped pattern to one that could be altered and graded using modern patternmaking techniques and software.

the Scroop + Virgils Fine Goods Amalia Jacket

Then we spent 5 months in intense pattern-tweaking, instruction-writing, and ‘if I do X to the pattern to make the fit more accurate as it gets graded into a different size range is that still 18th c accurate?’ mode.

Sleeve patterns flew back and forth across the world. Many unflattering fitting photos were taken in the midst of lockdown by somewhat exasperated husbands.

Miniature versions of the jacket were made to test construction techniques until we arrived at an assembly method that we agreed was the best possible blend of completely accurate, easy to alter and fit, and easy to sew.

And that’s how we got the Amalia Jacket!

Scroop Patterns + Virgil's Fine Goods Amalia Jacket scrooppatterns.com

I’ve also assembled a pinterest board of 18th century jackets with elements similar to both views, for fabric, and trim inspiration. Enjoy!

Evening dress, 1910, Silk satin, chiffon, beads Turun museokeskus

Rate the Dress: Seasonal Sparkle

Published by The Dreamstress

I took a week off Rate the Dress to rest after the excitement of launching the Amalia Jacket, and the rush of the holidays. But I’m back now, and to celebrate I’ve picked a seasonally appropriate sparkly dress in festive red.

Last Week: an 1830s morning dress of printed cotton

The morning dress was quite popular, despite the lack of pattern matching on the bodice. To be sure, not everyone was a fan of the print, or the sleeves.

So, with a few points off here and there, but an overall positive reception, the dress came in at…

The Total: 7.7 out of 10

There was an unusually high percentage of comments from people on this dress who loved it, but failed to rate it! Had they left a rating, it might have been higher.

This week: a 1910s evening

After weeks of pale, non-colour dresses I felt we were quite overdue for something bright coloured. This 1910s evening dress in rich pink-red with elaborate sparkly beading, seemed the perfect festive choice. It even has star motifs on the bodice and sleeves!

The dress is unassuming in cut, with a relatively high neckline, loose elbow length sleeves that are either cut on or set in using the most simple method, and a column skirt that flares out into the slightest trumpet and train effect at the hem. The whole thing relies on the bold colour and beaded details for visual impact.

Peeks of the cerise silk bounce the eye from hem to waist to neck to sleeves, but the overlay of beading keeps the colour from being overwhelming. The central star and waves of beading on the bodice highlight the fashionably low bust, and fashionably high waist, of 1910.

What do you think? Is this the perfect holiday party attire for 110 years ago?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10

As usual, nothing more complicated than a .5. I also hugely appreciate it if you only do one rating, and set it on a line at the very end of your comment.