All posts tagged: 1660s

Feeling Grand and Frivilous

Here are the images from Grandeur and Frivolity: Music and Fashion in the courts of Louis XIV and Louis XV. The event went beautifully. It was a privilege to work with The Historic Arts Trust, and especially the amazing Clarissa, who arranged all the music and coordinated all the musicians. I’m also deeply indebted to all of the people who made this possible: Mrs C, Madame Ornata (two of the dresses were hers!), all the models, my sister and mother in law, Shell and Joie de Vivre, and of course Mr Dreamy. And you! For suggestions and support and encouragement and research! Seriously – some days when I’m just soooo tired, reading your comments is just the perk-up I need to keep going.

Ninon’s accessories

Published by The Dreamstress

I can’t really trim Ninon’s dress because I can’t get the right trim in Wellington, and I feel I shouldn’t make a special trip up to Brian Gaskin’s in Palmy because I have to go up there on business next week. So instead I’m researching what jewellery and accessories she should wear. It’s pretty easy actually: every-single-painting shows the sitter wearing a collarbone level necklace of large pearls, and large pear-drop pearl earrings. Some ladies went for simply the pearl necklace and earrings, and nothing else: Most sitters added a few more accessories of her own to go with the ubiquitous necklace and earrings. This one has bracelets: Brooches at the centre front holding the fichu in place are common, usually with pearl drops: And of course, I have Elisabeth d’Orleans as my inspiration for Ninon with her pleated fabric/shell with a bow and jewelled bodice trimming. There are other portraits that show the same pearls in the bun at the back of the head And one lady went all out to gain Louis XIV’s …

Ninon’s dress: sleeves!

Published by The Dreamstress

After two toiles, and three re-pleatings/readjusting of the sleeves, Ninon’s sleeves are done. Or at least I’m happy enough with them to let them go for one wearing while I re-assess them. So typically me! I pleated the top of the sleeves with soft knife pleats. It’s less controlled than the stiff cartridge pleats on most extent mid 17th century sleeves, but I felt it looked more like the softer pleats on my inspiration piece: The bottom of the sleeves are done with sewn-down cartridge pleats. I left a bit of the band at the bottom of the sleeve totally plain, as that seems to be what is going on in my inspiration image. I think it will sit a bit better and collapse less when it has all the trim that is in the inspiration image. I found the sleeve ‘wing’ really irritating. I think it is a leftover transition from the Elizabethan shoulder wings, but as a transition piece it no longer really makes sense, and is just a bit of a …