Like the Angelica, the Aidah is a fashionable late 18th century Italian gown. It’s not just a repeat of the Angelica though: it has a different front and back necklines, different back panels, and two piece sleeves with three length options instead of one-piece sleeves with two length options.
We thought you might enjoy seeing some of the inspiration behind the Angelica Gown. Every Scroop + Virgil’s historical pattern starts with research. We look at extant garments in private collections and museums. We assemble huge inspiration boards of items from online databases, noting details and similar design and construction elements. Then we start parsing and sorting. What elements are commonly seen together? What aesthetic features do we really want to include? What construction features do we really want to include? Is there a particular garment that is the starting point for the whole design, or are we mixing common elements? Here’s what we ended up with for the Angelica Gown! The Angelica Gown pattern is available as a digital download from ScroopPatterns.com, and as a paper pattern from Virgil’s Fine Goods. View A Front: This was an easy pick! I absolutely love the neckline of this gown, and the waist edge, with its sharp curve and truncated point. This shape shows up on other extant garments, and in fashion plates, so it was a …
Inspired by all the 1780s sewing and research I did for the Scroop Angelica gown, this week’s Rate the Dress pick is a 1780s dress that showcases the inventiveness and playfulness of 1780s fashion, even within the framework of a very formal dress. Last weeks (ish) rating: an 1860s formal afternoon dress The scores for last week’s dress were very consistent: 9/9 for almost half the ratings, with a sprinklings of 7, 8s and 10s just to keep it interesting. The Total: 8.9 out of 10 Just missing that tiny bit to make it 9! This week: an 1780s formal gown in embroidered silk I guess I’m in a very formal mood, because last week’s dress and this week’s dress are both quite formal, and have a certain stiff elegance to them. Look closely though, and this dress isn’t as stiff as it seems. The masterful embroidery on the bodice is asymmetrical, providing visual interest and movement, and leading the eye up to the face. The trims and and skirt embroidery also evoke texture and …
