All posts tagged: 17th century

Flame

Louis XIV’s favourite colour was flame, an orangish-red which worked well with his self designated title of ‘The Sun King’.  Louis wore it frequently. The French court was all about gaining the kings favour, and a good way to become his favourite was to wear his favourite colour, thus it’s frequently seen in garments and trimmings in 17th and early 18th century portraits. Women wore it in ribbons and feathers: Or wrapped around their body in wraps: Men wore it as bows around their neck: Or as sashes tied around their torsos: Whole interiors were done in it, and family groups wore it as jackets and robes: If you didn’t like flame, but still wanted to kiss up to the king, inflicting it on your children in large quantities was always an option. They could wear it as historical fantasy dress: Or pseudo-classical short clothes: Or stiff, old fashioned dresses with flame rosettes: Even Louis’ neglected wife and his kids wore the colour: Yep.  Mid 17th century France was aflame.

Ninon’s accessories

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!

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 …