Victorian Dress

Something New!

/ Karin McKechnie-Lid / Leave a comment

This late bustle gown was a joy to create last month, I love asymmetrical styles of the late 1880s. ❤️

We’ll be posting more soon so stay tuned!! 😎

DIGITAL FILE Reprint Miniatures From Paris Fall 1899 | Etsy
From our personal library, we have decided to reprint this advertising/publicity booklet from 1899 detailing what was trending in hat styles during the Fall of 1899. This is a fascinating glimpse into late 1890s millinery fashions and provides a nice reference source. We have scanned this booklet and

 

Victorian Fashions and Costumes From Harper’s Bazar | Etsy
Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harpers Bazar, 1867-1898 by Stella Blum was first published in 1974 by Dover Publications and its an incredible reference for mid to late 19th Century fashions and was one of our first reference sources. This book consists of reprints of various illustrations and

New For 2022!

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First job finished in 2022, a silk brocade smoking jacket for Adam…perfect gentleman’s wear for the parlor at No.11 in Tombstone. 😁

The fabric is a wonderful silk brocade that we bought on our trip to England last October.

Here’s some more construction pictures:

In Progress
One of our latest projects is a men’s smoking jacket. These were loose-fitting lounge jackets that were intended for wear at home, often while smoking (hence the name). Depending on cut, these were a looser-fitting version of the conventional sack coat (although often they looked more like glorified bathrobes). Below are a few progress pictures: … Continue reading
Folkwear Pattern No. 202 Victorian Shirt men’s Size Xs | Etsy
This is the Folkwear Pattern No. 202 Victorian Shirt (Mens) in sizes extra-small through extra-large (Mens size 30 1/2 through 48). This pattern is a new and uncut sewing pattern. This will work for the period 1870 through 1900 and can be as fancy or plain as desired.

Folkwear Patterns Now At Atelier Lily Absinthe!

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We’re pleased to announce that we’re now distributors for Folkwear Patterns at Atelier Lily Absinthe! Here’s just a few of our personal favorites:

This pattern has clear, concise, easy to understand directions and construction is very simple with no surprises. This pattern is size-inclusive with sizes range from small through 3XL. Although it’s aimed at the early 1900s, this style will also work for the mid to late 1890s. To order, please go to our Etsy Store.

Edwardian Underthings is one of Folkwear’s earlier patterns, first being published in 1978 (it was one of our first historical patterns at a time when there weren’t many on the market), it’s been updated with inclusive sizing ranging from extra-small to 3XL. This is another pattern with clear instructions and construction is uncomplicated. With camisole, drawers, and petticoat, this is the perfect set to construct a basic set of Edwardian Era undergarments. Also, although it’s primarily focused on the Edwardian Era, it will also work for the late 1890s. To order, please order from our Etsy Store.

And for the men, there’s the Victorian Shirt! This is a basic shirt pattern that will work for the 1870 to 1900 time frame. This pattern is sized for men’s extra-small through extra-large (men’s sizes 30 1/2 through 48). To order, please order from our Etsy Store. These are only a few of our offerings and to see them all, please go to our Etsy Store at  Atelier Lily Absinthe.

Looking Back At 2021

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Looking back at 2021, we have to say overall that it was a year of growth for us as we slowly pull ourselves out of the lingering effects of COVID. Like many businesses, 2020 was a chaotic year and put a brake on the many plans we had. However, we did take the enforced idle time to reassess our goals and priorities and devised a more focused approach to Lily Absinthe.

During 2021, we established Atelier Lily Absinthe on Etsy as an outlet for a variety of finished products ranging from fabrics and pattern to fashion-related books. Originally conceived as a outlet for selling off part of extensive stocks of fabrics and patterns that we’ve accumulated over the years, Atelier Lily Absinthe has evolved into a larger enterprise complementing our business focused around custom commissions. One of the most exciting aspects is our curated approach to our offerings- it’s not a random gathering of “stuff” but rather a focused collection of items intended to enhance the historic clothing experience. The motto “One of a kind, few of a kind” encapsulates everything Atelier Lily Absinthe  is about.

2021 was also good for us in that we were able to spend two weeks in October we had to the opportunity to return to the UK, specifically in the west of England, and reconnect with our friends. 😎

We’re looking forward to 2022 and returning to the UK and hopefully France so stay tuned for more. 😎 😄

And For A Little Pingat

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Emile Pingat’s designs have always been fascinating and especially since he tends to overshadowed by Worth (and Doucet, to a lesser extent). Today, Pingat was mostly noted for his outerwear, but he also designed dresses. Below is an interesting day dress from 1897:

Pingat, Day Dress, 1897; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.2012.95.123a-b)

This dress consists of a multi-gored skirt combined with an under-bodice all of a patterned woven silk fabric. The over-bodice simulates a capelet and along with the sleeves is constructed from a red silk velvet. The same color silk velvet can also be seen in the chevrons running along the skirt and the belt. The gigot sleeves are relatively subdued for an 1897 style; what is especially interesting about the sleeves is that the sleeve caps open up to reveal insets of woven silk fabric that’s similar to the skirt and under-bodice. Here’s a close-up of the left shoulder:

Here’s a close-up of the fabric used in the inset on the sleeves. The intricate floral cord border is an interesting decorative touch:

And here’s the fabric used on the skirt and under-bodice:

When you look at the overall dress, the eye is immediately drawn to the shoulders and the two insets provide some interesting color pops to the red outer-bodice. On the flip side, one could also argue that the dress is too busy from a design perspective and that the somewhat dramatic design elements should have been scaled back: one or to works well but not everything. But nevertheless, Pingat’s design is imaginative and the upper sleeve inserts is something that’s not normally seen in 1890s style. Stay tuned for more in our never-ending quest for the unique and different in late Nineteenth Century style.

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