Fashion History

Interior Finishing

/ Karin McKechnie-Lid / Leave a comment

In the course of sorting out some period garments for Tombstone, we happened across one of the bodices in our collection and after looking at it, it struck me that this demonstrates some of the key elements in period seam finishing. First, the seam allowances have been finished off with an overcast stitch. Also, note the use of boning to add structure to the bodice- this didn’t replace the corset but rather aided in helping to define the bodice shape.

Also, we want to note that this bodice employs flat-lining- this is where a reinforcing piece of fabric is attached to the interior side of the fashion fabric to add stability. This is especially useful when dealing with lighter fabrics and especially silks (polished cotton was frequently used).

Finally, we note that hooks and eyes are used, all the hooks one side, the eyes on the other. You will see an alternating pattern with some bodices but either way is good and both were used.

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Just In At The Atelier

/ Karin McKechnie-Lid / Leave a comment

Christmas came early at the Atelier with the arrival of the new and updated edition of “Patterns of Fashion 2” by Janet Arnold. This book has been a staple in period dress for years but the new edition takes it even further with detailed diagrams, color pictures, and an improved layout. If you’re interested in the construction of late 19th Century garments, this is definitely the book to get. It can be ordered HERE.

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Some Gilded Age Inspiration

/ Adam Lid / Leave a comment

HBO’s new series The Gilded Age has been on our minds lately, especially since it’s returning for a second season,  and this circa 1880-1882 dinner dress captures that feeling for us:

Dinner Dress, c. 1880-1882; Metropolitan Museum of Art (C.I.63.23.2)

In terms of general style, this is almost identical to our gold brocade & blush pink dress shown above and it only shows that the dividing line between “evening dress” and “dinner dress” or “reception dress” is pretty thin. Of course, the dress could have simply been mislabeled (it happens more than one would think) but still…in the end, it can be pretty subjective and we by no means profess to have the answers, it is though-provoking.

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A Circa 1878 Wedding Gown

/ Adam Lid / Leave a comment

Today we present another interesting dress design from the Mid-Bustle/Natural Form Era with this circa 1878 wedding dress. Yes, you heard that right! This dress is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and on their web site, the dress as identified as a “Wedding Ensemble.” Unfortunately, they don’t provide any information on how they arrived at that conclusion so this has to be taken with a grain of salt…

Wedding dress, c. 1878; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.18a, b)

Wedding dress, c. 1878; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.18a, b)

This dress is constructed of an embroidered wine colored stripped silk satin for the overskirt and bodice combined with a purple silk satin for the underskirt, bodice front and cuffs. Finally around the cuffs, there’s a think band of the purple silk sating that’s been pleated and finished off with white lace. In terms of silhouette, this one is cylindrical, characteristic of the Natural Form/Mid-Bustle Era and has no train. The bodice is a cuirass style, falling over the hips. The decorative effect on the underskirt hem is interesting, employing a combination of pleating, ruching, and use of the stripped fashion fabric in the form of vertical tabs running along the upper hem.

Side Profile

Now, as for the dress being a wedding dress, this is a very possible. Unfortunately, there’s no documentation posted online at the Met Museum website and we can only assume that there is documentation but that it didn’t make it online for reasons unknown. But nevertheless, this dress could have been used as a wedding dress in that during the late 19th Century, the use of white as THE wedding dress color was not a rigid convention; a wedding dress was often a bride’s best dress and was meant for wear long after the wedding. Moreover, the idea that one would have a specific dress to be worn only on the wedding day and then put away was also not the norm and in fact, was simply not feasible for most people, not to mention that it was viewed as wasteful. The idea of the one-use wedding dress would start to develop towards the end of the 19th Century but only by the very rich. For a more complete discussion of wedding dresses, check these posts HERE, HERE, and HERE. Ultimately, this dress presents a classic late 1870s/early 1880s day look and works for a variety of social occasions.😁

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