Victorian Dress

Today’s Fashion Feature

/ Adam Lid / Leave a comment

Today we travel back to 1896 for today’s fashion, a combination of cape and evening gown or reception dress.

Here’s a rough translation of the illustration’s description:

Silk brocade skirt with large knots; bodice neckline covered with silk muslin embroidered with pearls and sown with precious stones.

The first thing that catches the eye is the dress, and more specifically, the belt with its ornate front piece. The centerpiece of this dress is clearly the Swiss Waist or corselet belt1The terms “Swiss Waist,” Swiss Belt,” and “Corselet” were often used interchangeably. and essentially was a fitted belt/sash. The dress is constructed from a yellow silk brocade with a floral pattern with large repeats. The illustration only hints at the design and it’s unknown if there was a fabric with this specific pattern. The bodice neckline is covered in an embroidered silk muslin with jewels and pearls. Depending on the number and quality of the jewels and pearls, this part of the dress could cost substantially more than the rest of the dress. 🙂 Here’s are some examples of how elaborate the Swiss Waist or corselet style could get:

John Singer Sargent, Mrs. Wilton Phipps, 1884; Private Collection

Swiss Belt; from The Cutters’ Practical Guide to the Cutting of Ladies’ Garments by WDF Vincent.

And for an extant dress:

Day Dress, 1896-1899; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.833a, b)

And some closer views of the corselet:

59.40.3a-b_detail 0002

In terms of silhouette, this appears to be either a ball or evening gown, or possibly a reception dress, characteristic of the mid 1890s and the cape would make the perfect garment for wear over gigot sleeves. Unfortunately, there’s no commentary on the cape itself but it’s probable that it was constructed from a lavender/light purple silk velvet decorated in what appears to be some sort of floral trim. Color-wise the combination of yellow and lavender/purple are complementary and make for an aesthetically pleasing combination that fits in for almost any social occasion.

And It’s Classic Blue For 2020!

/ Karin McKechnie-Lid / Leave a comment

Pantone Color of 2020 is “Classic Blue” and we found it in a ribbed silk from Silk Baron…combined with some original silk, that dress in the picture can be made next week!

It’s All About The Colors…

/ Karin McKechnie-Lid / Leave a comment

Two years already, and I still love this silk duchesse gown! This shade of green wasn’t that popular then, but it seems to have inspired a few copies out in the ether…the perils of being a trendsetter. This was Pantone 2018’s Color of the Year #15-0950, the 2020’s prediction is “Classic Blue”. Time for a deep blue gown! 🙂

What’s On At The Atelier, Pour Mercredi…

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As promised, here’s some progress pictures of the 1880s mantle we’re currently working on. This is based off a pattern that we drafted from an original garment dating from the late 1880s. This one features a crimson fashion fabric with a corded floral pattern with crimson silk velvet facings and a gold moire lining. In these pictures, all the major components have been put together and the only thing left to do is some handwork on the interior seams and adding trim and froggings. 🙂

And For A Little Princess Line Style…

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Princess line dresses have always been a source of fascination for us, especially since they represented a dramatic break from the previous style characteristic of the early 1870s. Here’s one interesting example, circa 1874-1879 from the National Museum of Scotland that we recently came across while searching for something completely different:

Day Dress, c. 1874-1879; National Museum of Scotland (H.TM 30)

This dress is made from a combination of violet silk taffeta and a dark blue silk velvet. The dress and bodice back and front are made from the lighter violet silk taffeta while the dark blue velvet sleeves, collar, and bodice front panel provide a contrast in both luster and texture. Wide bands of the same velvet also run across the dress front in swags and along the hem and the top of the demi-train. In terms of silhouette, the dress is firmly in the Mid Bustle Era with its cylindrical style and moderate train at the top widening out into a demi-train at the bottom. Finishing the look is a row of cut steel buttons running down the front. And now for some side profile views:

In the above picture, there’s a better view of the demi-train and one can see the row of knife pleating running along the hem of the train as well as the cuffs. On the dress itself, the pleating is larger and wider. In terms of function, this was a more formal train with its demi-train and was probably an afternoon or reception dress meant for daytime wear.

This dress is a wonderful example of various design elements characteristic of the era to include contrasting textures and luster in fabric selection and the use of analogous colors, combined with draping and pleating. This dress hits all the high points and is definitely a source of inspiration for any recreation efforts.