The Last 18th Century Patterning Visit*

(* until I become a big name and they let me pattern at the Met and I do a second edition of the book with MMA 1991.6.1a, b in it**)

(** and until I start patterning outerwear and underwear, so maybe this was a poor choice of title)

I actually made a visit prior to this one that was intended to be the last, but it transpired that I could not pattern four gowns and a petticoat in a day, so the second round of New York State Historical Association (at the Farmer's Museum) patterning took two visits.  Since I never posted about the last one, I'll condense them here.

This is (the back of) a gown for a quite pregnant woman.  In my opinion, it was cut down from a gown or sacque that was made in the mid-to-late 1770s to fit with the styles of the late 1790s - I would have simply considered it a fashionable update, except that there are a few aspects that are decidedly unfashionable and the front shaping implies that it's for maternity wear.  And there's a small housewife sewing kit made of the same silk, which I patterned as well.

Satin is such an amazing weave structure - the few 18th century silk satin garments I've encountered have been in excellent condition, supple and soft, which makes patterning them just a little easier.  And this satin sacque with matching petticoat (petticoat detail above) also has a solid provenance tying it to a wedding, and therefore a good date.  With several self-fabric serpentine trims and three volants, it is a very, very formal ensemble.

At first, I thought that this was a fairly ordinary gown - but I pattern everything in order to figure out exactly what's going on with it and to see if there's anything at all of interest.  I can definitely tell you that this is not your average anglaise, and I don't believe I've seen a pattern anywhere that involves a back quite like this one.  The reasoning and cutting is somewhat specific to this particular fabric (which you can see involves multiple kinds of stripes), but could be adapted to different patterns.

Strictly regarding aesthetics, this might be my favorite of all the 18th century garments I've patterned.  This is a brocaded mantua, ca. 1760 - one of the older garments in the book.  There are some very strange aspects to this one that bear some more thought and research and which I will not go into now, but a very beautiful unusual aspect is the deep blue silk lining of the skirt.  (The bodice lining is an extremely fine, light linen.)  That is not something you see every day.

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Muslin Gowns and Silk Coats

I was looking for ruffles in eighteenth century fiction (as you do) when I came across one reference to a white muslin gown with a lilac petticoat in the Lady's Magazine for 1780.

"A Series of Letters: Miss Wallis to Miss Greville", p. 143

Generally, in these periodicals, muslin is white and anything colored is silk.  I went looking for more references to fitted gowns (ie, not chemise gowns) of white muslin with or without contrasting petticoats - the muslin and silk combination is the most interesting to me and what I'd personally like to replicate at some point, but because white muslin is so often considered to have been introduced with the chemise gown, I also just wanted to look for more references to the gowns themselves.  But things will also get tangenty - think of this as a collection of interesting quotes that could lead to further research (or maybe clicks with something else you've read elsewhere, or inspires you in some way) rather than one of my "my goodness, I've discovered something" posts.

"Letter X: Miss Tasty to Miss Betsy Evergreen", The Lady's Magazine, 1780, p. 340

"Amantor and Emma", The Lady's Magazine, 1780, p. 292

Note: "tied up" rather than "en polonaise".

"The Dress of the Month: Ladies' Dress", The European Magazine, 1784, p. 400

Is "plain back" possibly the period term for the "quarter-back gown"?  How do these drawing strings work?

"Dress for Ranelagh", ibid.

"Dress for Ranelagh", ibid.

The Vicar of Bray, 1771, p. 35

The Weekly Miscellany, 1776, p. 88

This story recounts a visit to a "young man of family and fortune, lately married to a young lady reckoned a beauty" - is it about the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire?  The wife's sister, who is present during the visit, is about the right age to be Henrietta.  It's said that there is a "striking difference in [the husband and wife's] dispositions" and the general flavor of the anecdote is that this is an unhappy marriage with a husband who can act fondly towards his wife but does not seriously care for her feelings.  (Also note that later on the lady's said to be wearing a white satin petticoat with that elegant muslin gown.)

"The Matron", The Lady's Magazine, 1775, p. 691

And two rather earlier extracts:

Henrietta, 1761, p. 7

"Fine white Long Lawns for Gowns", J. Forster's advertisement, The London Chronicle for 1757, p. 624

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Galerie des Modes, 27e Cahier, 6e Figure

Lévite trimmed with brandenburgs and cords in a sharp color on the parements and on the ground of the gown; the flat trimming of the petticoat is in the color of the brandenburgs.  This figure is coiffed with a Devonshire hat, or Spa hat: this fashion was brought from this city to the Court of France, and was brought there by Mme. Devonshire. (1779)

LÉVITE A LA PRUSSIENNE.  The Gown and the petticoat trimmed with brandenburgs.  Belt in drapery over the Gown, busquée in front,* to free the waist and give it grace.  Sleeves and parements à la cavaliere, opening underneath, following the ancient method abandoned by the Military, because it was inconvenient and because the Minister recognized that it was not economical.

The collar, the parement, the belt, the trimming, and the volant, of a sharp color different from that of the Gown.  Spa hat, seen from the front.  See the third Figure of the following Book, where this hat is shown from another point of view.

* Busquer hasn't turned up recently.  I need to go back and look at the previous uses and Heileen's comments, but this is more explicit in suggesting a downward-pointing curve at the waist

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Galerie des Modes, 27e Cahier, 5e Figure

Dress called à la Créole, composed of what the French Ladies in America wear: it is a large muslin gown with fitted sleeves that tighten at the cuff; the gown is a little fitted at the waist and freed around the throat in the taste of a shift: it is however very easy and open in front; it is fastened at the top with a pin where one wants to join it, and at the waist with a ribbon like the Lévite; over this is a hooded caraco without sleeves; those of the gown form amadises.  This figure is coiffed with a hat called à la Grenade. (1779)

BALL DRESS, called à la Créole, because it was used in the Ballet of the Créoles, in a foreign Theater.

It is composed of a Caraco à la Lévite, the collar and revers of a color matching the belt.  Simple sleeves, no longer than the elbow.  Simarre* of striped muslin, open in front, the edges of the muslin trimming in crevé pleats, with two rows of faveur** in the color of the belt, designating the head of the trimming.

Plain petticoat, matching the caraco.  Plain amadis sleeves, matching the simarre.  Large ribbon belt, ending in fringe.

Grenada hat, thus called because it was imagined when the French took the Isle of Grenada, and because the stone or button which holds the panache is a grenade.***

* A robe worn by magistrates and professors
** a narrow and light ribbon
*** either a button with a flaming grenade on it, or a pomegranate

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Galerie des Modes, 27e Cahier, 4e Figure

Young Lady holding her infant in her arms; she is dressed in a caraco à la Polonaise with bands and piping in another color: the bands are edged with a little blonde lace.  She is coiffed with a pretty straw hat edged with ribbon, with a trimming of gauze in the shape of a mushroom, and a twisted ribbon. (1779)

CARACO A LA POLONAISE, trimmed in bands, and crossing in front, with sleeves en parement in Peasant style.  The petticoat is cut by a half-apron, equipped with pockets and trimmed with gauze around the perimeter.

This young mother, who is walking her infant, has pierced ears furnished with little rings, called "night rings".  Hair en chien couchant, hanging chignon, with falling curls on top.

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Galerie des Modes, 27e Cahier, 3e Figure

Robe à la Turque or type of Circassienne, but different than the others; it has a collar like a Lévite, and a very large white scarf knotted at the waist: the petticoat is coupé: no trimming.  This gown, which we will show in profile and from the back, attracted all the eyes of the Public, when it was seen for the first time at the Palais Royal in the month of last July 1779. (1779)

Robe à la Turque, called the Turquoise.  It was in the beautiful path of the Palais-Royal that this Gown was seen for the first time, thus is it shown in the Print.  The young Beauty who was dressed in it held all gazes, and the Public, always intrusive when presented with something new that pleases it, having, so to speak, enclosed her in a circle with a diameter that shrank without ceasing, would have suffocated her if the Swiss Guards had not hastened to her aid, and had not given her the facility to escape from this so-dangerous acclaim.

It is a type of dolman that is fitted in front, without pleats and very narrow, with a folded-back collar holding to the Gown, and funnel-shaped sleeves.  The underbodice is separated from the petticoat, and pleated like the fourreaux à l'Anglaise.*

Draped belt, knotted on the side, around the hip, and allowing the waist to be seen in all its lightness.

Amadis sleeves matching the petticoat, the parement à la cavaliere, matching the Gown.  Kerchief knotted en cravate, hair en tapé, with a hat en champignon.**

We will have occasion to show this pretty Gown in the first two Prints of the thirtieth Book. 
  
* Chatty footnote: I've been trying to figure out what exactly is meant by "fourreau" and how back fitting-pleats were described for a while, because I'm not 100% sure that they're always the same thing.  In this case, though, it does kind of sound like the underbodice is fitted with sewn-down pleats in back.
** en tapé relates to flattened, dried fruit; en champignon is "mushroom-style"

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Galerie des Modes, 27e Cahier, 2e Figure

Changeable taffeta gown, trimmed with white taffeta with a chiné print in diverse colors, and decorated with blonde lace on the edges of the trimming; the hat is belted with a roulé ribbon. (1779)

Robe with chiné trimming.  This Gown in a Polonaise, leaving the throat uncovered.  It fastens in front, over a compere forming the stomacher.  The trimming is bordered with a band of scalloped gauze.

The Musician represented in the Print is sitting on an armchair in the new fashion, that is to say, which has molding made of cardboard.  These armchairs, as solid as those of wood, have as much éclat and more lightness.  But it is to presume that, despite this circumstance, one will go back to the former armchairs again, those of cardboard only remaining for ornament and decoration.

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Galerie des Modes, 27e Cahier, 1ere Figure

Young Lady questing: she is dressed in a Court gown of Pekin, trimmed with gauze interlaced with ribbon and garlands of flowers.  The man who escorts her is dressed in a suit of Gros de Naples, embroidered around the edges with sequins in all colors. (1779)

Robe de Cour, in "Monsieur's plum" color.  It is not only on the form of clothes that fashion exercises its empire: colors are also in its purview, and there are successive fashionable colors.  The color puce has had, for some time, the greatest favor; fabrics, metals, everything took on a uniform puce.  This year, the color "Monsieur's plum" dominated; everything that carried the puce label has been obliged to disappear; and at the moment that we are writing, already another color is manifesting: it is called "goose droppings".  It has already had some reputation for thirty years.  Such is the strength of fashion, celebrated, expensive for a time, they are then put in the discard pile, they are forgotten, and some time after, they come back on the scene and always seeming to have the piquancy of novelty.

The Quester represented in the Print is a little behind the fashion, in putting diamonds in her ears.  Women, after the introduction of the new Coiffures, have abandoned this parure: it is true that this fashion will not be of long duration; diamonds will reappear soon in their éclat; but such is the empire of fashion that it is necessary to be united with the dominant tastes, if one doesn't want to be ridiculed.

Note the mounted bouquet, called side bouquet, with which the Quester is decorated: it is proper, and necessarily enters the costume of a Quester.

The Squire or escort of this Beauty is dressed in a demi-gala Suit , that is to say, embroidered only on the edges.  The full-gala Suit must be of rich materials, gold and silver, embroidered all over; the coupé Vest, made of different materials; the parements of the Suit matching the Vest.

This Squire, whether from thoughtlessness or something else, has forgotten the bow for his sword, which renders his dress incorrect.  The sword, in the full- and half-gala, must always be dressed.

Fashionable coiffure, or in herisson; chapeau brisé, trimmed with its plume, intended to be held under the arm.  Manchettes and jabot of lace, white gloves, and red heels, to complete the parure.

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Galerie des Modes, 26e Cahier, 5e & 6e Figures

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Galerie des Modes, 26e Cahier, 3e & 4e Figures

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Galerie des Modes, 26e Cahier, 1ere & 2e Figures

Costume for Idamé, in the Orphan of China. (1779)

Costume of the Sultana used in the Comédie Française in the Plays where there is a role for this Costume. (1779)

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Galerie des Modes, 25e Cahier, 5e & 6e Figures

More about → Galerie des Modes, 25e Cahier, 5e & 6e Figures