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

Comments

  1. ZipZipFebruary 24, 2013 at 10:34 AM

    The 1761 white sprigged dress with the blue silk petticoat has me sighing. That would be such a lovely combination. Wonder what trimswou ld adorn the muslin gown? Or, it being morning dress, would the gown itself be untrimmed, relying on the sleeve ruffles and cap and other accessories for the requisite fluffy effect?

    Very best,

    Natalie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CassidyFebruary 24, 2013 at 4:14 PM

      That's the one I'm the most interested in! (That and the one above it - such detailed descriptions.) I think you're right, as a morning gown it probably wouldn't have much trimming. The author would probably have mentioned it, too, when going into the Dresden work.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pride and Prejudice 1995: The Little Things

-
Image
I did threaten to write about the Ehle/Firth Pride and Prejudice , and since I'm in a writing mood without a topic I decided to make good. Regency adaptations tend to go for an overall accurate look, interpreting age and income within the confines of realistic silhouettes and colors, and so they avoid the scrutiny and reputation that a more obviously artistic and unrealistic production garners. But just as this version of P&P  is not entirely faithful in every respect (e.g. the added Darcy-perspective scenes, the actors nearly all being significantly older than their characters - perhaps the most egregious example being Julia Sawalha in her late twenties playing teenage Lydia), Dinah Hill's costuming is not entirely accurate - mainly in ways that make the period more appealing to modern tastes. The exact date when the story is set is never given; generally, the movie's taken to be set in 1813, when the book was published. I'm not going to go into the full story of...
Read more

A Difficult History: Corsetry and Feminism, Part One

-
Image
Recently, I began following a couple of Tumblr blogs focusing on waist training and daily corset wear. Daily wear is not for me, waist training even less so, but I find it an interesting practice. It is also a controversial one. For example, a recent Huffington Post article, " Corset Queen Penny Brown Loves Getting 'Waisted' ," drew comments which were nearly all extremely negative, as do most articles that bring the practice to mainstream attention. Usually, the mental states of the women who waist-train are called into question, and there are numerous references to feminism as incompatible with corsets. The general idea is that the first wave feminists of the late 19th and early 20th century would be horrified by women today wearing them, and that their assumed reaction is an objective statement on the practice. My feeling is that the subject is complex, and cannot be simply declared feminist or unfeminist. There are far more factors than the average internet comm...
Read more

Pattern Time: 1860s Chemise

-
Image
For my 150th post ( \o/ ), a quick little pattern someone might find useful. When I was working my way through a box a few weeks ago, I came across a chemise that didn't quite want to lay flat.  I took a closer look at it to figure out why, and noticed that it had a unique construction with the sleeves cut in one with the body and gussets inserted in the neckline.  I did a really quick sketch of the cutting layout and measured the important bits, so that when I got home I could draw it up in proportion on graph paper. (nb. I messed up. I've been noticing it for a while, but didn't want to point it out from shame, but I accidentally gave the neckline length as it is when gathered - the horizontal cut should be much longer, to within about four inches of the side seam. Please correct for this when making your own version.)
Read more