A Most Beguiling Accomplishment

Young Lady coiffed à la Dauphine, dressed in a taffeta Robe à la Reine, trimmed au Nouveau Désiré .  This Dress was invented by Signore SARRAZIN, costumer to their Royal Highnesses the Princes . (1778) Robe à la Reine : this gown has the double advantage of being able to be worn trailing or pulled up, at the will of the people who are wearing it and at the moment they choose; two drawstrings, placed on two sides, indicated by two bows, and trimmed with two tassels, create this effect; in pulling one tassel, the gown lifts, as it is in the Drawing; in pulling the other, it descends and becomes hanging; this change is made in an instant. The trim, called au nouveau désiré * because it was devised during the pregnancy of a majestic Princess, consists of two bands of spotted ermine, crossing in a mosaic form.  One can, in the summer, replace the ermine with bands of gauze, also spotted, or streaked taffeta. The first sleeves are open in the back like dalmatics; they han...

Robe à la Versailloise of grey gros de Naples ,* trimmed with plain muslin, white tassels, the petticoat of a soft green through which one sees the flounce, ribbons of soft green, wearing a hat.  The parasol is of a very soft blue-violet. (1778) Robe à la Versailloise: it is from Versailles that these Gowns appeared for the first time.  The name of the place where they were born has become their proper name: they are as comfortable as they are agreeable, and unite elegance and simplicity; the front is nearly the same as those of the polonaises, but the back is scalloped at the bottom in three falls of drapery, trimmed with a very high flounce with a head of a different color. The sides of the waist are trimmed with two ribbon cockade bows, where the tassels and pearl strands escape; the falls of drapery must be indicated by bows or tassels. The petticoat is very pleated in the back and only has trimming in the front.  The sabot cuffs entirely cover the sleeves,...

This Circassienne of a new taste is of sulphur-colored gauze, the trim of soft lilac gauze; the great flounce and the band which covers the trim are of the same gauze as the gown, the base of the sabot cuffs as well; there are only bands of trim in tuyaux which are lilac, lilac ribbons, the same are in the headdress. (1778)  Circassienne fastened in front until the bottom of the waist, with extended wings; the bodice of these robes must be very fine and with gorgerette of the same material, trimmed in a ruched band, each ruche held with a row of perles en coque ;* the ruched band is accompanied on each side with a little band that is pleated in tuyaux of a different color. These gowns are not pulled up in the front; their wings are lifted only in the back, like polonaises, with tassels or bows interlaced with pearls.  Very simple sabot cuffs, held in at the ends with two barriers of pearls, and trimmed with a little band matching that of the gown. Volant of mediu...

Young lady in a taffeta caraco, coiffed in a demi-cap; this dress derives from Nantes, in Brittany, where the Bourgesoises of the town wore it to the passage of M. the Duke d'Aiguillon in 1768. (1778) It is said at the bottom of this Print that the caraco derives from Nantes in Brittany, where the bourgeoises wore it at the passage of M. the Duke d'Aiguillon, in 1768.  This revelation is not exact: the caraco is older, but it was only in 1768 that respectable women appeared in public dressed in caracos, and this fashion overall had the greatest favor among the ladies of Nantes, where it was kept for many years. Anyway, the caraco shown in the Print is not that which was worn in 1768; it is a polonaise caraco, and its introduction was not until 1772.  The scrupulous exactitude that is required for everything regarding fashion has not permitted passing under silence the two errors escaping from the impression of the Print. The polonaise caracos, as one has remarked, ha...

Young lady in a solid Polonaise of Buras, trimmed with a band of the same stuff, in 1778. (1778) Jean-Jacques Rousseau, citizen of Geneva, after having strongly declaimed against the swaddling of infants and the normal manner of dressing them, at last had the satisfaction of making converts: children were raised and dressed following the method he had indicated; but the simplicity he tried to introduce into men's and women's dress did not have the same success. It was not until 1778, sometime after the death of that celebrated Philosopher, that people hazarded to make gowns along the principals of that Author, and it was with the polonaises that they made this attempt; they were known by the name of "Jean-Jacques" polonaises: the one which the Figure represents is of that type. Buras cloth is used for the trimming, an unpleated band of the same material placed en barriere , the sleeves folded up in the peasant style, without trim, showing the little linen bons...

Genteel and poetic abbé, reading with enthusiasm a piece of verse that he composed. (1778) The costume of what one calls an Abbé has singularly changed since the beginning of the eighteenth century; one should not at any time be surprised by this change and imagine that the young Abbés of our time are different than those of the past; it will be easy to demonstrate that their costume has sustained diverse modifications in each century; that in all eras these innovations have excited lively protests, and that at bottom, the difference in costume makes the men neither better nor more dangerous. But this discussion is not our subject, and we are driving too far; one is only only meant to sketch the costume of a genteel and poetic abbé, reading with enthusiasm a piece of verse that he has composed. His short cassock with very narrow sleeves is fastened on a very little cravat: his vest is open at the top, leaving visible what abbés are advised to have shirts with jabots; about t...

So, the most exciting thing is that I'm going to be at Dress University again in 2013, but this time I'm going to stay in the hotel and go to events, and I'm also planning to teach - one class on patterning historic clothing, and one on the 1920s.  I'm so keyed up for it that I'm already working on the Powerpoint presentation for the latter; the former is going to take some more thought before I start writing anything, since a lot of what I do I worked out through practice, and I'm not used to describing how it works. I am looking for a roommate!  If there's anyone else doing the same, please comment so we can get in touch. Since I'm still at the stage where by the time I've finished making something I can see how Wrong it is and all the things I would need to do to fix it, I don't have many choices for things to wear.  (Seriously, I've made a sacque, three pairs of stays, a ca. 1890 dress, three or four corsets, a gown, a jacket, my thesi...

THE DISTRACTED WOMAN.  This woman, after being entirely dressed, remembers that she has not washed her feet, and is brought a basin by her chambermaid.  Her Gown is of wine-grey Gourgouran* trimmed with the same, the ribbon around the trim is sky blue, tied at intervals with little flowers.  The chambermaid is in a caraco of pale Buras. (1778) In the preceding Figure we presented the toilette of the head; here is offered the toilette of the opposite extremity.  Better late than never: this is an old proverb of which the distracted woman makes a very good use, but it is always more agreeable not to be distracted and to occupy oneself with each thing in its own time. Her gown is only remarkable for its trim, formed with a large band of gathered and ruched gauze, of which the center is covered with a bouillonné ribbon, attached with flower-knots. The sleeves of the gown are lost under very high sabot cuffs, gathered bands, and similarly masked in the center...

THE DELIGHTS OF THE BOIS DE BOULOGNE.  Gown of solid-colored taffeta in a soft color, trimmed with the same material.  The suit has a yellowish ground, dotted, with white vest and breeches. (1778) Open and low-cut petite robe , leaving the compere uncovered, topped with a parfait contentement ; trim matching the stuff of the dress in ruched bands; volant slightly raised, with a head caught in bouillons ; gauze kerchief, untucked to let the two "children of love" take the fresh air. Négligée coiffure, in chien couchant , with two curls; the brush is in the coque ; pouf cap of Italian gauze; solid papillon , separated with a flower garland.  A large ribbon in a bow, with two hanging points, occupies the back of the coiffure. The other Figure represents a young man in beverlet , with coupé collar; the ground is yellowish stuff, with large black and white spots; vest with open bavaroises ,* leaving the top of the jabot visible; drop-front breeches, matching the...

Young Lady getting a new hairstyle; she is in a peignoir and her gauze petticoat of very soft yellow.  The Hairdresser is in a slightly powdered red vest, black breeches, and grey silk stockings. (1778) The moments devoted to the toilette are regarded as moments of idleness.  It is ordinarily the time when Ladies choose to glance on passing pamphlets- children of leisure, caprice, or need. The fashion of filling the entr'actes or intermissions of the toilette with reading was introduced first in the homes of the Ladies of quality.  It very quickly gained excessive favor.  Peddlers and booksellers became useful men, and the most superficial pamphlets were able to boast that they had enjoyed at least a few minutes of existence. All of a sudden this fashion felt a rather singular revolution: the frivolous works were put away.  A pretty woman was believed to wrong her charms if she had not read some treatise on the sciences and the arts: Physics, above a...

Ball dress, the bodice and petticoat pulled up with tassels, the sides of the same color: the underpetticoat* is another color.  The sleeves are covered with a poufed trim with pearls; the trim of the underskirt is decorated with a flower garland; all the trims are a light gauze.  Very large coiffure with plumes. (1778) Ball dress.  The bodice and petticoat are of the same stuff and color.  This petticoat is pulled up with tassels on the sides, a little in back, and on the front unevenly through the pockets: it allows, as it were, the discovery of a second petticoat of a different color, trimmed with a volant of striped gauze, headed with a flower garland, with barrieres of flowers and sequins.  Little apron of gauze matching the volant , trimmed around the edges.  The body has a top-rounded bib, showing graceful contours.  Sleeves with large gauze sabot cuffs, trimmed in poufs, with pearls, flowers, and sequins. Coiffure in a "nascent tuft",...

Young middle class woman dressed in a Polonaise with an embroidered Indian muslin apron.  She is wearing a half-négligée cap called "the Queen's Lever". (1778) Coupé polonaise: this gowns are made like ordinary polonaises; they are only different in the petticoat, which must be without a volant or trim, but a vast apron serves as a veil and entirely covers the front.  A large flounce or demi- volant ornaments the apron, the head of which is hidden under the wings of the polonaise. In the Print, the polonaise is trimmed with Indian gauze with bouquets on it: the apron is of the same stuff, and two cords of hair and gold hang from the top of the belt with their charms. A conti, a type of very short little mantelet, envelops the shoulders without reaching to the chest; the goffered filet lace bouffante is placed as a stole; a ribbon in a simple knot in place of the contentement ; the necklace is two rows of pearls, the second row as the "slave". Half-...

Young Woman in genteel undress, coiffed in an English Hat, carrying a cane parasol, and walking with her dog . (1778) The polonaise caraco is distinguished in front because it has no pleats, and because the bottom is rounded: such is what is presented in the Drawing. It is trimmed with gauze in "bouquets" and in bands across; the bands serving as a frame: the volant matches this trim.  It is headed with a roll of gauze, supported with ribbon bows, with another ribbon winding around the roll. The sleeves are ended by very high sabot cuffs, trimmed with two rows of pipes. For a necklace, a puff of goffered filet lace, held in with a gold pin; the two ends descending over the chest, which they split into two hemispheres, and being lost under the contentement . Egyptian hat, or bouillonné handkerchief pouf; the ruffle of black blonde lace, surmounted by a ribbon matching the color of the caraco; a hanging plume coming out of the pouf; a double heron aigrette escap...

Little Mother at a Meeting in the Champs Elysées, in a Caraco with a petticoat trimmed with striped muslin and a flowered Indian muslin apron.  She is coiffed with a Henri IV hat trimmed with pearls with tassels. (1778) The costume this Print offers breathes a tone of voluptuousness which it is difficult to defend; so it is selected of the beauties that Solomon called proper quivers to receive all sorts of arrows. This costume is composed of four principal pieces, which are described here. 1. On a chien couchant hairstyle, with two stylish falling curls, is placed a Henri IV hat, trimmed with all that belongs with that style: the crown, the brims, and the panache are black. 2. Very short Summer Caraco, leaving the entire chest uncovered; the caraco is trimmed with gauze in large stripes across it. 3. Petticoat covered for two-thirds of its height with a volant of Indian muslin with large stripes, similar to the trimming. It is caracos that cause petticoats to ...