My second robe en chemise

This robe en chemise was a very quick and dirty project. The idea was to make something fast while trying out a pattern that I had been altering to fit. I was never entirely happy with my first robe en chemise that I had made for myself, so I wanted to make another. Design-wise it's really similar to the first gown, but there are some subtle, yet significant differences. Most notably, it's worn with a pair of 1780s stays, unlike my first robe en chemise that was made to go over my white 1760s stays, as mentioned in the original post about it. 

I've had the chance to wear this gown to an event twice already. The first time was to an informal 18th century gathering in February and I actually felt a bit overdressed for the simple occasion.

I wore the gown with my old bum pad that is smaller than the one I usually wear (for 1780s gowns). This bum pad doesn't extend to the sides so it's more appropriate for the early 1790s look that I was going for.

I'm not entirely happy about the amount of fabric in the back of the skirt because there's not much - with the bum pad it looks kind of sad. I had a very limited amount fabric so I ended up using every bit I had without having to piece the bodice or the sleeves. With so much gathering in the front, not as much material was left for the back.

 

Mia did my hair, as usual.

Photo: Jarno Manninen

Photo: Jarno Manninen

Self-portrait attributed to Marie-Elisabeth Lemoine. Via Christie's

And then I also wore the gown to L'Amusette's annual spring ball last Saturday. The theme was French Revolution so the gown was accessorized accordingly.

There was no bum pad.

This time my hairdo was inspired by the simpler styles appearing in the 1790s as fashion transitions towards neoclassical style.

Under the gathered front, the gown has fitted front panels that are tied with five pairs of tapes at center front. This closure method is based on an extant dress in Musee de la Toile de Joyu. If you take a look at the photo in the link, you can see that the panels are unevenly stretched where the ties have pulled the fabric. To avoid this, I added bones to the edges of the panels.

Twill tapes were sewn to the underside of the center front panels to create casings for drawstrings.

The drawstrings are tied and hidden under the center front. 

The back is very simple. 

None of the photos of the finished gown so it very well so here's an in-progress photo before attaching the skirt and sleeves:

Oh, and there's a bonus - a little video clip that Mia took on her phone at the Spring ball! :) 

My Pinterest research boards related to this project:

Robe en Chemise: 1780s 

Robe en Chemise: 1790s 

Chemise gown extants

1780s hair, caps and hats

1790s hair, caps and hats

A simple robe en chemise

There has been a long silence on the blog this year - but there's a good reason for that. I've had a permanent job since last year, which meant we could finally move out of our small apartment into a new home. Not going into detail but it was quite a long process so it kept me away from blogging over the first half of the year. I'm both relieved and happy to say life is now getting back to normal again. I did manage to make a new dress for a masquerade earlier this year by squeezing some sewing time in in the evenings and mornings here and there but it had to be a very simple dress so I could finish in time. And simple in the 18th century equals a chemise gown, right? :)

However, I did not choose the most simple design for this type of gown, which would of course be the very often recreated chemise gown from The Cut of Women's Clothes by Norah Waugh. I'm not a big fan of the poofy-ness of 1780s chemise gowns so naturally I'm drawn towards the more fitted types of this style so I made my gown with a fitted back and long tight sleeves. 

Interestingly, I noticed I could even wear this gown without any stays. Thanks to the heavy lining and the laced closure with bones on either side of it, it kind of works as a light pair of stays (or jumps). I'm not go into the subject of whether it's okay for "a lady" to wear it without stays or not but, having worn the blue floral robe à l'Anglaise to a picnic in sweltering heat a few years back, it definitely feels like a possibility for me, in case I ever go to some outdoor event during the hottest days in the summer again.

Even if the sheer fabric of this gown is lined with a sturdy lining the bodice is slightly see-through so choosing the white 1760s stays instead of my 1780s stays felt like a good idea. But of course that means the gown looks really flat in the front since the 1760s stays create a very straight silhouette and I'm not sure if I like how it looks now. Does that mean I have an excuse to make a new pair of 1780s stays with a white exterior material? Under the stays I'm wearing my short-sleeved shift, and with my 1780s bum pad with two white petticoats on top.

I also wasn't sure if it would be okay to wear the gown over as large a bum pad as mine since the majority of the reference images of chemise gowns that I pinned seemed to be worn without any bum enhancements, which makes sense given how informal style this is. However... Why not to make it look even a tiny bit less simple for a masquerade? I could always wear it without a bum pad next time. For the same reason I accessorized the gown with black to create a more dramatic look. What I'm loving about this gown is that it's quite versatile. I've got lots of ideas how it can be worn it differently to different occasions. More on that when an opportunity to wear this gown appears again. :)

My hedgehog hair-do was the artistry of Mia again. I really think she outdid herself this time! I think she already did such a good job last time she did my hair but this time it was just fabulous :) We even powdered my hair by layering a very light coat of white hair powder on top of a bit more grey.

And below are some sources of inspiration - and more can be found on my Pinterest board, as usual.

First there is a fashion plate from Cabinet des Modes. A very simple, early robe en chemise, tightened by a Belt of wide black velvet.

Cabinet des Modes, April 1786, via A Most Beguilling Accomplishment.

Then we also have the famous paining of Elizabeth Foster, wearing a white chemise gown that is actually very similar to the gown shown in the fashion plate, with a black sash and that straw hat that everybody wants. ;)

Lady Elizabeth Foster, 1786, by Angelica Kauffmann.

It looks like Comtesse de la Châtre isn't wearing a chemise gown in the painting below, but of course there's the black and white theme going on, along with the long sleeves. And again, we have a lady wearing a straw hat. I'm acutally thinking about making a straw hat like the one Duchesse de La Rochefoucauld is wearing in the image in the link. Notice it's very similar to Comtesse's hat, except with a poofy top, and that the painting is dated to the same year as well.

Comtesse de la Châtre, 1789, by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun.

There are of course several inspirational chemise gowns made by some talented costumers out there. I'm admiring Lily's chemise gown with a Van Dyke collar and styled with such a fun head-dress. Caroline looked oh so elegant wearing her champagne colored chemise and who doesn't love Jen's mourning chemise or Kendra's gaulle à la Polignaq. Just to name a few.

What is she wearing? Underwear?! (Part 2)

Soo, here's the part two with pictures of the dresses I was talking about in the last post...

The Chemise dress seems to be quite often the first dress of a reenactress and I’m not an exeption, even though I didn’t make it for myself. Some four years ago it was good to start with something simple, quick and easy to make. Chemise dress is also a very alternable and fits well to several people, which makes the dress really useful.  I’m too ashamed to show you the first result because I hadn’t been sewing for a long time when I managed to pull my first Chemise dress together. However, it’s still in use - after I’ve alterned the dress at least two-three times. Last time was about a week ago when the dirty hem wouldn’t wash well anymore so I cut it off and added some ruffles to it to make it look a little more fancier for a ball.

Here’s the latest version of the first Chemise dress that I made:

I also sewed a new Chemise dress for another friend of mine:

 

Thanks for both ladies for allowing me to post up the photos! 

What is she wearing? Underwear?! (Part 1)

A short while ago I was working on two Chemise dresses so here's a little post on the type of the dress. I'll post up some pictures of my creations in the part two as soon as I can.

I’ve managed to find only one existing example of a Chemise dress on Manchester Art Gallery website, read about it here.

Here some examples of Chemise dresses worn for paintings:

Self portrait with Wife (1791) by Jens Juel

Henriette Begouen (1790) by Alexander Roslin

Madame du Barry (1781) by Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Lebrun

A painting of two women by Pehr Hilleström

Comtesse de Provence (1782) by Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Lebrun

Danish Princess Louise Augusta (1790s) by Jens Juel

Madame de Moreton (1782) by Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Lebrun

Louise Augusta (1780) by Jens Juel

 Duchesse Polignac (1782) by Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Lebrun

The Duchesse de Polignac (1783) by Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Lebrun

Lady Elizabeth Foster (1785) by Angelica Kauffmann

Portrait of a Lady with a Book (1785)by Antoine Vestier

Lady Lemon (1788) by George Romney

And some fashion plates of Chemise dresses:

Chemise dress in 1787

Promenade dress with a green underskirt 1780

Chemise dress 1789

An English Morning dress 1788

French revoulutionary fashion plate: January 1792

The word Chemise refers to underwear because the shift was called chemise in french. The dress is also often called Chemise à la Reine (”in the style of the Queen”) which refers to Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France. She was wearing a plain muslin Chemise dress for a painting in 1783.

A portrait of Marie Antoinette (1783) by Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Lebrun

Here's a fashion plate of Chemise dress to be worn in Petit Trianon: