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Hamilton Costume Analysis - Eliza (part 1)

Schuyler Sisters

Eliza wear a robe à l'anglaise, a dress featuring a stiff, fitted bodice with a tab front, front button closure, lacing up the back, pleated, full skirt with volume at the hips, square neckline with lace trim, and ¾ length sleeves with lace engageantes. The lace trim and engageantes are part of the chemise, In the 18th century the engageantes could be part of the chemise or separate pieces. Proper 18th century undergarments are worn, stays, chemise, petticoats, and a bum pad. The dress is made of silk, the most popular fabric of the 18th century, in a mint blue. Blue has been a popular color for centuries, in the 18th century light colors like sky blues were popular. Her shoes are a ‘Louis’ heel made of a matching fabric with a shoe buckle.

Helpless - Satisfied

Eliza's dress for Helpless has the same silhouette as the first dress with some additions and changes. This style of dress is called a zone front dress. The neckline and stiff bodice are the same but without the buttons and there's a center front seam. The dress has long, fitted sleeves and goes into a jacket like shape on the bodice, covering the back and buttoning in the front, it’s not a jacket because it’s attached to the dress and not removable. This jacket part goes all the way down over the back section of the skirt with a peplum in between the bodice and skirt. The middle section of the dress is a mint blue, and the outer section is an aqua shade. There is also a belt that goes with this dress, but I’ve only seen it on display and in behind the scenes, not on stage.

Stay Alive

This dress features long fitted sleeves, front ribbon lacing, a light blue color in a cooler tone than her other two dresses and the lacing is in a slightly deeper shade. She sometimes wears a sheer, white partlet with the dress.