#bustle era

[fashionsfromhistory]

Dinner Dress

Mon. Vignon (Paris, France)

1878-1879

The MET (Object Number: C.I.69.14.3a, b)

[fleursscaptives]

okay i know alot of people dont like the 1870s and i find that so insane cause have you SEEN the hair

[perfectlittleparcel]

Rubbishy picture of the finished hat! I'm pretty happy with how it's turned out- could maybe use a couple more tweaks but I haven't finished the dress I'm planning to wear it with so I don't have to worry about that yet

[orchidscript]

Costuming: 1885 Moire Ballgown

I still don't have the most fantastic photos of this gown, even after wearing it to two different events, but it's time. This post has been sitting in my drafts since March 3rd. It's time.

So, for those of you who are newer around these parts. Hello, welcome, lovely to have you here! When I'm not writing, researching, or doing my day job, I make historic costumes and wear them about.

As one does.

Back in November 2023, I stumbled upon photos of this gown:

Made in 1885 (the second bustle era) out of black watered silk, it was worn by Kaiserin Elisabet von Österreich -- better known as Empress Sisi. It features a court train and bustle, and a heavily embellished bodice. I fell in love with all the details on the gown. With both a ball and a Victorian dinner in the cards for spring 2024, I decided this is the vibe I was going to go for.

There's not much information about the dress, but judging from the dates and the nature of the gown, I'm guessing it's not a mourning gown, but just in line with Sisi favoring black in her later years. The Mayerling Incident wouldn't happen for another four years.

I had my events. I had my dress design. I had all my pattern pieces from previous projects. Now it was time to do my best to recreate it. The biggest task was the fabric. I am not an empress, I cannot afford silk, let alone 6+ yards of it. Thankfully, I found a cotton/poly fabric that was woven to mimic that moiré water-pattern.

It came in black. I pounced immediately.

Fabric and design concerns out of the way, now it was time to cut!

I don't have a sewing room. I don't even have a house. What I do have is an open concept living/dining/kitchen and wood floors. So, every time you see my dresses, just imagine me crawling around on the floor, measuring and chalk-marking with a pair of dress shears in my mouth. Perhaps several chalk pens shoved into a bun.

It ain't glamorous folks, but it works!

I've talked before about the "magic of fashionable rectangles." Essentially, until very recently in history, fashion has been made up of big, wide, long rectangles of fabric that humans have folded, pleated, gathered, pinned, and stitched into different shapes. The skirts of this gown -- and many other Victorian gowns -- are no exception.

The base skirt?

4 rectangles: 1 front panel, 2 side/backs, and 1 waistband.

That court train?

1 rectangle measuring 60 inches wide and 75 inches long; the top waist pleated to 18 inches and stitched to it's own waistband. I rounded out the corners with a dinner plate, which is a quilting trick I learned last summer.

The only non rectangles is the bodice. The following photos are of my construction process (including my sewing set up on the floor). You can see all the crazy little fitting seams and darts, creating that highly tailored silhouette that the late Victorians were really knowns for.

The bodice is back closing with hook-and-eye tape meant for industrial bra making that I sewed in. Definitely made getting dressed without help way easier. I wanted a very deep V for the neckline, evoking Singer-Sargent's Madame X, one of my all time favorite paintings of the Gilded Age.

And now: my FAVORITE PART

Every day we’re bustling!!!

This is what my bustle looked like pinned onto my dress form, Jane. She's a good sport despite having no head; there were a lot of pins in her butt for this project.

Yes, that is my Christmas Tree. That's how long I was working on this sequined behemoth.

SO, this is where I insist that old dead dudes were smarter than I am.

Not only is that big long court train just a giant rectangle (you can see all the waist pleating in the above photo), BUT all of that fabric could be bustled up off the ground using only three strips of ribbon and nine buttons.

I'm not kidding.

I cut three trips of fabric ribbon that were about 28 inches long, placing button holes at 12", 8", and 8" apart. I then sewed these into the waistband along with the top of the train. Then, I sewed three lines of three buttons along the underside of the train. The idea being: those buttons would be placed into the button holes, and then the train would be/could be fully bustled.

It's so simple and so fucking ingenious.

Now, for the fun part: DECORATING

I pleated 5 yards of faux silk moire ribbon and stitched it to the bottom of the base skirt -- seen here in the classiest of fit checks:

For the train: I magicked upon a 10yd spool of beaded, sequined lace trim at a second-hand shop. Apparently it was from the 1980s, excessive and glorious, and meant that I didn't have to bead or sequin the train separately. I could stitch one thing down all in one go and be done with it.

I say that as if stitching 210 inches of trim by hand was easy or something. It was not, but it did satisfy my ADD in a big, bad way.

The last accessories I got was a set of 6 jeweled stars, in an homage to Sisi's famous star hairpins. They can be seen in the Winterhalter Portrait of her... or on Christine Daae in Phantom of the Opera, who's costuming was a direct facsimile or the Winterhalter painting.

Below is a small smattering of the pictures I have of the completed garment on me:

Thank you so much for reading! If you ever have any questions about my costumes, my process, historic fashion, or anything in that vein, please feel free to ask. My inbox is open! ♥️

xoxo, Orchid

Kofi | Ao3

[historicalcataloguesandplates]

1869

[pdxstitch]

1870 fashion plate showing three women modelling different gowns

Left: Seen from the back. A black bodice with large pagoda-style sleeves, large pleats hang down the back from waist level. Trimmed with pleats and a black bow at the small of the back. Skirt is plain, floor-length, and made from dark gray and white vertically stripe.

Middle: A cream-colored bodice trimmed with red and green tartan around the neck and sleeve openings, bottom hem, and waist. Dark gray skirt trimmed with matching tartan above ruffled hem. Ensemble trimmed with many tartan bows: at the waist, a large bow under the bustle, and many small bows up the side seam of the skirt.

Right: An ensemble in light beige with dark beige trimmings. Bodice is fitted to waist, with fitted, full-length sleeves. Bodice has dark beige, notched lapels and is worn over a pin-tucked blouse. Full skirt is trimmed with several rows of dark beige ruffles. Ensemble is trimmed all over with bows.

From the collection of the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art

[gogmstuff]

It’s the 1870s The dress from the 1871 portrait of Princess Marie of Baden shows an early Victorian bodice with a full skirt with bustle. The photo from 1879 shows a close skirt. (from top to bottom) -

1871 Princess Marie of Baden, later Princess Ernest of Leiningen by Joseph Hartmann (Royal Collection). From Wikimedia 1327X1635.

1872 Sydney Isabella Milner-Gibson by James Tissot (location ?). From pinterest.com/paulario9fc/james-tissot/ 1152X1683.

1875 Summer by John Atkinson Grimshaw (location ?). From tumblr.com/jeannepompadour; fixed scratches & some spots w Pshop 1475X1266.

Hush! by James Tissot (location ?). From Amber Tree's photostream on flickr 2000X1422..

1878 Confidences by Joseph Scheurenberg (location ?). From tumblr.com/artthatgivesmefeelings 1570X1920.

1879 Chez le père Lathuille by Édouard Manet (location ?). From tumblr.com/beautifulcentury 939X768.

ca. 1877-1890 Helena Modrzejewska (photo by Jose Maria Mora). From tumblr.com/fashionsfromthepast; fixed cracks w Pshop 1028X1756.

[antoniettabrandeisova]

Afternoon dress, C. 1888 Design House: House of Worth (French, 1858–1956) Designer: Charles Frederick Worth (French. 1825–1895)