#Edwardian fashion

[frostedmagnolias]

dress

c. 1906

Girolamo Giuseffi

Newfields

[ludi-ling]

Anna Raven, from my Romy fanfic, The Tailor & The Seamstress. Procreate.

Working women of this period weren't in the business of wearing clothes to make them stand out. A simple, plain shirtwaist and a skirt was the usual fare. Neckties were also fashionable, following male trends, but weren't really seen in the workplace.

Anna being a dressmaker, and a bit of a secret rebel, I wanted her to stand out without bucking trends too much. Her talent leads her to make garments that are a little bit flashy and eye-catching. The shirtwaist isn't plain and has some details on the collar, sleeves and bodice that would definitely look slightly more upmarket. It's the same with her skirt, which is way fancier with the button details than a regular skirt would be; and it's also actually a pair of culottes, or the pantaloon skirt, as it was more often named at the time (see the detail on the picture for how they're constructed).

She also wears a colourful patterned necktie and kerchief to keep her hair out of her face when she works. Since she works a LOT, both in the atelier and at home, she wears the kerchief most of the time. Most women wore their hair pinned up.

All this goes towards making her look slightly chicer than the regular working class woman, and someone Remy would definitely take notice of. 😁

And those are not stockings, those are boots. 😉

Some reference pictures for y'all:

[edwardianvictorianera]

Dressmaking in Paris, 1907.

[breebird33]

tea for two <3 

prints available on inprnt

[jewellery-box]

Ball gown, 1900–1903. French. Silk.

The MET Museum

[edwardian-girl-next-door]

Wool wedding dress, c.1895

cr: finnwicks_costume

[witheredroseblossom]

Lillian Cook in “The Bluebird”, 1918

[fashionsfromhistory]

Pendant

Henry Wilson

c.1908

Indianapolis Museum of Art (Accession Number: 2005.22)

[yesterdaysprint]

Popular Mechanics, July 1910

[gogmstuff]

1908 (September) Les Modes - Robe d'interieur par Paquin - photo by Reutlinger. From gallica.bnf.fr; fixed spots & flaws w Pshop 1386X2081.

[fashion-from-the-past]

1902

[frostedmagnolias]

Dressing Gown

c. 1900-1905

Wool trimmed with openwork cotton braid

The John Bright Collection

[ludi-ling]

The Peacock Dress, from my Romy fanfic, The Tailor & The Seamstress. Procreate.

Silk, silk mesh, metallic thread, sequins, beads.

Spoilers below:

Anna designed the dress to reflect the beauty of the peacock, but it took her some 7 years to actually get round to making it.

After leaving Biloxi with Erik, the first leg of their tour was to New Orleans. Peacocks were always her favourite bird, but in NOLA she was able to sit down and actually draw them from life. Having given up dressmaking to be with her lover, she never made the dress, and Erik bought her an expensive one instead, which was made up in the style of c. 1903-1904.

A year or so later, she left Erik to return to Biloxi, and then back home to Caldecott County, where Cody eventually proposed to her, and they became engaged. Despite this, Anna always felt the pull of her first serious love with Erik. The Peacock Dress became a signifier of that, a symbol of the love she had forced herself to leave behind, despite (or because of) its headiness and its power.

After Cody's accident, and he becomes an invalid, Anna takes herself to New York City to finally pursue her dream of being a dressmaker. Having finally found the resources to make the dress in mind, and the sartorial climate making the silhouette more fashionable, she begins making the dress in late 1909-summer 1910.

The dress is really a celebration and a reminder of what Anna thought was her greatest love. Unlike the Phoenix Dress, the Peacock Dress firmly represents her past - something that she still unwittingly clings onto, because she believed she would never find another love that would satisfy her quite like Erik's did.

Thankfully, Remy LeBeau comes along and changes all that. 😉

For a very long time, the gown was exhibited along with the Phoenix Dress in the foyer of Maison Raven-LeBeau.

[antiquebee]

February 1907

[sartorialadventure]

Imperial court gown worn by Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, sister of Tsar Nicholas II, ca. 1890′s-1900′s

[jewellery-box]

Gown of pink silk satin, c.1911 - 1913. Photograph by John Chase. Chertsey Museum.