#17th century italian chemise

[badassindistress]

I am so very pleased with how this week's sewing on a whim projects turned out

[designingthebarricades]

From “Empire” to Gothic Revival: A (Very) Brief Intro to Women’s Fashion, 1810-1830

The period from the early 1810s to the early 1830s in women’s fashion is marked by drastic changes in silhouette. At the beginning of the 1810s, the slim high-waisted Neoclassical silhouette that developed between the 1790s and the 1800s still prevailed. By the 1830s, fashionable gowns featured huge sleeves that made the natural waistline look tiny in comparison. The changing silhouette of fashion reflects the rapidly changing cultural climate during this time. 

In the last years of Napoleon’s reign, the airy neoclassical-inspired gown still reigned supreme. Though there was increasing variety in the materials and embellishment used in women’s fashion, the silhouette remained high-waisted and slim. As in the 1800s, colorful accessories and outerwear were often used to offset white muslin gowns: cashmere shawls from India were the ultimate fashion “it” item, with the Empress Josephine rumored to own hundreds. Short spencer jackets and long dress-like pelisses offered more coverage for inclement weather. 

Dress, French, ca. 1814, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notice how the “little white Empire dress” is getting more elaborate in terms of decoration.

Pelisse ca. 1815, France, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notice the puffed sleeves, high collar, and structured silhouette. 

By the late 1810s, when the monarchy was restored in France, elements of historicism began to creep into fashion. “Historicism” refers to a strong historical influence on dress. Notable examples of historicism in the 1810s and ‘20s are mostly drawn from medieval or renaissance attire, which coincides with the Romantic obsession with the “gothic.” Elements like pointy collars or chemisettes, puffed sleeves, and decorative lacing. Skirt embellishments became more common as skirts started to expand outward.

Evening dress, French, early 1820s, Metropolitan Museum of Art. 17th century historicism is evident in the sleeve decoration, the sleeve decoration that resembles an exposed underskirt, and the faux lacing on the bodice. 

Eventually, waistlines began to creep lower as well. By the mid-1820s, waistlines trended steadily lower, reaching the natural waist around 1830. The waist became a focal point as sleeves and skirts expanded outward. Fashion took on a whimsical bent as the ideal of neoclassical austerity was replaced by idiosyncratic Romantic influences. 

Dress ca. 1830, French, V&A. This dress combines the lower waistline and full sleeves of the 1830s with historicized details on the bodice. The bodice resembles the full, exposed shirts or chemises often seen in Italian renaissance fashion. 

With the rise of the large-sleeved, full-skirted silhouette of the 1830s, the mid-17th century became a natural reference point for fashion. When Louis-Phillipe came to power in 1830, lace collars, pointed waists, and heavily trimmed skirts recalled the peak of French court culture under Louis XIV. Where fashion had sought to distance itself from royal courts by drawing on ancient references, it now looked to recent history for inspiration. 

[catherinesvalois]

Historical Fashion: Puffy Sleeved Gowns (Italian Ren.) 
This fashion was prominent during the later part (but not yet the end) of the Italian Renaissance (1530s/40s). The top part of the sleeve is rounded and the bottom part of the sleeve forms a narrow fit on the arm. Initially, the top part of the sleeves went to the lower part of the upper arm or to the crook of the elbow earlier on in the 1530s, but then became shorter as time went on. The sleeves could be ruffled (shown above), smooth (shown above), or slashed with the chemise sleeves visible underneath. As the Italian Renaissance died down Italian fashions became less popular in the 17th century with other countries such as England, France, and Spain dominating the fashion trends in Europe.

[nellygwyn]

Besides the 17th century are there any other periods in fashion history you really like?

I love the fashion of the Italian Renaissance, specifically the dresses and the hairstyles. I actually did a course last year at uni on which I had to study female portraits versus male portraits from Renaissance Italy and I realised just how beautiful the style truly was for ladies. Domenico Ghirlandaio and Raphael’s portraits are probably the best examples of this.

In a similar vein, I really love the kind of fashion that 16th and 17th century Venetian courtesans would wear? Very niche, I know, and I mean, it’s completely ridiculous. Clopin shoes taller than a small child and dresses with slit skirts so men could see the courtesan’s breeches on underneath but….there’s something so particular about it that it makes me really happy.

Every single decade of the 18th century, the world over, was beautiful. I think that was one of fashion’s greatest centuries. I’m particularly fond of the fashion at the turn of the 18th century: again, it’s incredibly particular and it represents the transition from the 17th century to the 18th century. I also love late 18th century dresses, like 1780s and 90s, chemise a la Reine kind of stuff. I’m completely in love with it. The recent adaptation of Jane Austen’s Love and Friendship really showcased that fashion in the best possible way and it was a feast for the eyes, consequently.

I love Ottoman fashion. I know my idea of Ottoman fashion is probably influenced by Orientalist interpretations but the fashion of the near East in the early modern period is to die for: so colourful, so many beautiful patterns, so many plumes and so much fur lining…..it’s a trip.

Lastly, I love the fashion of the turn of 20th century. I think Edwardian fashion can certainly be ugly (it’s very polarising for me) but the sort of fashion-forward Parisian styles from that period ARE completely gorgeous and I also love the simple styles of dress that you see in those polaroid postcards of Edwardian and late Victorian beauties. Reminds me of pre-Raphaelite paintings.

[following-the-drum]

I found a lovely trim for the neckline and if there is enough then it will line the sleeves at the wrist as well! I have sewn the sleeve cuff hems down and now I begin the bottom hem.

Started handsewing an Italian style 17th century chemise to repourpose as a nightgown because life is too short to not have something fun and romantic to sleep in at night...

[katherineyixiao-blog]

Flight Jackets--2017/05/01

Fashion is a popular style or practice, especially in

clothing

,

footwear

,

accessories

,

makeup

,

body

, or furniture. Fashion is a distinctive and often constant trend in the style in which a person dresses. It is the prevailing styles in behaviour and the newest creations of textile designers. Because the more technical term costume is regularly linked to the term "fashion", the use of the former has been relegated to special senses like

fancy dress

or

masquerade

wear, while "fashion" generally means clothing, including the study of it. Although aspects of fashion can be feminine or masculine, some trends are

androgynous

.In the 16th century, national differences were at their most pronounced. Ten 16th century portraits of German or Italian gentlemen may show ten entirely different hats. Albrecht Dürer illustrated the differences in his actual (or composite) contrast of Nuremberg and Venetian fashions at the close of the 15th century (illustration, right). The "Spanish style" of the late 16th century began the move back to synchronicity among upper-class Europeans, and after a struggle in the mid-17th century, French styles decisively took over leadership, a process completed in the 18th century. Though textile colors and patterns changed from year to year, the cut of a gentleman's coat and the length of his waistcoat, or the pattern to which a lady's dress was cut, changed more slowly. Men's fashions were largely derived from military models, and changes in a European male Silhouette were galvanized in theaters of European war where gentleman officers had opportunities to make notes of foreign styles such as the "Steinkirk" cravat or necktie.Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, was a leader of fashion. Her choices, such as this 1783 white muslin dress called a chemise a la Reine, were highly influential and widely worn. Though there had been distribution of dressed dolls from France since the 16th century and Abraham Bosse had produced engravings of fashion in the 1620s, the pace of change picked up in the 1780s with increased publication of French engravings illustrating the latest Paris styles. By 1800, all Western Europeans were dressing alike (or thought they were); local variation became first a sign of provincial culture and later a badge of the conservative peasant. Although tailors and dressmakers were no doubt responsible for many innovations, and the textile industry certainly led many trends, the history of fashion design is normally understood to date from 1858 when the English-born Charles Frederick Worth opened the first true haute couture house in Paris. The Haute house was the name established by government for the fashion houses that met the standards of industry. These fashion houses have to adhere to standards such as keeping at least twenty employees engaged in making the clothes, showing two collections per year at fashion shows, and presenting a certain number of patterns to costumers. Since then, the idea of the fashion designer as a celebrity in his or her own right has become increasingly dominant. The idea of unisex dressing originated in the 1960s when designers such as Pierre Cardin and Rudi Gernreich created garments, such as stretch jersey tunics or leggings, meant to be worn by both males and females. The impact of unisex expands more broadly to encompass various themes in fashion including androgyny, mass-market retail, and conceptual clothing. The fashion trends of the 1970s, such as sheepskin jackets,

flight jackets

, duffel coats, and unstructured clothing influenced men to attend social gatherings without a tuxedo jacket and to accessorize in new ways. Some men's styles blended the sensuality and expressiveness despite the conservative trend, the growing gay-rights movement and an emphasis on youth allowed for a new freedom to experiment with style, fabrics such as wool crepe, which had previously been associated with women's attire was used by designers when creating male clothing. The four major current fashion capitals are acknowledged to be Paris, Milan, New York City, and London, which are all headquarters to the greatest fashion companies and are renowned for their major influence on global fashion. Fashion weeks are held in these cities, where designers exhibit their new clothing collections to audiences. A succession of major designers such as Coco Chanel and Yves Saint-Laurent have kept Paris as the center most watched by the rest of the world, although haute couture is now subsidized by the sale of ready-to-wear collections and perfume using the same branding.

[nicholxu-blog]

Flight Jackets--2017/05/01

Fashion is a popular style or practice, especially in clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, body, or furniture. Fashion is a distinctive and often constant trend in the style in which a person dresses. It is the prevailing styles in behaviour and the newest creations of textile designers. Because the more technical term costume is regularly linked to the term "fashion", the use of the former has been relegated to special senses like fancy dress or masquerade wear, while "fashion" generally means clothing, including the study of it. Although aspects of fashion can be feminine or masculine, some trends are androgynous.

In the 16th century, national differences were at their most pronounced. Ten 16th century portraits of German or Italian gentlemen may show ten entirely different hats. Albrecht Dürer illustrated the differences in his actual (or composite) contrast of Nuremberg and Venetian fashions at the close of the 15th century (illustration, right). The "Spanish style" of the late 16th century began the move back to synchronicity among upper-class Europeans, and after a struggle in the mid-17th century, French styles decisively took over leadership, a process completed in the 18th century. Though textile colors and patterns changed from year to year, the cut of a gentleman's coat and the length of his waistcoat, or the pattern to which a lady's dress was cut, changed more slowly. Men's fashions were largely derived from military models, and changes in a European male Silhouette were galvanized in theaters of European war where gentleman officers had opportunities to make notes of foreign styles such as the "Steinkirk" cravat or necktie.

 Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, was a leader of fashion. Her choices, such as this 1783 white muslin dress called a chemise a la Reine, were highly influential and widely worn.

Though there had been distribution of dressed dolls from France since the 16th century and Abraham Bosse had produced engravings of fashion in the 1620s, the pace of change picked up in the 1780s with increased publication of French engravings illustrating the latest Paris styles. By 1800, all Western Europeans were dressing alike (or thought they were); local variation became first a sign of provincial culture and later a badge of the conservative peasant. Although tailors and dressmakers were no doubt responsible for many innovations, and the textile industry certainly led many trends, the history of fashion design is normally understood to date from 1858 when the English-born Charles Frederick Worth opened the first true haute couture house in Paris. The Haute house was the name established by government for the fashion houses that met the standards of industry. These fashion houses have to adhere to standards such as keeping at least twenty employees engaged in making the clothes, showing two collections per year at fashion shows, and presenting a certain number of patterns to costumers. Since then, the idea of the fashion designer as a celebrity in his or her own right has become increasingly dominant. The idea of unisex dressing originated in the 1960s when designers such as Pierre Cardin and Rudi Gernreich created garments, such as stretch jersey tunics or leggings, meant to be worn by both males and females. The impact of unisex expands more broadly to encompass various themes in fashion including androgyny, mass-market retail, and conceptual clothing. The fashion trends of the 1970s, such as sheepskin jackets, flight jackets, duffel coats, and unstructured clothing influenced men to attend social gatherings without a tuxedo jacket and to accessorize in new ways. Some men's styles blended the sensuality and expressiveness despite the conservative trend, the growing gay-rights movement and an emphasis on youth allowed for a new freedom to experiment with style, fabrics such as wool crepe, which had previously been associated with women's attire was used by designers when creating male clothing. The four major current fashion capitals are acknowledged to be Paris, Milan, New York City, and London, which are all headquarters to the greatest fashion companies and are renowned for their major influence on global fashion. Fashion weeks are held in these cities, where designers exhibit their new clothing collections to audiences. A succession of major designers such as Coco Chanel and Yves Saint-Laurent have kept Paris as the center most watched by the rest of the world, although haute couture is now subsidized by the sale of ready-to-wear collections and perfume using the same branding.

[jasonwanghandsome-blog]

Flight jackets 2017/5/1

Fashion is a popular style or practice, especially in clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, body, or furniture. Fashion is a distinctive and often constant trend in the style in which a person dresses. It is the prevailing styles in behaviour and the newest creations of textile designers. Because the more technical term costume is regularly linked to the term "fashion", the use of the former has been relegated to special senses like fancy dress or masquerade wear, while "fashion" generally means clothing, including the study of it. Although aspects of fashion can be feminine or masculine, some trends are androgynous.In the 16th century, national differences were at their most pronounced. Ten 16th century portraits of German or Italian gentlemen may show ten entirely different hats. Albrecht Dürer illustrated the differences in his actual (or composite) contrast of Nuremberg and Venetian fashions at the close of the 15th century (illustration, right). The "Spanish style" of the late 16th century began the move back to synchronicity among upper-class Europeans, and after a struggle in the mid-17th century, French styles decisively took over leadership, a process completed in the 18th century. Though textile colors and patterns changed from year to year, the cut of a gentleman's coat and the length of his waistcoat, or the pattern to which a lady's dress was cut, changed more slowly. Men's fashions were largely derived from military models, and changes in a European male Silhouette were galvanized in theaters of European war where gentleman officers had opportunities to make notes of foreign styles such as the "Steinkirk" cravat or necktie.Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, was a leader of fashion. Her choices, such as this 1783 white muslin dress called a chemise a la Reine, were highly influential and widely worn. Though there had been distribution of dressed dolls from France since the 16th century and Abraham Bosse had produced engravings of fashion in the 1620s, the pace of change picked up in the 1780s with increased publication of French engravings illustrating the latest Paris styles. By 1800, all Western Europeans were dressing alike (or thought they were); local variation became first a sign of provincial culture and later a badge of the conservative peasant. Although tailors and dressmakers were no doubt responsible for many innovations, and the textile industry certainly led many trends, the history of fashion design is normally understood to date from 1858 when the English-born Charles Frederick Worth opened the first true haute couture house in Paris. The Haute house was the name established by government for the fashion houses that met the standards of industry. These fashion houses have to adhere to standards such as keeping at least twenty employees engaged in making the clothes, showing two collections per year at fashion shows, and presenting a certain number of patterns to costumers. Since then, the idea of the fashion designer as a celebrity in his or her own right has become increasingly dominant. The idea of unisex dressing originated in the 1960s when designers such as Pierre Cardin and Rudi Gernreich created garments, such as stretch jersey tunics or leggings, meant to be worn by both males and females. The impact of unisex expands more broadly to encompass various themes in fashion including androgyny, mass-market retail, and conceptual clothing. The fashion trends of the 1970s, such as sheepskin jackets, flight jackets, duffel coats, and unstructured clothing influenced men to attend social gatherings without a tuxedo jacket and to accessorize in new ways. Some men's styles blended the sensuality and expressiveness despite the conservative trend, the growing gay-rights movement and an emphasis on youth allowed for a new freedom to experiment with style, fabrics such as wool crepe, which had previously been associated with women's attire was used by designers when creating male clothing. The four major current fashion capitals are acknowledged to be Paris, Milan, New York City, and London, which are all headquarters to the greatest fashion companies and are renowned for their major influence on global fashion. Fashion weeks are held in these cities, where designers exhibit their new clothing collections to audiences. A succession of major designers such as Coco Chanel and Yves Saint-Laurent have kept Paris as the center most watched by the rest of the world, although haute couture is now subsidized by the sale of ready-to-wear collections and perfume using the same branding.

[badassindistress]

Do you have any tips/resources for getting your gathers so even? Gathers are my nemesis; I’m fine with placing the actual stitches but when it comes time to gather and stitch them down they never look quite right and certainly not as consistent.

This is also something I struggle with, but there's some things that have worked for me:

Two rows of gathering stitches and then you stitch between them

Making your gathering stitches long-short-long-short instead of equally sized gives the gathers a place to go so they're not all bunched up

If you're gathering down a lot of fabric, give your gathers a good steaming and pull them all neatly straight. Then you let the fabric cool down completely and your gathers will have learned to lie a little neater

When you're pinning the gathers down, treat them like pleats and already push them in the direction you want them to go

If you're doing modern garments and have access to a serger, that conveniently already gives two equally sized gathering lines very quickly

And lastly, the really tedious handsewing them down one by one as if they're cartridge pleats:

Hope this covers a bit of your question!

[badassindistress]

It is Sunday morning, the rain is cooling everything down nicely and I'm going to turn a halfmade half failed Victorian chemise into a half lenght Italian 17th century chemise

[badassindistress]

Evening progress!

I still need to hem it and fell one sideseam, but if I hadn't insisted on handsewing every tiny pleat to the neck band, it could have been a one day project!

[badassindistress]

This thing is enormous

[badassindistress]

Handfinishing my gussets, it's going quite well i think

[badassindistress]

Tiny double gathering stitches may be incredibly tedious, but wow i do like the effect

This thing is enormous

[following-the-drum]

Started handsewing an Italian style 17th century chemise to repourpose as a nightgown because life is too short to not have something fun and romantic to sleep in at night...

[badassindistress]

Gussets pinned and half sewn, you can sort of see how this might become clothing (sort of)

It is Sunday morning, the rain is cooling everything down nicely and I'm going to turn a halfmade half failed Victorian chemise into a half lenght Italian 17th century chemise