Age of Antiquity



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		Printed Cotton Regency Gown Regency Gold Embroidered Net Ballgown White Embroidered Cotton Regency Daydress
	This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! The French Revolution at the end of the 18th century marked a drastic change in fashion. Gone were the heavy brocaded gowns and in their place a new style emerged. This style took as its inspiration the classical Greek artwork discovered at the City of Pompei. The waistline rose to just under the bust and the gowns were made from thin whispy fabrics. Cotton became the new fabric of luxury - the thinner the better! With wide open necklines, short sleeves, and narrower skirts these new gowns were not adopted unversally. Older and more conservative women naturally shyed away from styles. This is the era of Jane Austin...


1800's Cotton Print Empire Dress This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! This dress is made from cotton voile - a thin fabric. It is a small sprigged floral print of the type popular in the first decade of the 19th century. The high empire waistline is piped with purple silk, as is the neckline, armscyes, and sleeves. Slight gathering at the center of the bodice creates the fullness of the bustline. The dress closes in the back with hooks and eys, and is lined with cotton muslin. It has a slight train.
Views of cotton empire dress - front , side, and back.
Front detail of cotton empire dress.	Back detail of cotton empire dress.

Gold Net Regency Ballgown This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! I made this Regency era ballgown for the Jane Austin Society Ball this past April (2011). Lined with cream silk taffeta, the dress is made from gold embroidered net fabric with a bordered hem. The crossover bodice is trimmed with gold lace. It is not 100% authentic in that it closes in back, having interior drawstrings at the neckline and waist for fine tuning the fit. The gold embroidered net I obtained from a "jobber" on Ebay (a person who buys up bolt ends from design shops, etc and resells). It was originally $250 per yard but I got the bolt end for much less!

Gold Net Embroidered Regency Dress - Front	Gold Net Embroidered Regency Dress - Back
Front Detail	Back Detail
Hem Detail	Matching Reticule
Regency Ballgown of Gold Embroidered Net	Closeup of Regency Gown

White Embroidered Cotton Regency Daydress This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! I lucked into this fabric at Joann's one summer - it is a nice semi-sheer cotton with paisley embroidery. I used the Folkwear Regency Dress pattern to make this gown, so it is not totally authentic but hooks in back and has drawstrings to fit the waist and neckline. It has a fitted, slightly gored skirt giving it a very nice slimming line. The trick with Regency gowns is to put little or no gathers or pleats in the front, and that said, don't use gathers! Pleat, pleat, pleat. The excess fabric is gauged in the center back to create the fashionable fuller back (and helps the train lay nicely if you have one) while the front is straight and columnar. The sleeves are trimmed with ribbon and self covered buttons.
White Cotton Embroidered Regency Daydress - Front	White Cotton Embroidered Regency Daydress - Back
White Cotton Embroidered Regency Daydress - Front Detail	White Cotton Embroidered Regency Daydress
White Cotton Embroidered Regency Daydress - Sleeve Detail	White Cotton Embroidered Regency Daydress - Fasteners
White Cotton Embroidered Regency Daydress - Fabric Detail

1800's Cotton Print Empire Dress

This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site!

This dress is made from cotton voile - a thin fabric. It is a small sprigged floral print of the type popular in the first decade of the 19th century. The high empire waistline is piped with purple silk, as is the neckline, armscyes, and sleeves. Slight gathering at the center of the bodice creates the fullness of the bustline. The dress closes in the back with hooks and eys, and is lined with cotton muslin. It has a slight train.

Cotton Print Empire Dress - Front Cotton Print Empire Dress - Side View Cotton Print Empire Dress - Back

Views of cotton empire dress - front , side, and back.

Cotton Print Empire Dress - Bodice Detail

Front detail of cotton empire dress.

Cotton Print Empire Dress - Back Detail

Back detail of cotton empire dress.

Rose Bar

Gold Net Regency Ballgown

This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site!

I made this Regency era ballgown for the Jane Austin Society Ball this past April (2011). Lined with cream silk taffeta, the dress is made from gold embroidered net fabric with a bordered hem. The crossover bodice is trimmed with gold lace. It is not 100% authentic in that it closes in back, having interior drawstrings at the neckline and waist for fine tuning the fit. The gold embroidered net I obtained from a "jobber" on Ebay (a person who buys up bolt ends from design shops, etc and resells). It was originally $250 per yard but I got the bolt end for much less!

Gold Net Regency Gown Front

Gold Net Embroidered Regency Dress - Front

Gold Net Embroidered Regency Gown Back

Gold Net Embroidered Regency Dress - Back

Gold Net Embroidered Regency Gown - Front Detail

Front Detail

Gold Net Embroidered Regency Gown - Back Detail

Back Detail

Gold Net Embroidered Regency Gown - Hem Detail

Hem Detail

Embroidered Gold Net Reticule

Matching Reticule

Regency Ballgown

Regency Ballgown of Gold Embroidered Net

Regency Ballgown 2

Closeup of Regency Gown

White Embroidered Cotton Regency Daydress

This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site!

I lucked into this fabric at Joann's one summer - it is a nice semi-sheer cotton with paisley embroidery. I used the Folkwear Regency Dress pattern to make this gown, so it is not totally authentic but hooks in back and has drawstrings to fit the waist and neckline. It has a fitted, slightly gored skirt giving it a very nice slimming line. The trick with Regency gowns is to put little or no gathers or pleats in the front, and that said, don't use gathers! Pleat, pleat, pleat. The excess fabric is gauged in the center back to create the fashionable fuller back (and helps the train lay nicely if you have one) while the front is straight and columnar. The sleeves are trimmed with ribbon and self covered buttons.

White Cotton Embroidered Regency Daydress - Front