Age of Antiquity

1820's Ballgown This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! During the transition between the narrow Empire style and the wide full skirt of the Romantic style, gowns were getting fuller but were still relatively flat in front, and the waistline was still slightly higher than the natural waistline. This gown has these characteristics - in the front the skirt is gored, while the back is full and gathered. It is made from ruby red silk and the waist, neck, and sleeves are decorated with jacquard ribbon.
1820's Ballgown - Front	1820's Ballgown - Front Detail
1820's Ballgown - Back	1820's Ballgown - Back Detail

1829 Blue Taffeta Dress This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! This dress is a transition between the style above and the style below! The skirt is fuller than the 1820's ballgown and pleated the entire way around, and the sleeve is getting wider as it moves toward the extreme gigot sleeve of the 1830's Handsewn Dress. This one also has a nickname - Frankendress. Everyone who sews understands that every once in a while there is project where everything seems to go wrong. I did not have a pattern for this transitional period and was making one up as I went along. I kept changing my mind about whether to have it open in the front or the back, and each time I changed I had to undo the basted pleats in the skirt. Frustrated, I stopped picking them out with a seam ripper and began to just pull them out. The last time - the fabric ripped! I sewed the tear closed and hid it inside a pleat. As it was getting to be a monster of a dress and had a "stitches" where they didn't belong, I started calling it Frankendress!
A fashion plate from 1825 showing the basic look I was going after.	Frankendress - with muff and hat. Sorry for the blur - this is the best I could do even with photoshop.
Frankendress - Closeup	Frankendress - On the hanger awaiting a gig.
Frankendress Front	Frankendress - Back
Closeup of detail of skirt.	Closeup of detail of skirt.


1830's Handsewn Cotton Dress with Pelerine This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! I had to do at least one entirely by hand, and this is it! The fabric is a printed cotton in turkey red and subdued greens. The waistline is slightly higher than the natural waist. The skirt is flat in front with some pleats, and gathered at the sides and back. The bodice is also gathered slightly at the waistline and shoulders - the fashion fabric is sewn to a fitted cotton lining. The waistline is about an inch above the natural waistline. As was done during this period, almost all of the seams are piped. The matching pelerine has a scalloped piped edge. It has a straw poke bonnet and a turban that were designed to be worn with it, shown on the Millinery page.
1830's handsewn dress in a fashion show at Hale Farm and Village in 2001.	A picture of my husband, Bill, and I at a performance of the Old Economy Village 1830's Orchestra. I am wearing the dress without the pelerine.

1837 Green Velvet Dress This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! This dress is made over the same basic pattern as the 1830's handsewn dress, but the gigot sleeves are banded down at the shoulder as was the fasion in the later part of the 1830's. This produces a sleeve puff from just above the elbow to the wrist. The dress is shown with and without a silk maltese lace collar.
1830s Green Velvet Dress - Front Plain	1830s Green Velvet Dress - with Lace
1830s Green Velvet Dress - Front detail without the lace.	1830s Green Velvet Dress - Front detail with lace.
1830s Green Velvet Dress - Detail of Sleeve	1830s Green Velvet Dress - Back

1840 Diaper Print Dress This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! The term "diaper print" refers to a small diagonal printed fabric. At one time, white linen with a woven diaper print was used for baby nappies, and that is how the modern term "diaper" evolved. In the 19th century diaper prints were very common textiles. By 1840 the big sleeves were out and long tight sleeves were once again in fashion. This dress has a ruffled sleeve cap. The waistline is now at the natural waist. The Burgundy Taffeta Bonnet matches this dress. Another interesting characteristic of dresses from the early 19th century is that they tended to close in the back. Beginning in the 1850's most dresses close in the front, with the exception of ballgowns which almost always close in the back.
1840 Diaper Print Dress - Front	1840 Diaper Print Dress - Front detail showing waist treament.
1840 Diaper Print Dress - Front detail of sleeves.	1840 Diaper Print Dress - Back

1840's Wool Dress with Pink Embroidery This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! One of the most distinctive features of dresses from the 1840's is the use of vertical seaming on the bodice. This dress is an example of that style. The 1840's saw the rise of vertically oriented styles such as Gothic revival archetecture and this is reflected in the clothing. The waistline of this dress is at the natural waist, and the skirts are very full and bell shaped. Hooped petticoats were not worn at this time - instead many layers of stiffened pettocoats were worn. They could be stiffened with cord sewn in many rows or with horsehair canvas and crinoline. This dress is made from a designer wool fabric that was pre-embroidered with the pink flower motifs. It was very expensive when it first came out, but to my good fortune a bolt of it ended up on the clearance rack, and this dress was the result. I have learned over the years never to pass up a really spectacular peice of fabric - grab it and run with it! The dress is piped with pilk silk, the neckline is trimmed with matching pink and black jacquard ribbon and lace. The Pink 1840's Bonnet was made to coordinate with this dress.
1840's Embroidered Wool Dress	1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Front Detail
1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Back	1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Back Detail
1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Side	1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Embroidery Detail
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1820's Ballgown

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

During the transition between the narrow Empire style and the wide full skirt of the Romantic style, gowns were getting fuller but were still relatively flat in front, and the waistline was still slightly higher than the natural waistline. This gown has these characteristics - in the front the skirt is gored, while the back is full and gathered. It is made from ruby red silk and the waist, neck, and sleeves are decorated with jacquard ribbon.

1820's Ballgown - Front

1820's Ballgown - Front Detail

1820's Ballgown - Back

1820's Ballgown - Back Detail

1829 Blue Taffeta Dress

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

This dress is a transition between the style above and the style below! The skirt is fuller than the 1820's ballgown and pleated the entire way around, and the sleeve is getting wider as it moves toward the extreme gigot sleeve of the 1830's Handsewn Dress. This one also has a nickname - Frankendress. Everyone who sews understands that every once in a while there is project where everything seems to go wrong. I did not have a pattern for this transitional period and was making one up as I went along. I kept changing my mind about whether to have it open in the front or the back, and each time I changed I had to undo the basted pleats in the skirt. Frustrated, I stopped picking them out with a seam ripper and began to just pull them out. The last time - the fabric ripped! I sewed the tear closed and hid it inside a pleat. As it was getting to be a monster of a dress and had a "stitches" where they didn't belong, I started calling it Frankendress!

1825 Fashion Plate

A fashion plate from 1825 showing the basic look I was going after.

Frankendress - Full View

Frankendress - with muff and hat. Sorry for the blur - this is the best I could do even with photoshop.

Frankendress - Closeup

Frankendress - On the hanger.

Frankendress - On the hanger awaiting a gig.

Frankendress - Front

Frankendress Front

Frankendress - Back

Closeup of Skirt

Closeup of detail of skirt.

Closeup of Skirt

Closeup of detail of skirt.

1830's Handsewn Cotton Dress with Pelerine

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

I had to do at least one entirely by hand, and this is it! The fabric is a printed cotton in turkey red and subdued greens. The waistline is slightly higher than the natural waist. The skirt is flat in front with some pleats, and gathered at the sides and back. The bodice is also gathered slightly at the waistline and shoulders - the fashion fabric is sewn to a fitted cotton lining. The waistline is about an inch above the natural waistline. As was done during this period, almost all of the seams are piped. The matching pelerine has a scalloped piped edge. It has a straw poke bonnet and a turban that were designed to be worn with it, shown on the Millinery page.

1830 Cotton Dress

1830's handsewn dress in a fashion show at Hale Farm and Village in 2001.

1830's Dress View 2

A picture of my husband, Bill, and I at a performance of the Old Economy Village 1830's Orchestra. I am wearing the dress without the pelerine.

1837 Green Velvet Dress

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

This dress is made over the same basic pattern as the 1830's handsewn dress, but the gigot sleeves are banded down at the shoulder as was the fasion in the later part of the 1830's. This produces a sleeve puff from just above the elbow to the wrist. The dress is shown with and without a silk maltese lace collar.

1830s Green Velvet Dress - Front Plain

1830s Green Velvet Dress - Front With Lace

1830s Green Velvet Dress - with Lace

1830s Green Velvet Dress - Front Detail No Lace

1830s Green Velvet Dress - Front detail without the lace.

1830s Green Velvet Dress - Front Detail with Lace

1830s Green Velvet Dress - Front detail with lace.

1830s Green Velvet Dress - Detail of Sleeve

1830s Green Velvet Dress - Back

1840 Diaper Print Dress

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

The term "diaper print" refers to a small diagonal printed fabric. At one time, white linen with a woven diaper print was used for baby nappies, and that is how the modern term "diaper" evolved. In the 19th century diaper prints were very common textiles. By 1840 the big sleeves were out and long tight sleeves were once again in fashion. This dress has a ruffled sleeve cap. The waistline is now at the natural waist. The Burgundy Taffeta Bonnet matches this dress.

Another interesting characteristic of dresses from the early 19th century is that they tended to close in the back. Beginning in the 1850's most dresses close in the front, with the exception of ballgowns which almost always close in the back.

1840 Diaper Print Dress - Front

1840 Diaper Print Dress Front Detail

1840 Diaper Print Dress - Front detail showing waist treament.

1840 Diaper Print Dress - Front Detail of Sleeves

1840 Diaper Print Dress - Front detail of sleeves.

1840 Diaper Print Dress - Back

1840's Wool Dress with Pink Embroidery

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

One of the most distinctive features of dresses from the 1840's is the use of vertical seaming on the bodice. This dress is an example of that style. The 1840's saw the rise of vertically oriented styles such as Gothic revival archetecture and this is reflected in the clothing. The waistline of this dress is at the natural waist, and the skirts are very full and bell shaped. Hooped petticoats were not worn at this time - instead many layers of stiffened pettocoats were worn. They could be stiffened with cord sewn in many rows or with horsehair canvas and crinoline.

This dress is made from a designer wool fabric that was pre-embroidered with the pink flower motifs. It was very expensive when it first came out, but to my good fortune a bolt of it ended up on the clearance rack, and this dress was the result. I have learned over the years never to pass up a really spectacular peice of fabric - grab it and run with it! The dress is piped with pilk silk, the neckline is trimmed with matching pink and black jacquard ribbon and lace. The Pink 1840's Bonnet was made to coordinate with this dress.

1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Front

1840's Embroidered Wool Dress

1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Front Detail

1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Back Detail

1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Back

1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Back Detail

1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Side

1840's Embroidered Wool Dress - Embroidery Detail

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Main Menu Home Blog Mom's Sewing Page Portfolio Main Menu Medieval 18th Century Regency Romantic Antebellum/Civil War Late Victorian Edwardian Underpinnings Millinery	Romantic Era Menu
		1820's Ballgown 1829 Blu Taffeta Dress 1830's Handsewn Cotton Dress with Pelerine 1837 Green Velvet Dress 1840 Diaper Print Cotton Daydress 1840's Black Wool Dress with Pink Floral Embroidery
	This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! The end of the Federal or Empire period marked the end of the columnar, Grecian influenced style in women's dress. Skirts expanded to a full bell shape and waistlines narrowed. One of the distinctive features of this period is the wide sloping shoulder sillouette. The pelerine (a small cape worn over the shoulders) accented this feature of the style. Sleeves were very wide - this style is called the gigot sleeve. By 1836 the sleeves were banded down at the top, producing a puff from just above the elbow to the wrist. By 1840, the full sleeve had gone out of fashion and the tight sleeve reigned once again. This is also the period of the wide brimmed poke bonnet - please see the links to bonnets that were designed to go with these gowns on the Millinery page. Fashionable men's wear during this time consisted of a frock coat, a waistcoast, pants, and shirt. Cravats were worn around the neck. A distinctive feature of the frock coat during this period is the addition of a waist seam, and with this innovation came a much greater ability to get good fit. The waistlines of these coats were nipped in and the chests often padded out. Waistcoats were shorter than the 18th century variety and were often in bright contrasting colors. Pants were narrow and tight, often having a stirrup going under the shoe. The most common type of front was the fall front. I hope to get a man's suit from this period photographed soon!

Romantic Era Menu

1820's Ballgown

1829 Blue Taffeta Dress

1830's Handsewn Cotton Dress with Pelerine

1837 Green Velvet Dress

1840 Diaper Print Dress

1840's Wool Dress with Pink Embroidery

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