18th Century Italian Gown
This dress is a fully accurate recreation of an 18th century Italian Gown. In order to assemble it, I made a shift, hip pads, pockets, a petticoat, the mantua itself, and the fichu, all by hand using 18th century handsewing methods. The gown is made of a printed cotton that matches extant textile examples, and is lined with linen. The petticoat is made of silk. I draped it over a dress form, using museum's photos of extant gowns, as well as portraits as reference images. The sleeves were drafted flat, and the skirt is a simple pleated rectangle, with waist ties to create a ‘draped’ look.
19th Century Corset
I began this project with a commercial pattern and modified it to fit better as well as to have a more attractive length. Additionally, I added boning channels, which I cut and capped steel boning to fit.
Evening Gown
This gown was drafted based off of an evening gown from "The Voice of Fashion," with added drapery and sash. The last slide shows a mock-up of the fitted lining of the dress, as well as a muslin of the exterior bodice.
