Anonymous asked: I might possibly be hosting a costume party soon, and for it I would want to wear an authentic (or as close as possible) dress from the 18th century. I don’t have the skills to make one, so do you have any idea where I would be able to find one/get the pieces that make one up?
Well, good luck! It sounds like a wonderful event!
So, if you’re aiming for accuracy, I’d say that the materials are very important: natural fibers all the way. I’d assume you’re in Europe or North America, so get this as a guide:
Linen for the chemise, or shift.
Linen, or silk for the stays.
Linen, silk or wool for your dress.
Stick to solid colours, HA prints and patterns are hard to find. If you do not mind that, go for you favourite print.
I’d say the most important part for accuracy, or the key for an overall look of historical accuracy, is the silhouette, and that is only obtained by the right undergarments: stays, skirt supports, and even the shift, are important to set the right silhouette for the decade you decide to wear.
So, if you wanna buy some already made (or made for you) stuff, here are some suggestions:
For the sake of a nice fit (and your peace of mind), I’d recommend, if you cannot or do not want to sew your outfit, to have somebody make it for you. You can have made the American Duchess second patterns from Simplicity (8578 and 8579), that include the stays, the shift (or you can have this one made, that is deeply researched and very HA), and a sack dress, that would be PERFECT for hosting a costume party and looking fabulous. I think those are nice patterns since are available world wide, and the instructions are easy to follow. If you want something more HA, you can also try the patterns available on Burnley and Trowbridge, JP Ryan, or try to make one from the Patterns of Fashion books (my first really HA gown is from that book), but usually they require some better knowledge of the fit, form and patterns of the 18th century.