The anglaise, française, and polonaise are the most commonly talked-about types of 18th century gowns. However, fashion magazines talk about loads of different styles: à la levite, à la sultane, à la circassienne ... I'd like to do a post on some of these, looking at fashion plates and figuring out on my own what … Continue reading The Robe à la Circassienne
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The Robe à la Polonaise, or Polonese
It is very common for people to consider the robe à la polonaise to be a gown made in the same way as the robe à l'anglaise, but with the skirt pulled up through rings arranged on either side of the center back. This can be seen in costuming websites and respected museums alike. However, … Continue reading The Robe à la Polonaise, or Polonese
The Robe à la Française, or Sacque
The antecedent of the robe à la française was the robe volante, a form of negligée dress. Once the mantua became suitable for public dress, the wealthy required something else to wear while relaxing. The robe volante (or robe battante) was said to have been invented by Mme de Montespan, mistress of Louis XIV, in … Continue reading The Robe à la Française, or Sacque
The Robe à l'Anglaise
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, women all over Europe wore the mantua (which itself had originated in negligée dress). This was a fairly unstructured dress made in a T-shape, with most of the fitting of the bodice and sleeves achieved with pleats. The front of the stays would be covered with a pinned- … Continue reading The Robe à l'Anglaise
18th Century Mitts and 20th Century Dresses
I have a ton of tabs open to costumes at the Met, and I figured I might as well post them and close them out. Light blue silk Pink and changeable silk Black velvet White linen Leather and calico Knitted black silk Pink and blue silk Black satin Heavily embroidered cream silk Lingerie dress (ca. … Continue reading 18th Century Mitts and 20th Century Dresses
Mimic of Modes 