When it comes to 18th century dress, less is not more. No one would accuse wealthy 18th century women of minimalism. I liken the era's fashion to that of the 1980s. The big hair, bold makeup, garish clothing, even the posture of both eras scream, "I'm here! Look at me!" I wore this 18th century costume to perform wi
I'm back after having been distracted by such trifles as pneumonia and marriage. The upcoming weekend will be spent in the 18th century and ...
My repro lappet & my antique lappet Remember that original lappet cap I found when antiquing last fall? I copied it for that letters program earlier this year, and I recently added the final ruffle. For the lappet lovers of the world (I know you're out there), here are some photos highlighting the construction process... I started, naturally, by patterning the original cap. Normally I'm working from memory, vague notes from seeing an object at a museum or my Pinterest board for this process...and I discovered that it's so much easier with something tangible to work from. I found linen scraps in my stash that I had cut from another project. Lucky for me, that flat felled seam was perfect for the center seam on the caul. I used stroke gathers to make the poofy bit at the center, which adds a nice effect. Looking at the two lappets side by side... I used two types of fabric, just like the original. The ruffles, side by side. I cut the ruffle linen on the selvedge to save time/sewing. The extant ruffle has a very fine hem. A close-up of the whipped gathers, the stitch that attaches the ruffle to the caul, from the fashion fabric side. My cap inside out. I made an extra one that's up on my Etsy shop. It doesn't have a ruffle because my whipped gathers need work...but more on the technique next time.
Learn about French fashion in the 18th century. Read about the hats, wigs, dresses, and other clothes worn by the French during the 1700s.
Museum quality Giclee print - Premium fine art paper, 100% cotton, acid-free, archival
The new styles for bonnets and hats The new styles of wearing the hair There were no descriptions for these drawings in the magazine. However, you can generally find descriptions for current hats, bonnets and hairstyles in the Fashion Chit Chat columns.
Detail from a portrait of an unknown lady by Ulrika Fredrica Pasch, 1770 All my sewing projects have been on hold for the past couple of weeks as I have had another bout of bronchitis coupled with a tummy bug. I really, really don't recommend that! I'm basically well now, but still weak and tired and it says something that I haven't even done the tiniest amount of sewing whatsoever. And as I still don't feel up to do anything big, I have decided to make an 18th century cap. Small, needed and quite fast. Perfect. Actually, I need more than one, a small one that goes for the earlier 18th century and a big one for the later decades. However, I will make a small one now. I have had my eyes on a style that seems to have been popular 1740-1770, or so, where the ruffle is standing out like a halo around the face and is often called wired caps. After looking at ever cap of that kind I realized that even if they have the halo effect, there are several styles to this kind of cap. It is never easy, is it? I strongly suspect that caps were never ever a set style, but rather something you made up as you went, borrowing style elements from where it pleased you. Of course, geography and current fashion trend are influences that lay heavy on you. A basic cap has a rather simple construction, there is the crown and the band at the very minimum and very often a ruffle. Some also have lace lappets that hang down the back. Extant examples show that the whole cap could be made of linen or lace, or a combination of materials. As crown, band and ruffle could have a variety of shapes, which must have been a very easy way to obtain different looks. For some useful information and free patterns, see links at the end of the post. I'm uncertain if all caps that stand out from the face are wired. Some may very well be just heavily starched. The first picture at the post and the ones just below here, are clearly wired. At first I thought that the lace was pleated, but thought that may be the case on some, I also think that it is mounted on a wire framework. It looks like pleating at the first glance, but the lace pattern would be broken if there were pleats. Detail from a Swedish portrait This cap looks like it is pleated, on the other hand. You can also see what looks like wire running through the middle and top. Detail from a portrait of Clara Rosenborg by Benjamin Branting Nilsson, 1768 Detail from a painting of an unknown woman by Benjamin Branting Nilsson Detail from a portrait of Countess Maria Eustachia Porporato by Maria Giovanna Clementi La Clementina Detail from a portrait of Annushka, a serf from Siberia by Ivan Argunov, 1767 In the company of a lot of fake pearls. Detail from a portrait of Mrs. Andrew Lindington by Joseph Wright, 1761 Many caps have this little dip in front, which is probably a lot easier to maintain if the edge is wired than just starched and shaped. Detail from a portrait of a noblewoman by Donat Nonotte, 1760 Detail from a portrait of Madame François Buron by Jacques Louis David, 1769 Detail from a portrait of Lady Mary Fox by Pompeo Batoni This one doesn't look so stiff, so perhaps it is just heavily starched, but I also thik that it may be a wire encased inside the white ribbon. Detail from a portrait of a girl by Sergeev Matvey Detail from a portrait of Dorothea Sopia Thiele by Anton Raphael Mengs, 1744 Detail from a portrait by Pietro Rotari A few black lace caps. I assume that this is a widows mark as the women wearing black caps seems to be middle aged. Detail from a portrait of Empress Maria Theresia of Austria by Jean-Étienne Liotard Detail from a portrait of Madame Sophie by Franz Bernhard Frey, 1766 Detail of a portrait of an unknown lady by Louis Tocque Caps that I think are just starched and not wired. Perhaps. Detail from a portrait of Portrait of Madame Restout by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, 1738 Detail from a portrait of the child Nicole Ricard by Maurice Quentin de La Tour Detail of a portrait of Kristina Sofia Sack by Gustaf Lundberg Caps that are tied under the chin. Detail from a portrait of Theresa Concordia Mengs by Anton Raphael Mengs, 1745 Detail from a portrait of Rosamund Sargent by Allan Ramsey, 1749 Detail from a portrait of Madame Lenoir by Joseph Siffred Duplessis, 1764 Detail from a portrait of Mademoiselle Salle by Maurice Quentin de La Tour Detail from a portrait of Countess de Rieux by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, 1742 Generally these caps seems to be made of lace and not plain linen. The front are sometimes cut into two separate halves, sometimes in one piece. The nes tied under the chin looks softer and may not be wired at all and they are more often pleated. I haven't decided if I'm going for a cap with a lace front or one on plain linen, but I will make it pleated and just reinforce it. Duran Textiles has several free cap patterns, so I will use one of them as a template. Several links to extant caps collected by The 18th Century Notebook can be found here. How to Make a Cap by Sue Felshin Commercial cap patterns: Wired cap pattern Cap patterns from Nehelenia Patterns I haven't found anyone who has made a wired cap, but here are a few other cap tutorials of interest: A Frolic Through Time has made an adorable dormeuse cap, part 1 and part 2 and part 3. A Fashionable Frolic's round eared cap. Couture Maya has made several caps. Art, Beauty and A Well-ordered Chaos has a step by step tutorial for making a cap.
When it comes to 18th century dress, less is not more. No one would accuse wealthy 18th century women of minimalism. I liken the era's fashion to that of the 1980s. The big hair, bold makeup, garish clothing, even the posture of both eras scream, "I'm here! Look at me!" I wore this 18th century costume to perform wi
Jasmine wearing her Therese hood, a very simple early 1780s accessory It is my belief that one can never have too many 18th century accessories. Hats and caps are essential to getting the period look right, plus they all serve their own functions (even if sometimes
Patterns used: – None (my own design, based off a few paintings). – Basic construction tips from various sites, such as (I pretty much read how others did it and then just went with wha…
The MFA’s public collections search function, which is handled by an external vendor, is currently offline.
I've been busy busy making 18th century headwear for my adventures with Royal Blue Traders. I've also been on the hunt for decent evidence of colored silk 18th century market bonnets, and met with some success. So far, from what I have been able to turn up, the brighter colors, which tended toward blues and greens, were popular in the 1780s, and especially popular for younger wearers. Blue Bonnets A Lady and Her Children Relieving a Cottager (1781) by William Redmore Bigg, English, 1755 - 1828 Some very interesting hats in general in this painting. A Market Girl Holding a Mallard Duck (1787) by John Russell, English, 1745-1806 I made my own version with less fullness, and more of bill-shaped brim in some lovely teal silk taffeta I picked up at Affordable Fabrics in Rocky Hill, CT. That place is a treasure, but it's real hit-or-miss as to what gems you can find hidden away on the flat-fold remnants tables. You also really need to know what you're looking for, and have a good handle on how to identify fibers, as nothing is labeled. My version Green Bonnets A Girl Gathering Filberts (1782) by William Redmore Bigg This spring-ey little piece is a very similar shape to the ones I have been making. I think I need to re-create one from this portrait with that pink ribbon. Mrs Ogee, satirical print published by Matthew Darly, 1775 This one features an older lady in a more olive green with blue puffed trim and a wider brim shape. There is an extremely helpful, extensive list of sources a the Buzz at the Hive. Especially helpful for the American Revolution period. Now, on to cranking out more hats in time for the season before the baby arrives! My version
Les coiffures de Marie-Antoinette sont restées célèbres. C'est sous son règne qu'est née la mode des poufs, ces coiffures follement exubérantes !
When it comes to 18th century dress, less is not more. No one would accuse wealthy 18th century women of minimalism. I liken the era's fashion to that of the 1980s. The big hair, bold makeup, garish clothing, even the posture of both eras scream, "I'm here! Look at me!" I wore this 18th century costume to perform wi
You know the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” The same rule can be changed into “Don’t judge a person by its ink.” Getting some body art inked is probably one of the best ways for self-expression—be it a drawing in remembrance of your past beliefs, shenanigans or a minimal tattoo filled with deep meanings. No tattoo design is meaningless or ugly because there’s always something bigger behind it. At least to the person who chose the unique tattoo, that is.
18th Century Fashion Plate (Found image)
