The shape on the left hand side is the shape I want so I’ll mark the levels so I can sew the tape. The side seams are diagnonal so really stretch in this lovely but soft sateen.
Interior views to show how the whole thing is actually quite light, but is maintained with tapes. At the moment the only tapes in place are in my original Robe de Style (pink) panniers and my normal sized Reitte (tan cotton).
ANd you can sort of see just how much bigger the hoops actually are!
But maybe this helps even more 😉
What is nice is that this hoop will work for her Confrontation gown as it seems to use a similar shape, and it will also work for a real court gown. But possibly mor elike a mantua than the silver gowns I adore so much.
So more like this:
Victoria and Albert Museum, London Mantua
Place of origin:Â England, Great Britain (made) France (woven)
Date:Â 1755-1760 (made) 1753-1755 (woven)
Note the length of the torso, the film version bodices are not that inaccurate in that specific regard, but they are a bit out of time. And the actual shaping is modern, it’s why I’m looking forward to making the support for the bodice, as it is so unique- and while other actresses had really defined modern busts, they left Norma to have the long quite flat shaping. In this gown at least. But there is clever seaming going on to create that illusion.
Another Mantua of this shape:
British Kensington Palace Art Funded in 1995
British, Court mantua by British, 1750–1760
Court mantua by British, 1750–1760
© Kensington Palace
Details
Medium:Silk brocade Dimensions: 130 x 214 cm Art Fund grant:£30,000 ( Total: £78,826; Export stopped) Acquired in:1995
And another:
Museum of London-Â Mantua
Production Date:Â 1751-1752
ID no:Â 83.531
Location:Â On Display: Museum of London: Empire: London’s Manufactures
I need to do a Extant Gowns I love post for all of these, but I wanted to show this particular flared shape was also not a modern only decision, but based on 18thC dress.
But next one will be the silver gowns in sweden 🙂
And this movie costume.