rock the frock

I reecently shared this image of a test pinning session over my princess dress (well underdress- it’s going to be used under a few gowns.

 

This saree was a chance find in my nearest Save Mart store, I regularly scour them for saree and anything able to be transformed such as shoes, lengths of fabric, but mainly saree!)

 

But I haven’t shared the images that inspired them.

 

Over the years I have hoarded images from eBay sales as often the display does not do justice to the gown but do offer fantastic chances to understand contructions and physical properties.

 

Or sometimes there are amazing finds.

The two overgowns below are from such finds. They have a few things in common- polonaise style with a shorter bustle feature.

 

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More inspiration! c1700 mantua!

It’s not surprise I am obsessed with the style. I have been for more than a decade but never found a fabric I thought would do the style justice. Well now I do have a fabric! And thanks to an online friend sharing images from her own research that connection was sparked and the final push to actually make one inspired!

Many moons ago a very well respected costumier who creates the most amazing 18thC gowns gave me information on a few mantua especially one of my favourite gowns ever, he shared privately but there is now an official source:

kjole

National Museets Samlinger Online
Kjole med slæb, grøn silke
Beskrivelse
Kjole med slæb. Af grøn silke med broderet guldmønster, antagelig 1740erne. Fra Valdemar Slot, Tåsinge.
(I have a pattern for this)

 

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Victoria and Albert Museum.
Blue silk: Museum no. T.88 to C-1978, early 18thC (note the skirt is essentially a full ruffle from hip height)
3aab1bdaf2398849c8e9bbfa781f3433
Shrewsbury Museums Service:
Mantua.18th century (1710).(SHYMS: T/1973/6/1). Image sy14188

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National Museum Wales:
Silver embroidered blue damask court mantua (an open fronted gown with an elaborate train), (mix of suggested dates, 1720-1740)
Tredegar Collection

8d573f02739441f6caf0b0adc5b9a4a2
Date: late 17th century
Culture: British
Medium: wool, metal thread
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1933
Accession Number: 33.54a, b
(I have two patterns for this)
c34d72cb1a92d3ee9a7a03db7d5d59ffMetropolitan Museum of Art: Mantua (note the skirt is a series of reverse flounces!)
Date: ca. 1708
Culture: British
Medium: silk, metal
Credit Line: Purchase, Rogers Fund, Isabel Shults Fund and Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1991
Accession Number: 1991.6.1a, b

Canon 20D Digital Capture

Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Woman’s Mantua with Stomacher and Petticoat
Italy, circa 1700
Costumes; principal attire (entire body)
Silk satin with gold- and silver-metallic thread embroidery
a) Dress: Center back length: 56 in. (142.2 cm); b) Petticoat: Center front length: 35 in. (88.9 cm)
Costume Council Fund (M.88.39a-c)

lincoln lincoln2

Collections of the Lincoln Museums:
Usher Gallery, The Lincolnshire mantua
(There is a pattern to a similar garment in the first PDF, also a skirt layout and layout of the train. All three documents are available to download and are incredibly fascinating!)

 

I have another favourite from the Museum of London but there is no link online.

I will share a thumbnail though and hopefully in time the museum will have this on their site:

mantuamol

Museum of London
Dress 1720-30 (no. 2) front view, with added STOMACHER, 1720-1730 (no.39)
(I have a pattern for this)

This does not appear to in their collections, I will update as soon as I know more. I much prefer to link to the collections rather than take from a book, but I can at least, hopefully, generate interest in this garment!)

 

So I have a fantastic start, a nice range of extant garments to look at trends and to decide on particular style.

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