Tuesday 26 June 2012

Historical Costumes (and dolls)

 You may remember that I posted photos of some of the materials and dresses that Mum had which had been passed down through the family.  Mum decided that she would like some dolls made up in historically accurate (or as near as possible) costumes and as luck would have it, a maker of such dolls lives in the nearby town.  Her details and more information can be found on her website:   http://www.costumecavalcade.co.uk/   So, Mum commissioned her and here are a couple of the results, with photos of the originals.  This Regency dress is intact and I did once fit in it (it was in 1988!).
It is hand sewn and made from pale pinky/beige silk, with cotton lining.

 Here is the finished doll, in a very similar dress, although the material is a little thicker than in the original. She wears a straw bonnet with feather and has a lace shawl and a reticule.
 The back view, showing more of the bonnet and shawl.
 The other piece of material is from around 1750 (there was a label pinned to the piece which said it was a wedding dress).  The colours are so vibrant and the pattern is so dramatic, it was hard to picture a dress made from it.
 Here it is, in the 1750 style, with laced bodice and stomacher.  The artist scanned the material into her computer and printed the pattern onto some material - you can see the swooping shapes, even though the colours are not as strong as the original.
 The back view shows the attention to detail (if you enlarge the photo).
This close up shows the detail from the original material. 
There is another doll too, but I haven't yet taken photos of the original dress to compare.  When I do, I'll post it.

4 comments:

  1. What a treasure trove! This is the most wonderful glimpse of a bygone world - I loved reading it and seeing the photos of the genuine 18th C fabrics - absolutely fabulous! How amazing that you wore the first dress yourself even if as a very small girl. To think of all those who wore it and in your family too. This kind of history is so alive. Can't wait for you to post the next instalment! I can't get over the wedding dress fabric - so vibrant and well, just stunning! The dolls are an inspired way of showing how the dresses would have looked too.

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    1. Dear E
      Thank you so much for your comment. It is a treasure trove and I know that I am very lucky to have these dresses and materials to look at. Thank you too for saying I must have been a very small girl- I was 21 when I wore the dress and considerably thinner than I am now! I do wonder who wore the dresses, where they went and what they did. I am particularly fond of the Regency dress (despite it being a colour that I wouldn't wear) as I love Jane Austen's novels, and the dress gives me a link to that time. The wedding dress material is extremely bright and colourful and I think the bride must have looked amazing. The other dress which I haven't posted about yet is from around 1870 and we managed to find out where it was made and by whom, so that was very exciting. Next time I visit Mum and Dad, I'll take photos of it.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  2. Gosh, what a wedding dress! These are beautiful, such attention to detail. I especially love the first doll with her bonnet - I recently watched the Pride and Prejudice film and it reminded me of the costumes of that era.

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    1. Dear Gillian
      Thank you for your comment. The original dress belonging to Mum was from around 1805, so perfect for Jane Austen. I really like the costumes from that time - very beautiful, feminine and hide a multitude of problem areas!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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