1830s EVENING DRESS
Historical Costume Unit (October - December 2021)
project brief
The Dress
To create a dress from the “Romantic Era” inspired by a 19th Century portrait by esteemed Austrian painter Carl Rahl.
No patterns were provided – so we had to draft our own patterns on the stand in order to best mirror the painted image. This included various pleated bodice embellishments and the iconic 1830s Gigot sleeve.
To ensure historical accuracy, both corded and frilled petticoat undergarments needed to be created to give the dress a full body.
The Fabric
In order to broaden our research and breadth of knowledge, we were instructed to use Dutch African wax fabric which created an interesting design juxtaposition to the time period of the original dress.
I chose this green and red traditional wax print fabric with a circular design motif, and contrasted it with a simple red cotton to maximise the impact of the silhouette.
Project Length
A 10-week unit.
