Take this image, for example, from 1799. The lady on the right is wearing a button-front dress. Yes, that's right, button front, almost to the natural waist, with a vee neck. Whoa. That's not seen too much and I have never seen such a design in a reproduction dress.
When I look at these plates carefully, what great ideas appear! While I wait for the ribbons for the white voile dress to arrive, and sew a chemise (which will also make a very comfortable nightgown, too), am really studying these plates.
Here's August, 1795. A girl's dress! Look at her mother's cap! Look at the park and house in the background. Long, happy, sigh.
And Ackermann awaits. Good grief...
6 comments:
Oh my goodness, I cannot possibly thank you enough for sending me over to that website; I will now spend the next ten million hours drowning in wonderful fashion plates and being constantly inspired.
You are my hero.
Dear E. Waterman,
Well, thank you indeed! Like you, I have been spluttering and drowning there already. The riches in that library are staggering. Have already worn out the printer and my pencil in printing plates and text and then taking notes. At this point, am comparing the plates to images from paintings and prints of the era in order to compare and contrast. It's been fantastic.
Very best,
Natalie
What a beautiful find! There's such a lot of things to catch up on after our vacation...now I can enjoy a virtual museum's stroll through this book - thank you!
Sabine
Dear Sabine,
You are welcome! I've been strolling through each evening for a bit, and there is so much to find. Am going through Ackerman's, too. That's a lot slower, because it's hard to locate fashion information in the text, but it's there. So for your 1812-ish years, that will be a ducky resource.
Happy return from vacation,
Natalie
Dear Natalie,
very well I'd love to look into the online collection of Ackermann's Repository. I scrolled to and fro to no avail - maybe I'm still lacking from fatigue due to travelling. Please, can you help me find the mentioned Ackermann's site? Thank you!
Sabine
Dear Sabine,
Ackermann's aid coming, in a new post!
Very best,
Natalie
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