Polly, Laura, Jenni and her daughter Autumn Jane, Jenni's husband Carson, and me. |
I've done the same with the standby white wrap-front dress, which first debuted in 2011, and wore it to the Jane Austen Festival in Louisville last weekend.
This year it received new sleeves, French-style Grecian sleeves with no seam, that button across the top to hold them closed, green silk ribbon at the hem, and a green silk sash with an antique buckle, a gift from dear friend Sabine, along with the buttons. I have to say, the renovation made the dress feel the best it has yet.
At the Festival on Primidi Thermidor, CCXXII
Jenni and her family, Laura, Polly and I attended the festival as the Merveilleuse and Incroyable contingent from Directoire France. Ah, what a day was Primidi Thermidor, the first day of the month named for summer heat! Most years Locust Grove shimmers under a hot, humid haze, and we thought to thumb our noses at the usually almost-unbearable heat by sporting muslins and French style: no sleeves or almost no sleeves, sandals, no neck-coverings, no outer coverings at all, really, unless you count my kid gloves, which I just could not keep on.
Being a bit barer than our compatriots from America and Britain, we did feel a little naughty. You can't help it when everyone else in costume is layered with handkerchiefs, chemisettes, even spencers, and multiple underpinnings. Excepting two young gentlemen who apparently had just walked out of the same pond Mr. Darcy did in that movie, hatless, jacketless and waistcoatless, but dry. Ye gods.
The ensemble in full. |
Julia, the Bohemian Belle, joins us on the promenade. Sandals are so much cooler than silk stockings and shoes. |
The joke was a little on us, actually. For the first time in five years, the weather was reasonably cool on Saturday, and I was glad of my wool wrap for awhile. It was only hot for the promenade? Why? The weather gods just wanted to annoy us.
Goddess-like, Laura channeling a Frenchwoman circa 1800. |
Dr. and Mrs. Roberts. He portrays a ship's doctor in the Royal Navy. |
Jo Baker read from her novel Longbourn; Dr. John Mullen showed us the details and humor in Austen's novels that time and cultural shifts have hidden from us. There was excellent music and singing, archery, puppet shows, one of the best afternoon teas available in Kentucky
Polly and I. That's a Lydia Fast hat on my head. Great fun, isn't it? |
Readying for the promenade. |
You can read a fuller write-up of the day on Jenni's blog, Living With Jane, and "The Pioneer Times" recorded the entire event in photos. My camera was pretty much stuck in a too-small reticule all afternoon, so I took few pictures, fewer of which came out. My thanks to those who did take photos.
Somewhere we dream. |
You all looked positively racy next to the other ladies ;) Pretty, though. Certainly more inspired by ancient dress than later in the period.
ReplyDeleteThere is *one* recorded instance of a young lady here in Sweden, who was daring enough to go for a walk wearing thin french clothes with flesh coloured stockings. She was so mobbed by the boys she met, she needed help to get away from them...
Dear Sarah W.,
ReplyDeleteThank you! Laura's dress really did feel Grecian or Roman, in an odd way, since the Roman-style dresses I've made actually end up giving a person a great deal more coverage. Still, the feeling was there.
Poor girl in Sweden! She probably didn't expect *that* much attention.
Very best,
Natalie
What a lovely re-imaging of an older dress! I'm particularly fond of your sleeves. So pretty!
ReplyDeleteThe Jane Austen Festival looks like such fun! I hope to make it there next year. :)
Dear Aubry,
ReplyDeleteThank you! The sleeves are really comfortable. I might put in a few more pleats at the sleeve ends: they still feel a bit loose. In hot weather, though, those sleeves are comfortable: no binding, and extra air flow. Not that 95% humidity airflow is much improvement, but hey, any bit is better than none.
Very best, and please do come to the festival next year. Think you'll really enjoy yourself so many people, including me, would be chuffed to meet you.
Very best,
Natalie