Dressing an 18th Century Gown Today
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How did women get dressed in the 18th century? This question was recently answered by the Lady Lever Art Gallery and National Museums Liverpool with their video reenacting just that. The video grew in populariaty with a feature on Slate as well as other social media platforms, and it has inspired this post.
One of the earliest dresses in the Fashion Archives at the Maryland Historical Society is a large-scale brocade dress from the 1740s. The dress was originally worn by Mrs. Hugh Davey (née Elizabth Woodrop, 1724-1782), and was worn again later in the 18th century based on some alterations to the bodice.
Of course, the dress put on a modern form with no underclothes or pinnings does not give the most accurate image of what it would have looked like when worn in the 18th century! As the Lady Lever Art Gallery video demonstrates, Mrs. Davey would have a linen shift on underneath everything, followed by her stays which would shape the bodice. Additionally, she would have side hoops or a pair of pocket hoops like that shown below to shape and support the skirt.
Side hoop, T.120-1969, Victoria and Albert Museum, Given by Mr and Mrs R. C. Carter |
Pocket hoop 1954.38.6, Gift of James Bordley Jr. |
These skirt supports would allow the expensive silk brocade fabric to be on display, a testament to the familial wealth of the wearer.
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A petticoat would also be worn under the dress, visible in the front opening of the skirt. This could have been in a matching palette to the dress or in a contrasting fabric.
While we do not have the reproduction underclothes and petticoat needed to truly illustrate how this dress may have looked when it was worn in the 18th century, we can give some clue. This dress was exhibited at the Maryland Historical Society in 1978 in the Historic Pratt House, and was photographed for documentation purposes. The image illustrates how the dress is brought to life when these much needed supports are added to create the proper 18th century silhouette.
Exhibition Documentation from a 1978 gallery in the Historic Pratt House |
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References:
Baumgarten, Linda (2002). What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonialand Federal America
The Smithsonian Institute, Fashion: A Definitive History of Costume and Style