Lord Ironwulf's Period Costumes

Lord Ironwulf's

1770's Dress

When I was in college, one of the plays I was involved in making costumes for was a period comedy entitled "She Stoops To Conquer", about a wealthy young lady who pretends to be a simple farm girl to attract the man of her dreams. While I was responsible for bringing one of the male lead's costumes to life, I found the women's costumes to be very flattering and beautiful, and found the time to try to make one some time after the play was finished. I chose to base my recreation on a pattern taken from a dress from The Gallery of English Costume, featured in Janet Arnold's book Patterns Of Fashion 1.

You may wonder where I found fabric printed with such an unusual pattern. Here's a tip for period costume fabrics - upholstery fabric! Yes, you'll find that many commonly available types of upholstery fabric are printed or woven with patterns that are perfect for period items like this. The fabric I chose was a simple polished cotton blend, which substituted well for the silk polonaise of the original garment. The underskirt is a simple polyester satin, which, if I'd had more time, could have been quilted and filled out with petticoats. The skirt is gathered and tied under the back, in a sort of precursor to "the bustle".

For authenticity, a corset would have completed the look and helped define the shape of the dress, but the model refused to wear one. The cuffs are made from a modern white lace, and are sewn into the sleeves, something you wouldn't have really done on the original piece. Since I didn't have the chance to make the regular undergarments for this period of dress, a little lace poking through was simulated by a gathered lace being added to the neckline.

1770's Jacket

This is a jacket I made for the play "She Stoops To Conquer". Again, the fabric is a heavy woven tapestry fabric. The whole garment is heavily interfaced, and holds its shape well. The pattern is sort of a generic one based on the period. The colors and fabrics were chosen by someone else.

The secret to getting this style right is in the pleated back, and lots of fitted interfacings. It takes a while to figure out how the pleats to fold up, and to make them "hang' right.

Since the inside is meant to be seen, the jacket has a lining that is cut from the same pattern as the shell, and the right side has a set in pocket that was meant to hold a small rubber ball prop in one scene. The outer pockets are merely decorative, and are nothing more than flaps.

Costumes like these are available at...

http://www.shadowdalecreations.com

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