Regency Dress

Amy - here are the details on the Regency dress.

Back View
It doesnt fit the dress form

What I wore under the dress is a corset/petticoat all in one thing.  No idea what to call it.  It really isnt a corset - maybe regency bra top would best describe it.  The bra portion is made from coutil and the bottom is linen.  One day I will finish the corded Regency corset I started years ago and just never bothered to finish...ugh.

Before drawstrings are
pulled and tied

Drawstrings pulled tight

Still love my little tucks which I used to shorten the skirt portion.  So sweet.  The bra portion does a fantastic job of giving you a regency look through.  You just pull those drawstrings tight and viola...



It works even on my dress form so you can imagine how it works on malleable flesh. .. Wonderfully!!

Because I am well endowed and I did NOT want to be one of those women you see at regency dances falling out of their dress, I went with a crossover style bodice.  Totally period correct but for some reason unusual.  I was the only woman at the dance I attended with this type of bodice.

There are 2 pleats on each
side to help stop the
maternity look as well as
drawstring to pull in the bodice

Love the sleeves but they are a little long on me.  Thought this style was less twee than puff sleeves.  When you get to be a certain age, puff sleeves can look a little silly.  Also, I think at the dance I attended, I was the only woman without puff sleeves.

This is a better view of my velvet trim.  I wanted the the triangles to go down the front but shocker....I ran out of time!  So, a couple of rows at the hen had to suffice.  These were a quick fixed and merely eyeballed whilst sewing.  I did have some tucks but the the skirt was soooooo long even with 5 tucks in place and time was running out, I just folded them up into the hem for a quick fix.  Not surprising, I haven't returned to fix the problem.  Ugh....the dress has sat on a dress form mocking me for months daring me to rip it apart and fix it.  The dress wins, I haven't felt like it.

Back view
You can see the
full pleated back

All in all, a good first foray into Regency.  I wore it again last Saturday with success.  This is just such an easy time period to wear which makes it so much fun.

I have two Regency events in October and would like to make a day dress perhaps with the more conventional bodice.  I have the fabric and trim for a new Regency ball gown but not sure I want to dive into that right now.