Useful Books & Links
Arnold, Janet.
Patterns of Fashion: English Women's Dresses and Their Construction, c.1660-1860. New York: Drama Book, 1984.
Baumgarten, Linda.
Costume Close-Up: Clothing Construction and Pattern 1750-1790. Williamsburg, Va.: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1999.
Waugh, Norah.
The Cut of Women's Clothes. New York: Routledge, 1968.
The Couture Courtesean: Riding Habit Construction
My Pinterest Project Page
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08/23/2017
And now for what I wore!
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09/21/2017
For me, a trip to Williamsburg isn’t complete without spending at least one day exploring the historic district in 18th century costume. I have so few opportunities to wear the costumes I make in such a perfect setting, that it feels like a waste not to take advantage of the opportunity. So, when I traveled down for the Burnley and Trowbridge jacket workshop last November, I planned in an extra day just to play dress up in town.
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09/27/2017
When I was trying to decide what to wear to Colonial Williamsburg last fall, I couldn’t get the idea of a riding habit out of my head. I’ve always envisioned wearing a habit surrounded by gorgeous fall foliage, and I figured this was the perfect opportunity. My blue-green habit no longer fits very well, so I decided to pick up my long-abandoned pink and grey habit project. I already had the shirt from my first habit, the grey wool petticoat and pink silk waistcoat assembled, and a pattern for the jacket started. Of course, once I tried everything on again, I quickly realized the pattern I made three years ago would not work and the waistcoat needed completely remade. So much for a quick project! Thankfully, I loved the way my aqua striped waistcoat looked with the grey wool, so I could focus patterning and constructing a new jacket to go with them.
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10/08/2017
Now that I’ve shared some photos and some of the images that inspired it, here are some construction details for my early 1780s riding habit.
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