A Fractured Fairytale

I made the bulk of this open robe last spring. I was hoping to wear it to Dress U but my old stays no longer fit and I lost steam on the project. Fast forward to this spring when I decided to pull it out again and finish it in time for Costume College. Fortunately, there was very little work left on the robe, just sleeves and the belt across the front.

 

The robe is made from a pink silk taffeta with grey pinstripes and is lined in white linen. I was mainly inspired by this dress from the Met and decided to copy the collar and back pleats from this open robe at the V&A. I also used the drawings in Patterns of Fashion to figure out how I wanted to construct it. The robe is four lengths of fabric from shoulder to hem pleated to a fitted lining. The pleats are then stitched down with a spaced backstitch and the excess fabric is pleated, trimmed, and left free under the skirt.  In the end, I may have gone a bit crazy with the amount of fabric I put into this, but it certainly makes for a dramatic silhouette!