Noir Regency Curtain-Along dress musings... Help!

[jaelie]

Ok, so there's this dress:

Comments

[nuranar]

I've never seen a dress with both center front bodice opening *and* a bib front bodice. It's totally unpractical to have both. If that *is* a button, then I don't think there's a CF opening. I see the line you're talking about, though, so I suspect it's a seam. The reason is unknowable, but it could be fabric limitation, particularly if this was recut entirely from an earlier gown. Or, for what it's worth, page 101 in Costume in Detail has a back-opening dress with an extremely low neckline, that yet has a seam all the way down front of bodice and skirt. Also, the drawstring channels seem to thicken slightly at the center front, as if from extra material in a seam allowance, but there's no gap at all

[jaelie]

I don't have a copy of "Costume in Detail" but I'll google it and see what turns up. It's called "Apron Front"? I think I have seen some of these in various pinterest-fests.... I was thinking drop-front, but maybe apron front would make sense, too.... If you look at the image, the skirt isn't attached to that waistband. The gathers are lying underneath it.

I don't know that I am going to copy it 100% exactly, but I would like to understand its construction before I start! I think this is actually the first garment I ever looked at and actually wanted to make it as close-looking to it as possible. I'm usually quite laid back and 'eh' about my construction, LOL!

I am going to make a working mock-up (as in, another dress that I can actually wear, hah!) in some of this bajillion yards of white fabric first, to make sure I like what I get.

[nuranar]

I highly recommend Costume in Detail! It's detailed sketches of several hundred original garments, from mid 1700s to the 1930s. Lots of construction details and measurements. It was the first costume book I bought, and still the first one I reach for. In print, and relatively inexpensive