18th Century Court Gown

As part of a yearlong project, I designed, drafted, and built a historically accurate 1780s court gown ensemble and all of its requisite underpinnings. The outer look consists of a Watteau-back robe à la française, stomacher, and underskirt. Supporting the garments are a chemise, steel boned/wood busked set of stays, basket paniers, and a petticoat. All of these elements were custom made by me for my own measurements. This has been my most ambitious construction project to date, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Outerwear photos by Austin Bomkamp

Underpinning photos by Ripley DeCaluwe