English Country Dance Costumes

I have made three versions of headwear to go with three of the ballgowns I have made.  The designs were based on the beautiful drawings in Cunnington’s book English Women’s Clothing in the Nineteenth Century.  The first one I have already worn to a ball, and it certainly made the solution to the ‘hair’ problem very simple!

The first was to go with the royal blue and white gown.  I used the pattern for the crown from the ladies Regency day cap, with a narrow white headband and made a padded twisted band from both fabrics, trimmed with the rose ribbon which decorates the dress.  I didn’t have a large enough piece of blue, or of white, so made a patchwork crown.  A drawstring travels in the headband to make adjustable fit, and the rosette that I wore formerly in my hair decorates the bow of white fabric which finishes the twisted band.   Four ringlet locks of hair from a wig are attached at the back for a hint of authenticity.

Second was the turban to match the purple tartan gown.  I chose to use a piece of tan/gold silk which matched the beige in the tartan, as it falls more elegantly than the stiffer taffeta would.  It is lined with cotton which is smaller than the silk, so that the silk can stand up above the cotton.  Again I made a padded twisted band from the taffeta, decorated this time with purple piping as on the dress.  At the back is a matching silk bow tied with a gold cord and tassels and a small white ostrich feather.

The most recent one is to go with the ivory silk gown.  I made a cap, using again the crown of the Regency day cap, added a band, and lined the crown with cotton.  The silk seemed a bit full, and so I put gathering across the crown in several places, decorated with strands of tiny pearl-coloured beads.  I had seen a cap gathered in a similar fashion in Cunnington.  The headband was decorated with twisted gold and white cords twisted with a strand of  pearl-like beads.  At one side of the cap is a rosette of silk above a silk tie with a few matching feathers as a cockade.

 These caps are delightfully light to wear, and will be fine for dancing!

Here is the Victorian version of a chemisette, the habit shirt.  This was worn with dresses which have a lower neckline, or a partially open front as seen in the last half of the 19th century.  And something with this name would have been worn even earlier, although with the early riding habits a full shirt with sleeves was pobably more common, depending on the style of the habit.

This one is made from Verona lawn, a cotton fabric so fine it feels like silk.  The buttons are pearl finish, and lace edges the collar.  The lace matches that on the removable undersleeves which I wear with my 1860 tartan taffeta dress.

These undersleeves are made from Verona lawn, a very fine cotton that feels like silk.  I decorated the cuffs with some trapunto and French knot embroidery, and the buttonholes are made by hand.  The undersleeves are worn with my 1860 tartan taffeta dress.   I added lace which matches that on the habit shirt.  The sleeves are 16 inches long overall, and button into the dress sleeve lining.

Here are a couple of the chemisettes I have made.  One has a simple gathered ruffle, the other has a basic ruff, and one has a hemmed ruffle.  All finishes were popular in the first half of the 19th century.  They were worn to fill in the neck of the dresses worn in the daytime, thus extending the wear of the low-necked dresses, as it was not decent, at least in the upper classes, to expose any skin in the daytime.  At night it was different!!  You see many illustrations of ruffs in particular, some of them having almost Elizabethan proportions.

First, here is one made of cotton batiste, with a selvedge edge ruffle.  There is a drawstring through the narrow facing that covers the seam between the body and the ruffle, making it moderately adjustable.  It is open down the front, and another drawstring anchors the hem to prevent it riding up.

Second, here is one with a single layer pleated ruff, also made from cotton batiste, using the selvedge edge on the ruff.   Drawstrings in both cases are made from twisted crochet cotton.  This one has a placket in front so the drawstring ties at the side at the hem.

The third version is made from cotton muslin, and has a narrowly hemmed ruffle.  There is fine lace on each edge of the opening, and it is fastened with a drawstring at the neck and two hooks and eyes.

I picked up this remnant of silk with the idea of making a spencer out of it, and it is quite successfull.  I worked from the Period Impressions pattern, choosing to add reveres and a retangular collar, along with the peplum at the back.  I added a matching reticule, and the whole thing looks good with my new ivory silk dress.  The buttons and buckle are metallic silver coloured.  I was pleased to find a silk gentleman’s jacket, dated to the Empire period, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s database, which had a very similar stripe, only in browns and beige.  I am glad I am on the right track here!

The reticule has the same tassel as on the strings and a matching silver coloured button.