A floral Regency short gown and skirt

 Hi everyone!

Long time has gone since the last post...and I feel like we've missed a lot. I moved to another region, changed my job (I'm no longer a full time historical costumer alas...but I'm always employed in the sewing industry...), got married and changed a little my focus on historical reenactment introducing new eras (like 17th century) and putting apart some (18th century).

But let's try to start again. I have updated my "19th century" archive right now and noticed that despite the lack of time, I managed to make something new. The floral short gown is one of the few things I made and it has a special meaning to me as I made right after the loss of Furio, my beloved tuxedo cat passed at the end of August 2023. 

First of all, what's a short gown?

Short gown is a sort of jacket worn during late 18th century and early Empire/Regency era (I'm Italian so I should talk of Empire fashion though...) which is perfect for informal and/or working occasions. As the name suggests, the short gown is...short, though the lengths may vary according to fashion trends and purposes. Short gowns were often made in linen, wool and cotton and feature a drawstring closure at neckline and lower bust, some had a separate front lining and some not. I made mine in late 18th century style with a separate lining that crosses over the bust and my stays and a moderately high waistline. Plain, prints, and stripes were all very popular and sleeves came also in several shapes from short to long. My favourite is the 3/4 length. 

Some extant examples...

Wearing the short gown in Palmanova with coral necklace and fichu...

I wanted this project to be fast and low budget. Very low budget. I'm trying to use my stash instead of buying new stuff so I used what I had on hand...I'm sure you recognized this.

Sounds familiar?

It is! The famous Ikea duvet made it again! I had several left overs from my robe à l'anglaise which were enough to make a jacket or a small bodice so here there we go...

The construction was pretty much straightforward, I basically used my round gown pattern for bodice and sleeves and used a simple rectangle to make the skirts; I used machine stitching inside and hand finish outside as usual. I planned to wear it with my frilled chemisette but the weather was too hot. I left sleeves unlined to stay cooler and I'm so glad I did. 

I didn't take photos of the skirt but it has the classic trapezoidal shape with cotton straps. 

Some close ups...

A hat was mandatory...

Caught on the job by FotoDidi

My not impressed face in 36°C heat...

And the classic mirror selfie in hotel hall! 

And that's all for now.

I wish I had took more detailed photos of the inside of the jacket but I didn't have the chance to wear it again as my presence in Empire reenactment is quite low at the moment...

I hope you'd happy to read from me again and found inspired enough to make your own short gown!