Anyway, last weekend was the annual War of 1812 weekend at Genesee Country Village and Museum. And (there's a hint here) because this is 2012 and the war started in 1812, it's also the bicentennial.
I will admist that I know virtually nothing about this particular fracas, so I went to the museum to learn. And I did!
I also went because there was a fashion show including dresses, etc. from the period 1800-1812. The presenter is a specialist in the clothing of the period. I need to check with GCVM because I don't have her name. I apologize.
At any rate, I'm rather fond of the dresses of the period - especially in the US. The sources of the dresses (which have been recreated) are either fashion plates, actual dresses themselves, or source records from states such as Ohio and Missouri.
I took notes (heaven help you all!) So I can at least attempt to describe what I saw. Keep your fingers crossed on that, okay?
I had the dickens of a time getting everyone in to a group shot (there was a professional photographer there doing the honors, and I just clicked and snapped from farther back. Here's the left side of the line (this is after the show)
And here's the right (look down - maybe I'll get it correct this time!!!)
Okay - there are a lot of ladies and they all have dresses on. One has a parasol (with a silk fringe, I might add!)
But I being the genius that I am? Hush - I HEARD that! I decided to crop individual-ish pictures and describe 'em.
Aren't you just excited? I hope?
The young lady to his right is wearing a dress from a Paris fashion plate of the very early 1800s. The dress is made, as was the original in the fashion plate, from a sari. In the first part of the 19th centure, the Oriental world and its wonders were the rage, and Parisian haute coutre reflected that. Her headpiece is a variation (I think) on the old French liberty cap. Up close, the effect was spectacular.
What you will see as a common element during this period is an Empire (ahm-peer) waistline in many of the dresses. There is also an emphasis both on style and practicality, for this was a time before closets, among other things, so one was required to be gorgeous and exceptionally efficicient in terms of the space occupied by one's dresses, etc.
Another common theme is the emphasis on flexibility - dresses didn't have zippers (they hadn't been invented yet). And many times a woman needed to be able to dress herself. Soooo wrap around skirts, drawstrings and pull over tops were definitely encouraged. The concept of using gores to define skirt and top shapes was also not done this early. Therefore, pleats and more pleats, all of them in the back of the dresses, and of varying widths, were helpful in terms of modifying the line of the dress.
These two ladies are in two entirely different types of dresses. The lady on your left is wearing a Quaker style dress. The lines are simple and modest, and around her neck and bodice is a very simple white tucker. The original was made of a silk/wool blend (yup, they did that then as they do now), but the lady above is wearing the reproduction in cotton. Note that the sleeves, as are all of the sleeves of this period, cling to the line of the arm.
The lady in green is quite fashionable. Her hat threatened to capsize her, I think, but she handle it with dignity (and probably a silent threat). Her jacket, like the other jackets here (with the exception of the gentleman's) is called a Spenser. It's cut quite short overall, and the back would have varying pleats depending on the seamstress, the material, etc.
This lady's dress is corded cotton - that means that some of the cotton in the dress was of a heavier weight than the rest. This helped to give the dress some form. In addition, her dress has a back kick pleat, which was not all that common.
She's wearing cotton gloves (try keeping those white! Lemon juice and sunshine...sigh) and has a small and relatively useless reticule. But that's just me looking at it from my vantage point.
This dress is a two piece cotton affair. The original is in the Ohio Historic Museum and was made in the period 1805-1810.
As the moderator reminded everyone, although Ohio was quite far west (enough to be called the Frontier), goods were available for making good looking dresses if one had both the time and the money. As an example: a fashion magazine from Paris could be seen in St. Louis 6 weeks after it was put on a ship to come to the US. Things had changed a great deal in the preceding 25 years, and cloth was available in numerous patterns and colors, even this far wast.
The jacket is a more covering garment than the Spenser jacket. l And the dress has a drawstring neckline that could be altered to suit the situation. The hat would have been something a local milliner would have made.
And onward, although it's now June 27!
Let's see - where were we...oh, okay...
These two ladies were actually at the far right of the line. Both of these ladies are dressed for afternoon calling. The style of dress is as we've seen earlier, but the print is different, and the outfits were what a woman would wear out in the afternoon.
The second lady, in neutral tones, is wearing a hat in the neo-Roman fashion. It's decorated with ostrich plumes. Her dress has what to us seems a fairly modern hemline. It rises above the ankle in front and gradually drops to touch the ground in back. Yup, they did that then, too!
The lady on your left is the one who demonstrated the undergarments worn by women of this period. Her plaid lined silk robe shows a strong Chinese influence, as did many things during this time.
And last in the show, but hardly least, is the young lady on the right...again, her dress is typical of the period and that hat! Goodness! Silk and flowers and enough to make ME want to wear one. For a moment. If my Earnhardt cap isn't looking.
I think I'm going to post this lest I lose it by waiting too long! Here goes!
