Silver 1660s Gown

Final Project, Historical Costume Construction, Indiana University, Spring 2019

This gown is inspired by an original 1660s gown from the Fashion Museum in Bath, England. The patterns for the stays, skirt, and underpinnings were drafted after extensive library and online research. The stays are fully boned with hand-bound edges. Heavy linen canvas in sleeve pleats gives the sleeves their distinctive shape. The original gown was made of cloth of silver, so this one was made of a metallic silver fabric flat-lined to heavy cotton to give it a similar weight and sheen. Awarded Second Place in SETC’s 2020 Costume Technology Competition.