Just wanted to thank everyone for their replies. Hope, thank you for the images (your post below), and the difference between ball and opera gowns. FWIW, I'm going for a basic day gown that might I might accessorize in future for evening, if possible.
Based on your responses. I think I'm going to leave off the train - I am a klutz walking in long skirts at the best of times, and it might be a modern conceit, but I have no interest in walking around holding up my train or bunching it under my arms :P Perhaps I'll create an open robe or similar to dress it up, and IT can have the train! Allison T. > > Message: 6 > Date: Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:47:09 -0500 > From: Hope Greenberg <hope.greenb...@uvm.edu> > To: Historical Costume <h-cost...@indra.com> > Subject: Re: [h-cost] Question: Regency trains? > Message-ID: <4b902a5d.20...@uvm.edu> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Sounds lovely. Answering the question of what to do with a train, both > in terms of carrying it and in terms of protecting it, is a challenge. > Here are some thoughts: > > For the gowns just before 1800 that were fuller, women are shown > twisting the train up behind their backs, holding a bit of it under > their arms, or pulling the fullness of the skirt around towards the > front. Here are some images from Heideloff's: > > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/heideloff-1795-03-0005.jpg > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/heideloff-1795-07-0005.jpg > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/heideloff-1795-10-0005.jpg > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/heideloff-1795-11-0002.jpg > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/heideloff-1797-08-0002.jpg > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/heideloff-1798-03-0005.jpg > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/heideloff-1799-05-0002.jpg > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/heideloff-1799-10-0002.jpg > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/heideloff-1800-10-0005.jpg > > On the other hand, the fashionable ladies promenading at Kensington > Gardens in 1804 allowed their trains to flow behind them, so elegantly. > Notice, however, that their petticoats/undergowns also appear to be > trained. This might be a clue as to how to protect the overgown from > excessive soiling. A easy to wash plain cotton undergown beneath a > diaphonous overgown would work well. > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/1804-fashionsoflondon-promenade-Kensingtongardens.jpg > > By 1810 trains all but disappear, and even before that there are many > images of gowns that have no trains. > > And, as an aside, if making a formal gown for evening, be sure to > differentiate between 'ball dress' and 'evening wear.' I have yet to > find an image of a post-1810 ball gown that has a train. Up to and > around 1810 there are plenty of 'full dress' or 'evening wear' or 'opera > dress' gowns that do, but ball gowns, no. > Ball dress: > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/1809-wu-ackermann-balldress.png > Evening full dress: > http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/1800train/1809-white-washington.jpg > > By the way, I would be suspicious of claims that all women wrapped their > gowns over their arms to pull them tight. SOunds like a modern > interpretation! > > - Hope > _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
