Synthetic Brocade, Silk Chiffon, Cotton Lace (Photos by Joshua Purvis)
Worn over canvas pocket hoop panniers and a matching petticoat. Inspired by a pattern in Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion 1 of a gown dated 1770-5, held in the collections of Snowshill Manor, Gloucestershire, UK.
An illustration by Janet Arnold for her book Patterns of Fashion 2.
The gown studied by Janet Arnold for Patterns of Fashion 2. It is shown flat rather than mounted on a form as it may be too delicate to support its own weight. The matching petticoat also survives.
The robe à la française relied on a very specific kind of skirt support called a pannier. These came in several shapes and sizes. Some were large and encircled the whole lower body extending to the mid-calf or ankle. Others, such as those pictured above took the form or pocket hoops, and were smaller and much easier to wear.
The stays of the period lifted the bust and formed the upper body into a triangular shape.
A front and back view of two robes à la française mounted and on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
