18th Century Court Ensembles Project

IMPORTANT NOTE! Most of us who stuck through this project completed our ensembles in 2014 and 2015. Therefore, I’m not going to add anyone else to this page. There is a Facebook group for this project, and a few people are still planning their dresses, so you may want to join there if you’d like to play along!

Want an over-the-top, crazy/huge/fabulous 18th century ensemble?  Who doesn’t!  Well, I’m making one for the Costume College 2014 2015 gala, and you’re invited to join me!

How It Worked

Make a court ensemble — men’s or women’s, doesn’t matter — from any country, from any period of the 18th century.  It can be historically accurate or complete fantasy, you decide!

Want to Play?

Make an 18th century court ensemble!  The deadline is Costume College 2014 2015, but you don’t need to attend Costume College to play!  Just post photos and information on your outfit on your blog, Facebook, Flickr, wherever by then!  I’ll do a round-up post on all the finished outfits, and also let people know if you’re blogging about your project as you go.

If you’re coming to Costume College 2014 2015, then it’s court dresses for the Gala, baby!

To make sure we don’t end up duplicating each other, send me an email if you’d like to stake a claim to a particular outfit, whether it be extant or in a painting/fashion plate/whatever.

Participants & Claimed Outfits

Resources

I’ll be blogging about 18th century French court dress over the coming year.  In addition, check out:

• Andrew Schroeder:  18th century court dress Pinterest board
• Chateau de Versailles:  Fastes de Cour exhibition site
• Demode:  18th century French court dress Pinterest board
• Fashion is my Muse:  18th century court dress research
• Isis’ Wardrobe:  robe de cour project
• Kitty Pridden:  Women’s 18th century court dresses Pinterest board
• Koshka-the-Cat/Fashionable Past:  1782 Court Dress project
• Lisotchka:  1700’s robe de cour Pinterest board
• Sanna K:  18th century:  court dresses Pinterest board

Fastes de cour et ceremonies royales (French Edition)
The Cut of Women’s Clothes: 1600-1930
Dressed to Rule: Royal and Court Costume from Louis XIV to Elizabeth II
Magnificence of the Tsars: Ceremonial Men’s Dress of the Imperial Russian Court 1721-1917
Court dress collection: Kensington Palace
Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution
Mrs. Delany and Her Circle (Yale Center for British Art)

Participating Bloggers

• All the Pretty Dresses
• Anaria’s Costumes
• Artisan Alchemy
• Aylwen Historical Costuming
• Before the Automobile
• Beyond the Hourglass
• BJD Couture
• The Costumer’s Closet
• Costuming Drama
• Crow’s Nest
• DIYlettante
• The Dreamstress
• Dressed in Time
• Ett Folk, En Drägt
• The Fashion Historian
• Festive Attyre
• Fleur de Lysa
• A Fractured Fairytale
• The Friporium
• Geek Mom in the Trenches
• Genteel Musings
• Gilded Garb
• Historic Gowns
• I Know My Stitches
• Idle Hands…The Ms-Fits’ Workshop
• Ill-Clad and Half Mad
• Isis’ Wardrobe
• It Came From the Stash
• Izodiea
• Jenny la Fleur
• Last Minute Costumer
• Madame Seiver Sews
• Maggie’s Costume Wardrobe
• Michaela de Bruce
• Mistress of Disguise
• Mode Historique
• A Painting Sprung to Life
• Pohjan sodasta Suomen sotaan – elämää 1700-luvulla
• The Lady Rebecca
• Rocking the Frock
• The Quintessential Clothes Pen
• SaharaZara
• A Sartorial Statement
• Sew 18th Century
• Sew Impossible
• So Steady as She Sews
• Some Babblings
• Starlight Masquerade
• Teacups & Taffeta
• Trystan’s Costume Closet
• Victoria Sews
• Ye Olde Dressmaking Closet
• Where When Why