Imagine there is a witty intelligent blog entry here rather then some random sentence I wrote before going to bed early since I have a horrible headache.
This promenade dress for Florence is based on an image from a Godey fashion plate in Feb. of 1873. The gown was purple, black and white, but I’ve left it uncolored, so it can be any combination you like. The skirt is shorter then the carriage dress allowing for easier walking, though such things are rather subjective. It is the 1870’s after all.
I don’t think I would want to dress like a Victorian lady.
Here is Florence, in case you missed the first post in this series.
Today, we have a carriage dress for Florence. Carriage dresses differed from walking dresses for the Victorian lady because they were intended to be worn while riding in a carriage. So, they often feature long trains and longer skirts.
It’s odd to realize that the bustle was originally considered a more rational solution to the huge width that crinoline skirts had grown too.
Fashion can be such a funny thing.
Outside, the snow has coated the ground and it is a beautiful white covering. It makes everything look so peaceful. Unfortunately, it also makes everything so very cold. I avoid spending much time outside in this icy Illinois winter.
I have come to the end of my first week of classes. I am tired, but pleased to have gotten posted Florence’s underwear. I posted Florence last week, and here now is her corset. š
It’s actually a simplified version of all the layers Victorian women wore. There should be a bustle and a corset cover and a chemise under the corset. I’m glad I don’t wear so many layers of underwear.
Except when it’s really cold out, then I get close with my long underwear and my heavy wool socks and my jeans and then sweater and coat and hat and scarf.
But not corsets… I wouldn’t want to wear a corset every day. Once in a while might be okay, but not every day.
Don’t forget to print out Florence, so she can wear these clothing pieces.
French Fashion Dolls were dolls made in the 19th century to help educate young ladies how to dress properly for adulthood. They often had a complete trousseau of clothing which makes them a great subject for paper dolls.
Florence is a combination of several different dolls. Her face is based on the dolls of FranƧois Gaultier like this one from the Carmel Doll Shop. Her body is based on a wooden bodied Bru doll which is one of the most highly prized types of French fashion dolls. I think she sure does make a beautiful Victorian paper doll for printing and coloring in.
Since I didn’t want to end up drawing clothing from the entire French fashion doll era (it ran from about the 1850’s through about 1885, though there are some from as late as 1915), I decided to limit myself. This printable paper doll and her wardrobe is from between the years 1869 and 1875. Today, the paper doll has her night gown, dressing gown and night cap.
Next Friday, Florence’ll get her underwear and then after that she’ll start getting dresses to print. Since Florence, like Curves, is a printable paper doll hold over from the old blog, I do plan to post a mixture of dresses some people have seen and some people haven’t. I am still proud of a lot of the dresses I drew for Florence last year (this isn’t true of a lot of things I’ve drawn), so I have no intention to not keep them as part of the paper doll’s trousseau.