Thursday, October 17, 2013

Elegant Lady's Closet Drawstring Gown Review

If you are in a time crunch but still want something new to wear for the Georgian picnic, I can highly recommend Sensibility.com's Elegant Lady's Closet pattern, specifically the drawstring gown. I've made it five times now, and one of those times I made it in a week, with a newborn baby.

The thing I love the most about this pattern (aside from its sheer simplicity) is its very forgiving design. The drawstring aspect to it allows for a lot of fluctuation in weight of the wearer, so precise fitting isn't really necessary. This trait also makes it ideal as a loaner when you want to entice friends along on a costumed adventure.



Additionally, if you wear a very "lifting" bra or good fitting sports bra, you can get a decent facsimile of the correct silhouette for the Regency period. I've totally cheated in this way, especially when I still had my little nursling. Ideally, of course, I prefer Regency short stays to get the perfect silhouette. However, if you're in a rush or want to do a quick one-off, then go for it. I also have worn this dress with a long, modern slip, and another time with a Victorian petticoat that I just hiked up to my under-bust with safety-pinned shoulder straps to hold it in position.

As for the pattern itself, the directions are clear and easy to follow, with useful illustrations. I’m a very visual learner, so the illustrations were key. Also, because her patterns are so often used, there are a lot of very useful resources on her website, like tutorials, videos, and other extensive tips and tricks.

Here are the samples that I myself have made…

First run through was in a light weight pink cotton:



Second was the one I put together super quickly, soon after my son was born. This one has an elastic neckline, which was done for the ease of nursing my little one:



And a full length shot:



Third was as a Christmas gift for my niece:



An action shot:



On the fourth go around, I took liberties and turned it into a chemise dress out of a very fine cotton voile. For this one, I simply added extra fabric to the front (bodice and skirt) and extra fabric to the skirt in the back to get the look I wanted.



And the fifth and most recent rendition, I followed a tutorial done by Mme. du Jards Atelier and made a spencer.



I've only made the dress with the long sleeves and the elbow length sleeves, but it also comes with a pattern for short puffy sleeves for another variation.

I've definitely gotten great use from this pattern, and highly recommend it to the beginning costumer for a great start in the Regency era. I also would recommend it to the more experienced costumer who is looking for a quick, simple gown in an era that they may not have done.


UPDATE 3/23/15:
Since writing this review, I've made it two more times. This one (#6) is modified into a drop front gown:



And this one (#7), on the other hand, is made pretty much exactly to pattern specs, using the short puff sleeves (I'm wearing the white chemise gown underneath):



UPDATE 1/31/2017

I've made it again, hah! It's just TOOO easy. This one (#8) was for the 2015 Georgian Picnic and I wanted a new dress:



And I made another spencerino (#9) for a fabric challenge:



3 comments:

  1. I do agree with you thought that if you wear a right bra you can feel more comfortable. As, we all know that bras are available in many types and designs. It is necessary to select a right fitted bra so that you will not face any problem when you go outside. A right foot bra saves you from many problems.
    Reference:
    http://www.sheerluxurylingerie.com/bras.html/

    ReplyDelete
  2. The dress is even more beautiful in person! It is a bit big as expected but my seamstress said no problem on taking it in to fit me exact and she couldn't believe the price either.
    Antonio Melani

    ReplyDelete
  3. Review updated to add two more gowns made using this pattern.

    ReplyDelete