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The Fabric

As for which fabrics and colours are appropriate, please see the 18th century fabrics page. The most suitable are silk taffeta and satin, brocade and damask. Do not use dupioni silk: It may be the chapest kind, but it's also completely unauthentic. If you're on a budget, consider the non-silk alternatives mentioned on the fabrics page.

For those who want it in a nutshell: If you economically puzzle the pattern used here onto your fabric and aren't taller than 165 cm, 7-8 metres @ 150 cm width or 10-12 metres @ 90 cm width will suffice, a small safety allowance included. 1-2 metres more for patterned fabrics.

If you're taller, wide, want to use a different pattern or want to know exactly:
Stout figures need only insignifically more fabric, tall ones need significantly more. The calculation for a relatively economical pattern (i.e. small panier) and 150 cm fabric width goes roughly like this:

• 2 x height for the back
• 1 x height for the front
• about 1 m for the sleeves and small parts
• 2 x maximum skirt length plus 30 cm safety allowance

Even if you're on a budget, an 18th century robe is nothing to be niggard about. At a fabric consumption of 7 metres or above, finding out too late that you're half a metre short is reason enough to bite your own leg off - especially if you're on a budget! So don't let the fabric mature on a shelf, but get to at least the robe-cutting stage while there is stilll something left of that bolt in the shop - or calculate generoulsy from the start.

If you're very tall, consider that you will have to pleat more fabric into the back (i.e. wider back parts), otherwise the pleats won't fall gracefully all the way down. The back parts should also be a bit longer.

If you plan to trim the dress with ruchings &c, add one to two metres to the above. There's also a fabric-saving version that was not uncommon and showed up even in the inventory of Mme Pompadour: The top quarter of the sides and top half of the back were made of linen. Piecing the fabric together like that means more work, but in a time when labour was a lot cheaper than fabric, the additional cost was negligible.

For the lining, you need roughly 150 x 75 cm of a firm linen-weave fabric. The lining will hold the whole construction up, so it mustn't be too weak or be distorted easily. Also good to have: an undefined amount of cheap fabric for mock-ups.

Other materials

Something like a dressmaker's dummy or preferably a patient friend. Since modern commercial dummies don't have the right (corseted) shape, a live helper will still be important; the dummy can at best replace the helper in between the critical steps.

2 m waistband tape for the petticoat, one or two metres of narrower tape for the back lacing, 50 cm of 1.5-2 cm wide tape for the stomacher. 2.5 metres of light boning, optionally pinking shears or a proper pinking tool. Some fabric to protect the underside from rubbing and dirt - inexpensive, not heavier than the top fabric, and smooth. It should be the colour of unbleached cotton or linen or match the top fabric or go well with the top fabric while being inconspicuous. Reckon about 80 cm @ 150 wide or 120 @ 90.

For trimmings, depending on the era and very optional, fine lace, metal lace, satin or taffeta tape, feathers, spangles, artificial flowers.

And finally, the usual suspects: Sewing thread, basting thread, needles, scissors etc. If you're using a silk fabric, go for silk sewing thread. Otherwise, linen thread. Polyester thread is unauthentic, of course - and cotton as well. It was not until a bit after 1800 that cotton could be spun strong enough for sewing thread.

Preparations

It is always recommended to wash the fabric before cutting in case it shrinks. In case of silk, however, that may be risky: Silk tends to lose some of its shine and stiffness. Taffeta in particular tends to show crease lines even if you iron it for hours. On the other hand, washing will become necessary sooner or later, no matter how careful you are. Washing only the dirty parts won't do: You'll have to immerse it all or risk water stains - or a part shiny and stiff, part limp garment. In case of silk taffeta, damask and brocade, I therefore suggest that you don't pre-wash and put off cleaning as long as possible.

Next step: the pattern

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