CircaVintageClothing
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![[*]](./images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif) posted on 6-11-09 at 09:45 PM |
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My 1820s (?) gown is in an exhibition
Hi everyone,
I'm excited because the oldest gown in my collection is now on display at a local exhibition.
"What Women Wore: Fashion at a glance 1820-1960" is on at the City Museum, Melbourne (Australia) until February. I'm also going to give a couple of
talks about vintage fashions and collecting.
Here's a detail of the bodice - to see more and also some of the other dresses in the exhibition, go here.
Now I'd like to seek your opinion on this gown - I used to think it was 1830s and now I wonder if it's late 1820s (see image from 1829 here). Any opinions? The silhouette is easy to
see - the sleeves are very long so I think they would have been puffed up a bit, and I think the shoulderline is wider than it looks on the mannequin.
The collar is petal shaped, and is longer over the sleeves.
Apologies for the blurry image - this one is closer to the colour:
Nicole
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vintagemerchant
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| posted on 6-11-09 at 09:49 PM |
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i am so not good with this era, but i just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS and that is one gorgeous piece, Nicole!!
Mary
~~~
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Metro Retro Vintage
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| posted on 6-11-09 at 10:10 PM |
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How beautiful! I was gah-gah-ing over *all* of those luscious dresses! 
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TheVintageVortex
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| posted on 6-11-09 at 10:13 PM |
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Congratulation! That's fantastic! Your dresses are so wonderful and I am sorry to say I am no help to your question. I have never even come across
anything that old in all of my searching. These must be a rare find for you in Australia too!! You must have incredible luck, finding all of those
spectacular beauties 
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Midge
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| posted on 6-11-09 at 11:28 PM |
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Wow, my congratulations too! And that is one lovely dress  ! And the
color - so beautiful!
I love historical fashion, and this here touches almost on my favourite period in fashion history (pre-1900), or let's say, it comes just after it. I
admit, I go nuts for anything Empire-style (basically 1800-1820).
Anyway, I think you are absolutely right! The skirt isn't wide enough for the 1830s I think. I would date this somewhere 1826-1830, no later. I had a
quick look at my one very detailed fashion history book too, but - it's a bit late here to try and read detailed descriptions in French... so this is
my gut feeling  .
Karin
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suelangley
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| posted on 7-11-09 at 02:27 AM |
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Nicole's 1820s Gown
Wow Nicole, how wonderful! I agree late 1820s is most likely according to what's shown in the fabulous Costume Parisien fashion plates of that era.
Congratulations! Sue
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glamoursurf
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| posted on 7-11-09 at 03:34 AM |
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Holy cow, way out of my expertise, but Nicole, that is fab! And congrats on a museum exhibition! I really need to come to Australia...
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Jonathan
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| posted on 7-11-09 at 02:42 PM |
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I would have said about 1830 on the nose. Those sleeves are typical of right about then - Of course they would look different on an arm because the
puff would get pushed up into a roundish shaped upper arm with a tight forearm. The skirt isn't very full but it also doesn't use ruffles or
rouleaux to pad out the width. Lastly, that colour shows up in period coloured illustrations right around 1830 - its in that colour range of
'geranium' that they liked at the time.
The skirt isn't full enough for anything after 1832 and the sleeves are the wrong shape for anything before 1828, so it has to be in there somewhere.
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Midge
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| posted on 7-11-09 at 06:48 PM |
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Great explanation, Jonathan! I just learned something again  . I have
been wondering when this kind of sleeve came up exactly.
Karin
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cmpollack
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| posted on 7-11-09 at 07:12 PM |
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congratulations, Nicole! That's very exciting, and what a gorgeous dress...
So glad Jonathan weighed in, especially since now we have a precise way of describing that luscious color: "Geranium"... exactly!
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CircaVintageClothing
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| posted on 8-11-09 at 02:09 AM |
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Thanks everyone for your comments, especially Jonathan with the dating. Now that I consider that it was found in Australia, it may even be early 1830s
as we were sure to be a few years behind on fashions. I love that these dates can be pinned down so well.
Nicole
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vintagebaubles
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| posted on 8-11-09 at 02:34 AM |
Reply #: 11 |
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Congratulations, Nicole! What a smashingly lovely dress, and I adore that color!!!!
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cat123creative
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| posted on 8-11-09 at 12:38 PM |
Reply #: 12 |
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Congratulations Nicole. A beautiful dress and I agree, the colour is lush! 
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