c.1780 Italian Gown – In Action – literally!

Now I can finally show you the whole look of my new 1780s ensemble all put together!

(In case you’re just tuning in and/or would like to revisit the construction posts I wrote about this here are links to the bodice, petticoat, and skirt + finishing)

(and I will still be doing a post about the sleeve cuffs, some of the underpinnings, and the wig, which I will link to here when it’s done and up)

Taylor (aka Dames a la Mode) graciously volunteered to do a photoshoot for me last Friday. The location is St James church + yard just up 8th street from my house here on Capitol Hill that’s done in an atmospheric faux-gothic-Jacobean mash-up style. I kinda love it!

And now on to the show!

We started off with the skirt drawn up a la polonaise.

Obligatory butt-shot:

The next 3 shots show the polonaise-d skirt in swaying/swishing motion:

And then I let down the skirt for some full-skirt-length shots. It definitely noticeably changes the overall feel of the dress, I think. Drawn-up it’s very fun and frothy, let down it’s rather regal! What do you think? Am I thinking about this too much? Lol

Showing off my American Duchess Dunmore shoes in the black wool with I can’t remember which buckles and the white with black clocks silk stockings – a perfect pairing with this dress, I think!

The let-down skirt also lends itself well to billowing!

And spinning!

Taylor also got some really nice detail shots

The skirt trim with the skirt drawn up:

And with the skirt let down:

Finally, Taylor had the great idea of doing a little video showing how the dress moves (and how much I obviously love wearing it!). Thus the “literally” of this post’s title:

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Well done, you, if you made it to the end of this post! I know it was a lot of photos but I hope you enjoyed them!