Pretty gown, but how to make?

By sakura_petals. 20/05/09, 04:13 pm

I've been doing some researching about one of my fav subjects (Anastasia Romanov) and remembered the gorgeous ball gown at the end of the movie Anastasia (20th Century Fox). I'd love to someday make this and one based on real Court Gowns worn by the Royal family, but for now how would you go about making this dress? And would it be hard to make well?

Pic:
Pretty gown, but how to make? Anastasiacartoonfront

Pretty gown, but how to make? Anastasiacartoonfront

By azeria. 20/05/09, 04:30 pm

ANASTSIA!
I always wanted the outfit she wore to the Ballet. SO PRETTY

... forgive completely unhelpful comment Dx
Good Luck~!

**Guest** Guest

Judging on the era, we are talking Corset, Hoop Skirt and petticoats... Very Happy

If you got good research, it shouldn't be too hard.

SS

By sakura_petals. 20/05/09, 04:38 pm

It''s meant to be around the time 1920ish but the actual gowns it''s copied from are from much earlier. The only problem is that the real gowns are created differently to this one, I also fail at judging how easy something is to make because my artistic side just stops at the prettiness. Very Happy

Edit: The one at the ballet is very elegant but not much to my liking. I love this one better but I absolutely adore these:

Spoiler:

**Guest** Guest

Well, in the 1920s, they still had corsets, and petticoats. lol

Do you have pic of the one you are wanting to combine with the one above??

SS

By sakura_petals. 20/05/09, 05:06 pm

I seem to think of the 20s as the sleeker style of the flappers! LOL! I have trouble remembering that fashion is a mixture of periods and style. I don't really want to combine the 2 versions as the cartoon one would be for costume and the other would be a life time goal and would have to be historically correct. I'd also have to work out if I wanted the younger version or the adult one (real not cartoon).

At the moment I'd like your opinion on what this dress would involve and could I make it myself (I judge myself as having medium level compentency in following commercial patterns and basic-medium in following hand writtern instructions with no diagrams).

By Keysha-chan. 20/05/09, 05:37 pm

Oh man, first two posts = the two dresses from that movie I've always dreamed of making and cosplaying! chuu~!

I would die of joy to see this done! Very Happy

By Static. 21/05/09, 01:39 am

Go on a pattern hunt - McCalls and Simplicity have some decent historical dresses, without too much accuracy but with lots of pretty.

By sakura_petals. 21/05/09, 09:49 am

Lots of pretty is all I'm after at the moment!! Very Happy

I'll worry about the historical aspect later.

By Static. 21/05/09, 10:09 am

have a look on ebay as well for out-of-orint patterns - mccalls in particular have some AMAZING historical gown patterns that they stopped bloody printing...it's such a pain!

By sakura_petals. 21/05/09, 11:31 am

Do you have any in mind that would suit? I've had a quick but through look through e-bay for both historic patterns and ball gown patterns but haven't been able to see anything similar. I point in the right direction would be great!

**Guest** Guest

http://www.mccallpattern.com/list/out_of_print/costumes/page-1

This one looks good, though the sleeves are missing, but they could be made separate:
http://www.butterick.com/item/B6195.htm?tab=out_of_print/costumes&page=4

SS

By neimhaille. 21/05/09, 11:43 am

Russian courst dress is a big big love of mine. The ones that remain are just staggeringly beautiful :) The one in the soiler is for a girl so I really would not go by that given that Anastasia is a woman in the movie :)

http://www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/ctcostume.html
http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/court_dress.html
http://www.imamuseum.org/explore/artwork/1050
http://www.nicholasandalexandra.com/dressalix.html
http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/camerongallery.htm
http://www.tristarmedia.com/bestofrussia/style3.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17071932@N06/1828001814
http://www.holland.com/hac/en/search/detail.jsp?id=75089&ts=tcm:230-83277&sgUri=tcm:230-12050-4
http://www.kreml.ru/en/main/exhibition/?ID=125

Darn, I can't find my favourite which is cloth of silver.. sigh. So beautiful. I did pattern the sleeves a few years back...

Anyway, you are right the gown is rather old fashioned in shape- by the 20s, even before the flapper, the silhouette was tubular rather than curvy (even the straight front corset was passe and the slip was replacing the layers of the past). So looking back a few decades for the right shape would be a good start.
I won't give any more pointers in case this becomes a contest costume. I am however going to do another Victorian bodice fitting workshop (having explored the entire century in terms of patterns and fit) it's just a matter of timing. Anyone will be able to attend.

By sakura_petals. 21/05/09, 12:03 pm

I don't think I could do this one by myself, so most likely not going to be for the contest. Knew that the black and white photo of Anastasia was for a little girl but it's still a pretty dress! I've already poured over the Alexander Palace pics and forum but I'll go explore the other links later. Thanks!!

By Static. 22/05/09, 03:56 am

Woop woop! Score one for Etsy! I was just looking for patterns, and if you just do a search for 'victorian patterns' (I know it's not a victorian dress, but nothing's actually tagged in the right era...) you should come up with some gorgeous stuff :) I KNOW I SURE DID!

@Neimheille: you know, if you ever retire as cosplay judge, you're going to be mobbed by everyone who ever wanted to know anything about historical costume but wasn't allowed tips at the time Razz

By neimhaille. 24/05/09, 04:32 pm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8177037@N06/740090397/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nausicaa88/288965531/in/set-72157600148015805/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/veramann/63421013/
Finally found it :) A cloth of silver gown in the Imperial Court style.
Yes, woven with real precious metal. Cloth of gold really was made of gold.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sersie/105736756/in/set-72057594071943160/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sersie/105737116/

By KotoneVersus. 24/05/09, 04:37 pm

8| Wow. That waist is killer.

By sakura_petals. 24/05/09, 04:48 pm

WOW! I agree, how could anyone cope staying concious with a waist like that?

By neimhaille. 25/05/09, 02:30 am

One thing is the waist is a little wider when you look at it from the side :) It's still a very small waist.

When worn it probably also was not quite so narrow across the waist, but because of the seam placements and the fitting when these are put on display the tendancy is to have them sit like this.
Corsets of the time do tend to pull you in from the sides more than from the front or back but not quite to the same degree because of ribcages and such ;) (The myth of the deformed ribs and all that I will touch in on another thread...)

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