Ok, I have a request for info from a seamstress (by which I mean: anyone who sews and understands construction and can help). If you have some historical knowledge of ladies' clothing, fantastic.
I need info only, I"m not looking to buy or wear anything.
I'm including a passage below written in 1888. I'm currently working on a draft of a story about a woman who travelled the world. In the following passage, she describes a dress made for her at a shop in London by a Mme. Mirabelle (or, a shop called Mme. Mirabelle's). I'll post my questions after the passage.
...my dress from Mme. Mirabelle's--the black lace with a moire waist. Fit! Well, I should say so! I have never had such a perfect setting boddice. The low waist is cut court boddice without darts to avoid throwing the figure high in the neck, thus I can wear it so much lower as the seams run from the bottom of the basque up to the neck and you shape it to suit the form. I am perfectly delighted with her...
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I have a sense of what she's talking about, but would love a translation for a layman. I'm guessing the 'cut court' early on means 'cut short.' Sound right? I also understand that making something w/o darts marks excellent workmanship when it results in a good fit.
So my questions are these:
1. Am I right about the 'cut court?'
2. What's a moire waist in layman's terms?
3. Do you have any sense, or can you give me an example, of a contemporary dress (contemp to 1888, remember!) that would fit differently than this one? Meaning, if the woman is talking about how special this fit/construction is, then what is she comparing it to? What were other dresses of the period like?
4. A general layman's trans of the whole description would be great.
If any of you want to take a crack at this, I'd appreciate it. I know there are lots of photos and sites out there for historical clothing, but there have to be people out there more well-versed in clothing than am I, so I'll leave it to your brains to give me your take on it.
thanks so much!
I need info only, I"m not looking to buy or wear anything.
I'm including a passage below written in 1888. I'm currently working on a draft of a story about a woman who travelled the world. In the following passage, she describes a dress made for her at a shop in London by a Mme. Mirabelle (or, a shop called Mme. Mirabelle's). I'll post my questions after the passage.
...my dress from Mme. Mirabelle's--the black lace with a moire waist. Fit! Well, I should say so! I have never had such a perfect setting boddice. The low waist is cut court boddice without darts to avoid throwing the figure high in the neck, thus I can wear it so much lower as the seams run from the bottom of the basque up to the neck and you shape it to suit the form. I am perfectly delighted with her...
-------
I have a sense of what she's talking about, but would love a translation for a layman. I'm guessing the 'cut court' early on means 'cut short.' Sound right? I also understand that making something w/o darts marks excellent workmanship when it results in a good fit.
So my questions are these:
1. Am I right about the 'cut court?'
2. What's a moire waist in layman's terms?
3. Do you have any sense, or can you give me an example, of a contemporary dress (contemp to 1888, remember!) that would fit differently than this one? Meaning, if the woman is talking about how special this fit/construction is, then what is she comparing it to? What were other dresses of the period like?
4. A general layman's trans of the whole description would be great.
If any of you want to take a crack at this, I'd appreciate it. I know there are lots of photos and sites out there for historical clothing, but there have to be people out there more well-versed in clothing than am I, so I'll leave it to your brains to give me your take on it.
thanks so much!
