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Pre-Raphaelite
& Mediaeval

 

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Bridal Gowns

 

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The William Morris
Collection

 

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& Dance Costume

 

16th and 17th Century
 

18th and 19th Century
 

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18th,19th and Turn-of-the-Century Style:
Period influenced Wedding Dresses
Reproduction Gowns and Theatre Costume
 

peacock green silk victorian bustle dress    soft green eighteenth century sack back gown

"A famous good thing this marrying scheme, upon my soul!"
Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Click on thumbnail image to see entire page detailing fabrics, trims and costs. All designs can be varied in colour and details.

Authentically cut 18th Century wedding dress with fully boned corset bodice and panniers to hold shape

C18th "Alicia"

 

18th Century style wedding dress

C18th "Flora"

 

A stunning eighteenth century style wedding dress with pleated peplum on jacket, romantic embroidered cuffs with lace sleeve flounces.Shown in a pale pink embroidered regal dupion.  Also available in a buttermilk pale yellow, french grey/ blue, ivory and taupe/cream.  All with toning embroideries.

C18th "Elizabetta"

 

C19th "Simonetta "

 

C18th style
red/blue shot silk

 

1880s Wedding dress with bustle.

C19th "Candice"

 

C18th "Midnight Blue"

 

18th Century Style Gown

"Arts and Crafts"
Meets 18th century

 

Costume from original source (Elizabeth of Austria from a painting by Franz Russ, c.1860)

C19th "Elizabeth
of Austria"

 

This style was inspired by fashions of the late 19th Century

C19th "Lily"

 

Asymmetrically decorated wedding dress with draped skirt, antique lace and corsetted bodice.

C19th "Athenae"

 

C18th style corset
"Liquid Gold"

 

This style was inspired by fashions of the late 19th Century

C19th "Lily"
(Alternative)

 

C18th "Cecilia"
 

 

C18th style corset
"Liquid Gold"

 

 

C18th style corset
"Ivy"

 

 

C18th "Floral Garden"

 

18th Century style Wedding dress.

C18th "Antoinette"

 

Gold 18th Century Style Wedding Gown

C18th "Rosella"

 

page to follow

Green Brocade
18th CenturyGown

 

18th Century style wedding dress

C18th "Natalia"

 

C18th "Baroque"

 

18th Century style Wedding dress.

C18th "Rococo"

 

Victorian style Wedding jacket.

"Victorian Jacket"

 

C19th "Tissot"
Bustle-Dress

 

18th Century Wedding gown

"Marie Thérese"
18th Century Gown

 

'Sleepy Hollow' style 18th Century wedding gown with corseted bodice.

C18th "Madeleine"

 

19th Century Style Gown

C19th "Lily"
with cloak

 

19th Century Style Gown

Alice Liddell
Project

 

C18th "Georgiana"

 

"Little Eyolf"- RSC 1997
(Des. Howell; Photo Joe Cocks)

 

"The General From America"- RSC 1997
(Asst. J. Norwood)

 

"Mary Poppins"- Det Ny Teater,Copenhagen
2010 (Asst. C. Manning)

 

"Mary Poppins"-
(C.1910 production)

 

   

Ready-to-wear variations of the made-to-measure designs are occasionally available. We can also provide details for the wedding photographers whose work is shown within these pages. Please contact for details.

Eighteenth century, Marie Antoinette style mule.  Shown in an embroidered silk dupion.  Contact us to have many different styles of wedding shoes and boots covered in your own fabric.  

18th Century style shoes, such as the mule shown above, can be ordered in your own choice of fabric.
Accessories Page

Copyright © 1987 - 2012 Theresa Blake. All Rights Reserved.


 

  18th century costume paintings- various artists

19th century costume paintings by Tissot

Notes From The Designer

I love the elegance and potential for extravagant embellishment offered by eighteenth century costume. From the stylish charm of an Elizabeth Swann-type wedding dress, via Watteau's famous paintings, to Marie Antoinette's elaborate grandeur, the eighteenth century lends itself perfectly to the most sumptuous style of bridal gown and I go there again and again. The flat fronted 18th Century corset (think "Dangerous Liaisons", "Sleepy Hollow", "Interview With The Vampire"), is an easy shape to wear for the modern woman because the particular boning used takes the pressure off the waist and the diaphragm (unlike victorian corsets and "Tight Lacing" styles).  If well cut, an 18th century style corset will create a cleavage which flatters the larger busted lady and enhances even the smallest of busts by compressing and lifting.  All corsets will inevitably change the shape of the body, giving the illusion of a smaller waist.  This effect can be enhanced by the old theatrical trick of intensely decorating the front panel of the corset or gown to kid the eye that the wearer is quite slim. So many clients comment on the unexpected comfort of the style, plus the surprise of their new silhouette!
18th Century corsets can be cut as authentic reproductions from original patterns (these corsets usually end at the waist with or without tabs.) Alternatively, they can be modified to the modern figure with waists cut lower, less severe boning and even the possibility of elastic inserts at the shoulder and elsewhere for ease and comfort (as favoured by dancers and opera singers.) Take into consideration that lengthening the line of the corset can make the legs look shorter on any client under 5' 5".
Whether ordering an authentic reproduction 18th century corset or a modern equivalent, the client has the choice of emphasizing the bone channels with top-stitching or opting for a smooth finish over the body of the corset/ stays. The key is to have adequate boning within suitable interlinings, the appropriate kind of boning (for the purpose - e.g. wedding or ballet) and correctly placed seams, otherwise the corset is likely to 'buckle' at the waist. (Be wary of dressmakers who think the eighteenth century shape can just be extended for a modern look. Signs of failure to understand this shape are wrinkles at the waist and upper hip. A properly cut and constructed eighteenth century style bodice will be smooth from neckline to base).
All Rossetti eighteenth century corsets are extremely well cut, will fit you like a glove and will provide an enviable cleavage without any discomfort. They can be produced in a variety of fabrics and have endless possibilities for decoration and combinations of sleeve shapes.