Claire approached Rossetti with a vast range of inspiring source material: from pirate films to glassware! (see below). She loved the style of Keira Knightley's plum-coloured buccaneer gown in "The Curse of the Black Pearl", but wasn't convinced about the suitability of the tone for her own colouring.

It helps to be reasonably tall (5' 4" minimum?) to carry off a gown of this styling. 21st century brides struggle with the concept of more fabric in one sleeve than the entire bodice! However, for re-enactors like Claire, it was a shape so "of the period" that she clearly revelled in it! (And big sleeves and skirts do make waists appear tiny...!)

This style of Restoration dress is very easy to wear. The entire costume consists of one large (but light) petticoat, an underskirt (the white silk), then the gown itself. This is as easy to put on as a coat, because it fastens at the front. All the white parts showing through the bodice: front, neck and cuffs (to represent what would have been a shift as bulky as full length nightdress), are false. Theatrical artistic licence is permissable if we are not aiming at an accurate reproduction! The bodice itself is boned, so that there is no need for a seperate corset. This is authentic to the period. This was such a lovely dress to work on during a grey dull February. It is a ridiculouly sunny, cheering colour!

Claire's source material varied across the seventeenth century from the 1630's to the Restoration. In honour of the House of William of Orange, many paintings of the period are appropriately toned. (Those that aren't, subtly include the actual fruit!) The client was adamant she did not want a flat colour, and expressed her wishes with images of beautiful lustre glass and the shot chiffons used on a Rossetti tutu. A copy of the original design is now held in the Rossetti Studio as a sample gown - size 10/12 approx.

 Treasure Gown Copyright © 2008-2009 Theresa Blake. All Rights Reserved.