For all my Metric Loving Buds - I'm sorry I forgot to add the metric conversions to this video! 🙈 So here they are - I estimate the woman who wore this gown was 5'0" which is 152cm (for the side by side I am 163 cm tall). Her bust is 40 inches (102cm) and her waist is around 30 inches (76 cm). Also, while this dress *is not a tea dress* I figure the weight of the silk used in my tea gown is similar or identical in weight to the Thornycroft Dress that Dr. Calvert writes about here: robynecalvert.com/2013/11/24/the-thornycroft-dress/ (in case you want to read more about silk weight, aesthetic dress, etc.) Dr. Calvert has also done a lot of research on tea gowns and their relationship with aesthetic dress. It's made me realize how special this tea gown actually is...and I now I nerd out hard over her. 😍
Thank you for your diligent work on Captions. I know they're allot of additional work, but So useful. And thank you for the Metric-ing. Metric - the reason my primary school teachers didn't teach us fractions ("we wouldn't need them"... really). Happy Canada Day. Please google Canadian Indian (& Inuk) Residential School System (includes All of the Trigger Warnings). We got a whole lot of work to do. Happy American Day. Thank you for choosing Democracy. That silk is amazing. Good find, you! Thank you for the lessons. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
Sometimes I get stressed because I don’t know what to wear to a tea social, but then Abby shows up with exactly what I need. Will I be overdressed? 100%. Will I look better than everyone else there? 100%.
Most of the time the captions are right on target. But, occasionally, small errors sneak in, and the results can be quite humorous. In this case, the captions read, "The only problem with this wool is it has been destroyed by moms." I am now stuck with the image of a group of mothers chewing on the bottom of the skirt, their eyes wild with feverish desire. 🤣🤣🤣
I’ve seen that on other videos. It is hilarious. I’ve also, unfortunately, had the “pleasure” of trying to use talk to text and, boy howdy, that is often a mistake along the magnitude of embarrassing autocorrect proportions!
Does wearing my green velvet McGonagall dress robes around the house to serve cocktails count as a tea gown? It certainly looks like one. Know that I know what a tea gown is…
Did you...make a summer weight top to accompany the red wool curator's gown in this most scorching of summers? (I'm calling it the curator's gown now.) Also, that leaf print lining, my god. I *love* it
Does anyone else experience this phenomena when they are sewing: I can hear Abby narrating a dress examination of what I'm working on? Like when my stitches are nice and small and even I hear her seeing me and saying its good work, and when I cut corners and jam things together she says "I see you, look at her, taking a shortcut, must have been in a rush"
Yes same. It helps immensely. BEcause you always hear how victorians were perfectionists but then Abby has a gown that has been altered by someone or originally made and some things are cutting corners, some dont really make sense. Whenever I sew, I'm thinking, "wow Abby would have a field day with this. Wonder what she' say about that...". And I feel like, I am historically correct, I'm not the master tailor, I'm the sneaky maid cobbling everything together before a ball or something.
As a lady who is 4'10" with a 27" waist (and a generous endowment), I believe I may have found the gown of my historical twin 😂 what a lovely dress, and thank you for the information about tea gowns in general as well!
It's honouring the person that fabric used to drape around. Breaks me into little pieces every time. In a good way. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
*@AbbeyCox* Would you be willing to do a video about the different levels of formality over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries? I would love to know what constitutes informal and formal in these periods. ❤
Ok, I super second that. it's a brilliant idea. It always struck me as a bit odd when people say "oh, everyone in the past dressed so elegantly!" because... these were there normal clothes? Most people, most of the time were just wearing what felt right, and they probably had their stay-at-home clothes as well, and it would be nice to know the difference. I have the same feeling with, for lack of a better word, "vulgar" clothes. Like, what kind of garments would have labeled someone a "loose" woman in the past? This is really really hard for a modern eye to distinguish.
@@ukallii it was based on a book called how to marry an English Lord. It is a guide but in no way a novel. It consists of sections based on Edwardian life. I read it years ago and I was surprised it caused Downton. I highly recommend a book called Edwardians in love by Anita Leslie.
I was going to say, Now that it's been brought up, let's talk about it. My mother is Chilean, and they have high tea, which is an actual meal; and sometimes, like in the summer, might be the biggest meal of the day.
I once read a story that tea gowns were the perfect attire for some secret "afternoon delights" because it was a garment that a women could dress herself in easier. I don't know if there's any truth to that but it made me smile at the thought of some secret liaisons taking place, aided by the fashion
Very interesting that they had occasions to ware almost a wrapper (houseboat) with how proper so many things were. But it makes sense, if I was going to my best friends house for snacks and maybe a movie I would ware my most presentable sleep clothes.
The colour of that gown is beautiful. I've just finished making a cardigan that exact colour!!! It's a shame her neck got shredded :( Matt Smith in a Victorian tea gown is EVERYTHING!!! Chef's kiss, thank you Abby xx
I am not a fan of the colour orange, but this is gorgeous and I'm going to call it Fire Opal. There's a couple of Worth Fire Opal (orange) tea gowns in existence and they're drool worthy as well. What do you think was on it where the chopped off collar would be? And wouldn't the wearer be in a corset?
Given the wibbly degree of formality, I'd guess she might wear less structured undergarments with it. Maybe that wrap-around "lazy corset" a few costubers have recreated?
Or this waist and skirt corset supports (dress reform corset waist) that look like more structure corset covers. George Frost & co advertisement from 1875 or Madame Foy's one.
This color orange reminds me of the orange that Frank Lloyd Wright used a lot in his interiors. Given that was the Arts and Crafts era, slots in really well with the time period of the dress and the aesthetic movement.
I'm seeing a flowing central collar. Something that would drape over the back between the shoulders. That orange silk drape needs something graceful to cover the base. That. Or an Elizabethan style of ruff in the orange silk. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
I love when you examine vintage garments! A couple things on this lovely tea gown: could this have been worn during some part of pregnancy, which might explain the loose front and higher waistline? Also, if the stand up collar was lace, it might have been removed for another use. I’ve bought my share of antique collar and cuff laces that were saved by thrifty women! One other thing that is not a criticism but a curiosity, is it common to genderize garments when discussing them? Love your videos, I always look forward to the next one!
You mean referring to the inanimate garment with gendered pronouns as opposed to “it”. Yeah, a lot of people who are particularly interested in garments do. I think it’s also partially because many historical garments were so heavily gender-coded. A shirt or pants from the 1970s onward… there are cues sometimes in design or print, and almost certainly in the cut, but it’s so much -less- gendered. I think it also feels like a bit of a connection to the person it was made for, and anyone it was later altered to fit. We can’t know the individual who wore the clothes (unless it comes with documentation of provenance), but the garment is a bit like an outer shell representing an aspect of someone’s life in the time period and society that individual lived. Some nuanced hints at the details of their life and personality peak through from stains, wear patterns, alterations, material choices, craftsmanship and where and how they allocated their best work. When you look closely and see the faint reflection of a person, the garment seems more than an object.
"high tea" is the laborer's dinner eaten at the "high" kitchen table. Afternoon tea (or "low tea") was enjoyed in the parlor or drawing room at low tables.
Which color is more accurate? The video, or the stills? ‘Cause I’m kinda digging that rusty, orange/brown in the stills! She’s super gorgeous!! I LOVE that cascade of silk down the back…can’t you just picture that tiny little firecracker floating in to tea with the girls?? Thank you for sharing her. Sending you huge hugs, love, and good vibes. May the next few weeks bring you nothing but good tidings, joy, and success, dear lady. Love, light, and blessings, always.
I adjust the color in the video to be closer to correct, so it is a proper orange color. Since those were just my iphone photos, I didn't take the time and try to color correct them like i would if i had taken the photos with my "real" camera. :)
The fact that you can keep yourself from trying on all these beautiful garments is astounding. I’d wanna wear everything in your collection (and probably end up ruining them)
I love the fact that you mentionned the narrow width of the silk. Sometimes I wish we could find narrower fabric in the shops, with nice selvage. For projects like roman or greec tunics, it would be so good.
This is such a great thought! Can you imagine if they shot the Devonshire, 1903 Winter Palace, and the Vanderbilt balls in color?? Today's Met galas could never!
This gown is so beautiful. I think it's the colour that makes it for me! 😍 Also, I loved learning that afternoon tea was partly networking. A couple of years ago I was invited to women in business afternoon tea i.e. a networking event. It was such a lovely intimate afternoon with like-minded women and I am still in touch with some of them.
I’ve recently found some Victorian recipes for afternoon tea, but having seen this, the picture will just never be complete without also having a proper tea gown to wear 🧐.
@@rhiannonstrickland8943 I’ve found old Godey’s Lady’s Books to be a goldmine in this regard, they’re available on archive.org. I’ve looked through every one of them from 1861 specifically, for some research, and they have a section for recipes in every issue. Hope this helps and you’ll be able to unearth some treasures too!
@@rhiannonstrickland8943 Also, Household Discoveries (by Sidney Levi Morse and Mrs Isabel Curtis) and The Book of Household Management (by Mrs Isabella Beeton) have a LOT of recipes, among other wonderful and curious things!
Full program would also include tea dances--- different music song dance styles over decades and century--- late, 1800s Waltzes, etc. early 1900s Ragtime 1 step + 2 step, later 1920s version of Charleston, Black Bottom, Fox Trot, etc?
@@P3891 They do! But I require at least one pocket, or I’m inevitably going to set my phone down across the apt and not hear it when my guest needs me to come open the door so they can join me for tea.
@@JariDawnchild Comfy house skirts with pockets became my go-to, long before I considered wearing skirts in public. The pockets make all the difference.
I think I love you Abby. For over 50 years it's driven me to distraction when the ignorant, I fear so often my fellow Americans, use the term "high tea," which refers simply to a working class supper, to describe the formal and very specific meal known as "afternoon tea." They don't even have any culinary components in common, except for the tea itself. As a retired teacher at college level of late Victorian and Edwardian literature, in which afternoon teas abound, I particularly appreciate your employing the correct designation. Thank you.
I agree re “afternoon tea”. I read an article years ago that said the high/low descriptors referred to the type of table being used. A low tea was served on a low parlour table; it was the fancy tea we think of today with tea cakes and tiny sandwiches. A high tea was served on a regular table, with chairs around it. This was a full meal - what we would call a supper. The tea dress is gorgeous! I think I would gather in the loose front section, like Abby suggested. I would surely have a food or tea incident with it dangling. 😜
@@ragnkja Ireland too - my grandparents from the Republic always have dinner (cooked) at midday and tea (uncooked, usually sandwiches) in the evening, in terms of meals.
I’m not sure, as I haven’t watched the whole video yet, but orange on the 4th is in honor of the indigenous children that died in the mandatory “schools” set up for the children by the government. The horrible conditions were kept from the public. Even if this is a coincidence- it made me smile.
The true horrors of Residential school have been public knowledge for decades. I say this as a Canadian. The information was readily available from the media, government, survivors etc. We all knew about the atrocities, we just didn’t care. I’m glad this issue is getting the coverage it deserves but no one can say this information was hidden from us. Saying this is not only false, it makes it seem like we’re outraged because this is news and if we the people had know of course we would have done something. The reality is that we knew, we did nothing and now we are trying to do better. That still doesn’t erase the decades where we sat back and did nothing. We are responsible for that - I am too. So if you’re Canadian, don’t say they hid this. The atrocities were the goal all along and this kind of narrative is how we let them get away with it.
The technique of sewing the buttons to twill tape is something I use with my knitting too, using tape or grosgrain ribbon to reinforce button bands on cardigans
I loved seeing another outfit from the collection. I was wondering why and how tea gowns came into creation when they are quite different from the styles of the time. Lovely dress and now I need to see if I bought that tea gown pattern or not. Have a great day.
I came down here to see if anyone asked Abby if she was going to try and recreate this dress ?! Not that I have the skillset to sew it, but, am fascinated!
SOOO doctorish!! I hope you and BB remember I said it first ... I see yal on the Oscar winning stage for best period costume for some 1800s movie. I'm feeling that for reals! Thanks for awesome content!🌻
Great video as always! The measurements (height and all) on the manequin was really fun for me because I'm 5'1" with a waist around 30" and a bust around 38" and so it was fun to see a historic dress for a woman with a similar build.
Thank you. I always find your analysis of extant garments so enlightening and inspiring. The channel" Engineering knits" created a similar gown in a recent video. Thanks again for the references and expert analysis.
I agree, this gown is gorgeous. The smocking and gathers in the fine silk seem to hint just a little of the Fortuny creations to come. I learned a lot. I didn’t know how distinctive tea gowns were, but then, of course they were because those Victorians had a different outfit for every occasion!
Can this PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE be a sewing project? Maybe a collaboration with Nicole? I would love to see this pattern of dress in action. It must have looked amazing when it was in its prime and going out and about.
That tea gown is gorgeous! I want one and my new favorite color might be orange because of that dress. I want to say how much I appreciate all the work you do. It is a marvelous education about historical costuming, especially due to the different types of videos you post. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I've always wondered what I should wear to go to tea at a historical Victorian Tea House in the city where I live. Thank you Abbey, your vids are always so wonderful. I've been told that the Victorian Tea House in Idaho Falls, Idaho has actual vintage Victorian Tea dresses for visitors to wear to tea. I've never been there because I'm sure none of their dresses would fit me, so i plan to make my own custom tea dress to visit the Tea House. Ty for the inspiration.
I love when you do these videos! Construction is so fascinating and seeing how they put things together when it is right, and even more when it isn't, is so inspiring and awesome. I so enjoy things from history that are not perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely! Construction seams are where I get rid of bobbin colours from the last project, where I needed a specific colour so I could do top stitching from the inside or the outside at various points. I also sometimes just pop a weird colour bobbin on as my top thread to empty the bobbin, but mostly if I’ve gone to the effort of winding it a bobbin, I’d rather use it as a bobbin. Edit: Then I realized it’s common because winding bobbins in specific colours for each project is often more effort than it’s worth, and it makes sense to just have 1-3 default colours for bobbins. Before I got into sewing lingerie I could do that… I miss it.
Ooh, that's very pretty! That bit of embroidery is a particularly sharp feather stitch,which I often use to mimic a vine, usually adding stitched flowers or leaves.
Thank you for sharing this gorgeous dress. I love you you take the time to point out every detail. You also gave me a great laugh. I have a slight hearing loss and use the captions to help me follow along. When you are going over the wool added to the hem the captioning is “ the wool is that it has been destroyed by moms” 🤣
The fabric reminds me a lot of casual shalwar kameez from India. Obviously in a different dress form, but it does evoke South Asian and Middle Eastern patterns.
When you gathered the front piece of material the dress finally made sense to me. I wasn’t a fan until you pinched the fabric! What doesn’t make sense in 2021 is changing into what for us would be a prom gown in order to have a little snack before our late dinner! Lol
Thank you for the Squarespace info - I've been thinking I need a website, but I'm stalling, argh. Love the dress details, there's nothing like looking at the real thing. ❤️
This is honestly so gorgeous- that colour of orange is just one of my favourites and it looks so stunning! What a beautiful piece to have in your collection. With it being so hot this summer, I'd definitely love to see a recreation sometime in the future.
I've been wanting to make a tea gown for a while, and getting to see one like this instead of just musueum photos is incredibly helpful. I had been thinking that the closure on the side of the front panel in so many of these gowns was the actual gown closure. (and maybe on some it was, I'm not an expert) this gives me a much better idea of how to approach patterning my tea gown.
Abbey I just love what you do, it’s always informative and interesting, entertaining and very exciting. Could I add that Australia also had a strong voice in its fashion interpretation of this era as well. And our ladies here also wore many adaptations of these gorgeous gowns. I was fortunate enough to have very fashionable grandmothers and great aunts who still had extant examples of the clothing from that time and they were beyond stunning. So many handmade and semi machine sewed garments as well. I spent hours staring at them in their tissues wrappings, hidden mysteriously on faded old silk hangers in the back of sturdy silky oak wardrobes. Thank you fir transporting me back in to my earliest childhood where I fell totally in love with fashion, silks, polished cottons, suede gloves etc..Have a really blessed day!
I just recently watched the Werner Herzog film Nosferatu the Vampyre and the dresses in that movie are from the aesthetic era. It's late 70s so while they get the silouettes and decorations, the fabrics are not good. I think it's one of the few times I've seen a movie with that era of fashions.
Abby listing sizes: “she’s really short” Me: oh! That would fit me, I can be your mannequin ;) What would the collar that was ripped off have looked like?
For all my Metric Loving Buds - I'm sorry I forgot to add the metric conversions to this video! 🙈 So here they are - I estimate the woman who wore this gown was 5'0" which is 152cm (for the side by side I am 163 cm tall). Her bust is 40 inches (102cm) and her waist is around 30 inches (76 cm).
Also, while this dress *is not a tea dress* I figure the weight of the silk used in my tea gown is similar or identical in weight to the Thornycroft Dress that Dr. Calvert writes about here: robynecalvert.com/2013/11/24/the-thornycroft-dress/ (in case you want to read more about silk weight, aesthetic dress, etc.) Dr. Calvert has also done a lot of research on tea gowns and their relationship with aesthetic dress. It's made me realize how special this tea gown actually is...and I now I nerd out hard over her. 😍
I am sorry to comment on this but that is the WRONG DOCTOR! Other than that I love your videos!
What a gorgeous gown! ❤ thank you for analysing it for us with such detail 😘
I love that blouse matches the dress
Was that intentional?
Thank you for your diligent work on Captions. I know they're allot of additional work, but So useful.
And thank you for the Metric-ing. Metric - the reason my primary school teachers didn't teach us fractions ("we wouldn't need them"... really).
Happy Canada Day. Please google Canadian Indian (& Inuk) Residential School System (includes All of the Trigger Warnings). We got a whole lot of work to do. Happy American Day. Thank you for choosing Democracy.
That silk is amazing. Good find, you! Thank you for the lessons.
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
@@samanthakessel7285 I know - a patron commented on it and I am *deeply annoyed with myself* for the mistake.
Sometimes I get stressed because I don’t know what to wear to a tea social, but then Abby shows up with exactly what I need. Will I be overdressed? 100%. Will I look better than everyone else there? 100%.
I'm going on a picnic, do you think a dress like this overwhelm my friends? Probably. Do they expect it? Absolutely
I really like your attitude!😂
Honestly, I'd rather be overdressed and fabulous than underdressed and boring. Every single time.
Enjoy your strut.
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
You should make friends with some lolitas haha. You'll never feel overdressed!
Most of the time the captions are right on target. But, occasionally, small errors sneak in, and the results can be quite humorous. In this case, the captions read, "The only problem with this wool is it has been destroyed by moms." I am now stuck with the image of a group of mothers chewing on the bottom of the skirt, their eyes wild with feverish desire. 🤣🤣🤣
I’ve seen that on other videos. It is hilarious. I’ve also, unfortunately, had the “pleasure” of trying to use talk to text and, boy howdy, that is often a mistake along the magnitude of embarrassing autocorrect proportions!
Does wearing my green velvet McGonagall dress robes around the house to serve cocktails count as a tea gown? It certainly looks like one. Know that I know what a tea gown is…
Did you...make a summer weight top to accompany the red wool curator's gown in this most scorching of summers? (I'm calling it the curator's gown now.)
Also, that leaf print lining, my god. I *love* it
I'm gonna say, yes, yes it does count. Fierce AF. 😍
@@AbbyCox Potions!!!
well i don't know without a picture of the dressrobe
Does anyone else experience this phenomena when they are sewing: I can hear Abby narrating a dress examination of what I'm working on? Like when my stitches are nice and small and even I hear her seeing me and saying its good work, and when I cut corners and jam things together she says "I see you, look at her, taking a shortcut, must have been in a rush"
I always hear Abby commenting on my janky stitches and finishing. It actually makes me feel better about myself 🤣
I totally hear Abby commenting when I bodge my sewing. 🤣
YES! It's very reassuring and it's honestly freed me up to take more shortcuts when I just can't be arsed to 'do it perfectly'.
Absolutely, yes! Our collective inner sewist/dress-historian voice, Abby!
Yes same. It helps immensely. BEcause you always hear how victorians were perfectionists but then Abby has a gown that has been altered by someone or originally made and some things are cutting corners, some dont really make sense. Whenever I sew, I'm thinking, "wow Abby would have a field day with this. Wonder what she' say about that...". And I feel like, I am historically correct, I'm not the master tailor, I'm the sneaky maid cobbling everything together before a ball or something.
(Also it definitely wouldve been high tea depending on the amounts of Laudnum involved 😂😂)
LOL that's a *different* type of high tea 🤣😂🤣
As a lady who is 4'10" with a 27" waist (and a generous endowment), I believe I may have found the gown of my historical twin 😂 what a lovely dress, and thank you for the information about tea gowns in general as well!
The personification of the garments has quickly become my favorite part of this type of video.
It's honouring the person that fabric used to drape around. Breaks me into little pieces every time. In a good way.
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
Right? I love that the gown is always “she”!
*@AbbeyCox* Would you be willing to do a video about the different levels of formality over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries? I would love to know what constitutes informal and formal in these periods. ❤
That sounds like a great idea for fall/next winter when my video release schedule switches! I'll start doing the initial research soon. :)
Ok, I super second that. it's a brilliant idea. It always struck me as a bit odd when people say "oh, everyone in the past dressed so elegantly!" because... these were there normal clothes? Most people, most of the time were just wearing what felt right, and they probably had their stay-at-home clothes as well, and it would be nice to know the difference. I have the same feeling with, for lack of a better word, "vulgar" clothes. Like, what kind of garments would have labeled someone a "loose" woman in the past? This is really really hard for a modern eye to distinguish.
The book that downtown abbey is based on lists different types of evening dress, think it has about six, in descending order of formality.
@@Junoleda cool! I never know Downton was based on a book!
@@ukallii it was based on a book called how to marry an English Lord. It is a guide but in no way a novel. It consists of sections based on Edwardian life. I read it years ago and I was surprised it caused Downton. I highly recommend a book called Edwardians in love by Anita Leslie.
Yes! Afternoon tea is 3-5 pm and light, high tea is 5 pm on and a meal! Thanks for pointing that out for everyone!
InEngland afternoon tea is normally 4 in the afternoon, and still on going now. 💓
I was going to say, Now that it's been brought up, let's talk about it. My mother is Chilean, and they have high tea, which is an actual meal; and sometimes, like in the summer, might be the biggest meal of the day.
I always associated afternoon tea as a “after school snack”. 🤪
I once read a story that tea gowns were the perfect attire for some secret "afternoon delights" because it was a garment that a women could dress herself in easier. I don't know if there's any truth to that but it made me smile at the thought of some secret liaisons taking place, aided by the fashion
Very interesting that they had occasions to ware almost a wrapper (houseboat) with how proper so many things were. But it makes sense, if I was going to my best friends house for snacks and maybe a movie I would ware my most presentable sleep clothes.
Yesss queen. We stan a short queen.
The colour of that gown is beautiful. I've just finished making a cardigan that exact colour!!! It's a shame her neck got shredded :(
Matt Smith in a Victorian tea gown is EVERYTHING!!! Chef's kiss, thank you Abby xx
You were selling that dress like you were in QVC. You go girl!
Now I know what to wear when I go to Starbucks after work 😄
I assume the collar was nice, since someone decided to cut it off and presumably reuse it. Too bad we don’t get to see it.
She probably had some fancy embroidery on it to match the gown. 🤔
Maybe smocked, or lace matching the front ruffles!
Oh my god I love it! That orange and the super flowy parts! She really looks like she stepped right out of that painting!!
I am not a fan of the colour orange, but this is gorgeous and I'm going to call it Fire Opal. There's a couple of Worth Fire Opal (orange) tea gowns in existence and they're drool worthy as well. What do you think was on it where the chopped off collar would be? And wouldn't the wearer be in a corset?
Given the wibbly degree of formality, I'd guess she might wear less structured undergarments with it. Maybe that wrap-around "lazy corset" a few costubers have recreated?
Or this waist and skirt corset supports (dress reform corset waist) that look like more structure corset covers. George Frost & co advertisement from 1875 or Madame Foy's one.
@@Eloraurora or just none at all, im pretty sure thats an option too, with tea gowns
This color orange reminds me of the orange that Frank Lloyd Wright used a lot in his interiors. Given that was the Arts and Crafts era, slots in really well with the time period of the dress and the aesthetic movement.
I'm seeing a flowing central collar. Something that would drape over the back between the shoulders. That orange silk drape needs something graceful to cover the base.
That. Or an Elizabethan style of ruff in the orange silk.
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
I love when you examine vintage garments! A couple things on this lovely tea gown: could this have been worn during some part of pregnancy, which might explain the loose front and higher waistline? Also, if the stand up collar was lace, it might have been removed for another use. I’ve bought my share of antique collar and cuff laces that were saved by thrifty women! One other thing that is not a criticism but a curiosity, is it common to genderize garments when discussing them? Love your videos, I always look forward to the next one!
I know in the mid-19th century “wrappers” could be worn with an adjustable waist to accommodate a 🤰🏻 belly.
Seeing her on the mannequin really does make it seem like it could have been for a baby bump in various stages. So intriguing!
You mean referring to the inanimate garment with gendered pronouns as opposed to “it”. Yeah, a lot of people who are particularly interested in garments do.
I think it’s also partially because many historical garments were so heavily gender-coded. A shirt or pants from the 1970s onward… there are cues sometimes in design or print, and almost certainly in the cut, but it’s so much -less- gendered.
I think it also feels like a bit of a connection to the person it was made for, and anyone it was later altered to fit. We can’t know the individual who wore the clothes (unless it comes with documentation of provenance), but the garment is a bit like an outer shell representing an aspect of someone’s life in the time period and society that individual lived. Some nuanced hints at the details of their life and personality peak through from stains, wear patterns, alterations, material choices, craftsmanship and where and how they allocated their best work.
When you look closely and see the faint reflection of a person, the garment seems more than an object.
"high tea" is the laborer's dinner eaten at the "high" kitchen table. Afternoon tea (or "low tea") was enjoyed in the parlor or drawing room at low tables.
I wonder what the collar looked like? I would love to see Abby recreate this for swooshing around!
It must have been pretty, since it was clearly salvaged for something else.
Which color is more accurate? The video, or the stills? ‘Cause I’m kinda digging that rusty, orange/brown in the stills! She’s super gorgeous!! I LOVE that cascade of silk down the back…can’t you just picture that tiny little firecracker floating in to tea with the girls?? Thank you for sharing her.
Sending you huge hugs, love, and good vibes. May the next few weeks bring you nothing but good tidings, joy, and success, dear lady. Love, light, and blessings, always.
I adjust the color in the video to be closer to correct, so it is a proper orange color. Since those were just my iphone photos, I didn't take the time and try to color correct them like i would if i had taken the photos with my "real" camera. :)
I'm all for the lovely colour of that gown. It's gorgeous! And my love of the 1840s is being sorely challenged by the existence of later tea gowns...
The fact that you can keep yourself from trying on all these beautiful garments is astounding. I’d wanna wear everything in your collection (and probably end up ruining them)
If you ever decide to reconstruct this dress, I’m here for it,
I love the fact that you mentionned the narrow width of the silk. Sometimes I wish we could find narrower fabric in the shops, with nice selvage. For projects like roman or greec tunics, it would be so good.
Looking at the fabric, I wish they had colour photos back then
Agree, this is such a vibrant set of oranges, if other colors had similar treatment that would be such a treat to see
This is such a great thought! Can you imagine if they shot the Devonshire, 1903 Winter Palace, and the Vanderbilt balls in color?? Today's Met galas could never!
This gown is so beautiful. I think it's the colour that makes it for me! 😍 Also, I loved learning that afternoon tea was partly networking. A couple of years ago I was invited to women in business afternoon tea i.e. a networking event. It was such a lovely intimate afternoon with like-minded women and I am still in touch with some of them.
As someone who loves dark, rich, vibrant oranges, this entire video was a visual feast for me!
Thank you for the High Tea thing -- as a Scottish person where High Tea is a *thing* and means something very different, it annoys me too haha
I was told it was Dinner time because if the high table
Yes! I very much appreciate it when someone talking about tea knows the difference!
Love the content. Love to hear how clothes fit into a larger historical context as well as the construction methods and sewing. Hola from Sacramento!
Possibly the collar was lace, reused on another garment??
I do so wonder what the collar would have looked like... wishing for a sketch or a pic of something similar. This fabric is so beautiful!!
I would guess that the collar was probably lace, since lace was an expensive material and was often reused from one dress to the next.
I’ve recently found some Victorian recipes for afternoon tea, but having seen this, the picture will just never be complete without also having a proper tea gown to wear 🧐.
Can you help me find some recipes? Any tips? I wanna know
@@rhiannonstrickland8943 I’ve found old Godey’s Lady’s Books to be a goldmine in this regard, they’re available on archive.org. I’ve looked through every one of them from 1861 specifically, for some research, and they have a section for recipes in every issue. Hope this helps and you’ll be able to unearth some treasures too!
@@rhiannonstrickland8943 Also, Household Discoveries (by Sidney Levi Morse and Mrs Isabel Curtis) and The Book of Household Management (by Mrs Isabella Beeton) have a LOT of recipes, among other wonderful and curious things!
Saving this
Full program would also include tea dances--- different music song dance styles over decades and century---
late, 1800s Waltzes, etc. early 1900s
Ragtime 1 step + 2 step, later 1920s version of Charleston, Black Bottom,
Fox Trot, etc?
It’s so cool to see an extant garment for someone my height! This piece is absolutely stunning, I just LOVE tea gowns!
Suddenly I want a Tea Gown. (Also, I'm 5" tall, so I'm gonna pretend that would have fit my short waisted self.)
This is exactly what I need to show up people at a tea party, thank you!
I love tea gowns, they should come in back in fashion I would definitely wear one and I am not a woman lol
I'm a woman who wouldn't be caught in a dress or skirt, but I'd have (and wear) a few of these lol.
@@JariDawnchild I know right they look so comfortable
@@P3891 They do! But I require at least one pocket, or I’m inevitably going to set my phone down across the apt and not hear it when my guest needs me to come open the door so they can join me for tea.
@@JariDawnchild Comfy house skirts with pockets became my go-to, long before I considered wearing skirts in public. The pockets make all the difference.
There are "banion" Scottish men's lounge robes that are even more leasurely
I'd be very interested in a breakdown of the evolution of divisions of clothing for different settings and events
I think I love you Abby. For over 50 years it's driven me to distraction when the ignorant, I fear so often my fellow Americans, use the term "high tea," which refers simply to a working class supper, to describe the formal and very specific meal known as "afternoon tea." They don't even have any culinary components in common, except for the tea itself. As a retired teacher at college level of late Victorian and Edwardian literature, in which afternoon teas abound, I particularly appreciate your employing the correct designation. Thank you.
Never been a fan of orange, but that tea gown is stunning!
Thanks for sharing.
🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
I can't get over how strong the colour is still!?
@@jayneterry8701 yes! So vibrant!
Yessss give us all those construction deets!
I agree re “afternoon tea”. I read an article years ago that said the high/low descriptors referred to the type of table being used. A low tea was served on a low parlour table; it was the fancy tea we think of today with tea cakes and tiny sandwiches. A high tea was served on a regular table, with chairs around it. This was a full meal - what we would call a supper. The tea dress is gorgeous! I think I would gather in the loose front section, like Abby suggested. I would surely have a food or tea incident with it dangling. 😜
“High tea” is still called “tea” in parts of England, particularly in the north, to this day.
@@ragnkja Ireland too - my grandparents from the Republic always have dinner (cooked) at midday and tea (uncooked, usually sandwiches) in the evening, in terms of meals.
Yay for the shorties! As someone who is 4'10, I am happy to see such a short gown.
I’m not sure, as I haven’t watched the whole video yet, but orange on the 4th is in honor of the indigenous children that died in the mandatory “schools” set up for the children by the government. The horrible conditions were kept from the public. Even if this is a coincidence- it made me smile.
🙏 very insightful.
The true horrors of Residential school have been public knowledge for decades. I say this as a Canadian. The information was readily available from the media, government, survivors etc. We all knew about the atrocities, we just didn’t care. I’m glad this issue is getting the coverage it deserves but no one can say this information was hidden from us. Saying this is not only false, it makes it seem like we’re outraged because this is news and if we the people had know of course we would have done something. The reality is that we knew, we did nothing and now we are trying to do better. That still doesn’t erase the decades where we sat back and did nothing. We are responsible for that - I am too. So if you’re Canadian, don’t say they hid this. The atrocities were the goal all along and this kind of narrative is how we let them get away with it.
@@whydosno1belivemagicEveryone did not know. Please don't presume to speak for an entire nation.
Love teagowns! They're always so flowy/drapey looking and somehow manage to appear both dressy and comfy.
The technique of sewing the buttons to twill tape is something I use with my knitting too, using tape or grosgrain ribbon to reinforce button bands on cardigans
That picture of the doctor in a tea gown is not something I realized I needed in my life, but it is so something I needed in my life.
Omg Abby just TODAY I thought of making a Victorian tea gown AND NOW THERE IS THIS VIDEO! I‘m so happy!
Ooo I always love an orange gown! And the flowers! *chefs kiss*
Your tea dress is just beautiful! Thank you for showing her and explaining all of the details. I learn so much from your videos. ❤️❤️❤️
Lovely tea parties demand lovely tea gowns. 11 in a tea gown absolutely made my day! The way I giggled 🤣💙💙
I loved seeing another outfit from the collection. I was wondering why and how tea gowns came into creation when they are quite different from the styles of the time. Lovely dress and now I need to see if I bought that tea gown pattern or not. Have a great day.
I came down here to see if anyone asked Abby if she was going to try and recreate this dress ?! Not that I have the skillset to sew it, but, am fascinated!
Gorgeous tea gown! Appreciate that Doctor Who reference.
Great, now I need an orange tea gown, like, right now. Lol. I love this gown! 😍 Thank you for sharing.
i was just sad that i finished engineering knits new video so fast, but abby to the rescue! and a new examining, im so fucking hyped
Imo this sounds like a perfect bedsheet project. I've been needing some stuff to do with light stuff.
Such a beautiful dress! Great explanation of all the hidden details :)
SOOO doctorish!! I hope you and BB remember I said it first ... I see yal on the Oscar winning stage for best period costume for some 1800s movie. I'm feeling that for reals! Thanks for awesome content!🌻
LOVE the colors especially the printed silk. I would like to have a dress made in that fabric. Overall a beautiful piece.
Great video as always!
The measurements (height and all) on the manequin was really fun for me because I'm 5'1" with a waist around 30" and a bust around 38" and so it was fun to see a historic dress for a woman with a similar build.
Ugh it’s been a while since I’ve seen the eleventh doctor! Those were the best seasons of DW
2:48 I did not know I needed to see the 11th Doctor on your channel, yet here we are. Even if Matt Smith is not wearing a fez here and FEZZES ARE COOL
Except it’s the wrong Doctor. He did not establish timed wimey. That was Tennant.
@@JayneFury fair enough... Can I interest you in a GERONIMOOOOO?
Thank you. I always find your analysis of extant garments so enlightening and inspiring. The channel" Engineering knits" created a similar gown in a recent video. Thanks again for the references and expert analysis.
I live for this colour! So many of my clothes are this lovely burnt orange and I am yet again feeling envious of your collection!
I agree, this gown is gorgeous. The smocking and gathers in the fine silk seem to hint just a little of the Fortuny creations to come. I learned a lot. I didn’t know how distinctive tea gowns were, but then, of course they were because those Victorians had a different outfit for every occasion!
Oh my goodness I love the leaf skeleton print on the lining! Delightful!!
Can this PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE be a sewing project? Maybe a collaboration with Nicole? I would love to see this pattern of dress in action. It must have looked amazing when it was in its prime and going out and about.
I love a good tea gown! My favourite Worth gown is a tea gown, the stunning 1897 green and black number 🤤 so pretty!
That tea gown is gorgeous! I want one and my new favorite color might be orange because of that dress. I want to say how much I appreciate all the work you do. It is a marvelous education about historical costuming, especially due to the different types of videos you post. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I've always wondered what I should wear to go to tea at a historical Victorian Tea House in the city where I live. Thank you Abbey, your vids are always so wonderful. I've been told that the Victorian Tea House in Idaho Falls, Idaho has actual vintage Victorian Tea dresses for visitors to wear to tea. I've never been there because I'm sure none of their dresses would fit me, so i plan to make my own custom tea dress to visit the Tea House. Ty for the inspiration.
I love when you do these videos! Construction is so fascinating and seeing how they put things together when it is right, and even more when it isn't, is so inspiring and awesome. I so enjoy things from history that are not perfect. Thank you for sharing!
perfect to watch during afternoon tea today! thanks abby ❤️
I feel so seen. I am often running a different bobbin color front the top stitch color.
Absolutely! Construction seams are where I get rid of bobbin colours from the last project, where I needed a specific colour so I could do top stitching from the inside or the outside at various points.
I also sometimes just pop a weird colour bobbin on as my top thread to empty the bobbin, but mostly if I’ve gone to the effort of winding it a bobbin, I’d rather use it as a bobbin.
Edit: Then I realized it’s common because winding bobbins in specific colours for each project is often more effort than it’s worth, and it makes sense to just have 1-3 default colours for bobbins.
Before I got into sewing lingerie I could do that… I miss it.
The colors of this dress are just gorgeous
I love how you talk about the dress and the lady who wore it as one person.
Ooh, that's very pretty! That bit of embroidery is a particularly sharp feather stitch,which I often use to mimic a vine, usually adding stitched flowers or leaves.
😍
She's gorgeous!!
I don't generally fall for tea gowns, but this beauty might be my favorite piece of your collection so far! ❤❤❤
Thank you for sharing this gorgeous dress. I love you you take the time to point out every detail. You also gave me a great laugh. I have a slight hearing loss and use the captions to help me follow along. When you are going over the wool added to the hem the captioning is “ the wool is that it has been destroyed by moms” 🤣
I haven't sewn a darn thing in absolutely forever, but I am an addict of your videos.
P.S. The top that you are wearing is stunning 😍
The fabric reminds me a lot of casual shalwar kameez from India. Obviously in a different dress form, but it does evoke South Asian and Middle Eastern patterns.
I've never known the names of those but they're so pretty ( ◜ᴗ◝)
Ooooo the color on that is amazing
The captions at one point read that the wool lining had been "eaten by moms" which was an extra little giggle in this video! What a lovely gown!
I like how you matched your outfit to compliment the tea dress!
When you gathered the front piece of material the dress finally made sense to me. I wasn’t a fan until you pinched the fabric!
What doesn’t make sense in 2021 is changing into what for us would be a prom gown in order to have a little snack before our late dinner! Lol
I am so, so, so happy whenever I've seen that you posted! Going to get some coffee and my knitting, so I can settle into this video. YAY! :D
Thank you for the Squarespace info - I've been thinking I need a website, but I'm stalling, argh. Love the dress details, there's nothing like looking at the real thing. ❤️
I NEED the orange velvet one. Well, not need, but strongly Want. Someday, once I learn how to sew.
This is honestly so gorgeous- that colour of orange is just one of my favourites and it looks so stunning! What a beautiful piece to have in your collection. With it being so hot this summer, I'd definitely love to see a recreation sometime in the future.
I've been wanting to make a tea gown for a while, and getting to see one like this instead of just musueum photos is incredibly helpful. I had been thinking that the closure on the side of the front panel in so many of these gowns was the actual gown closure. (and maybe on some it was, I'm not an expert) this gives me a much better idea of how to approach patterning my tea gown.
that color is beautiful & I like that you coordinated with the Tea Gown.
This dress is SO interesting on so many levels! What a great piece!
Abbey I just love what you do, it’s always informative and interesting, entertaining and very exciting. Could I add that Australia also had a strong voice in its fashion interpretation of this era as well. And our ladies here also wore many adaptations of these gorgeous gowns. I was fortunate enough to have very fashionable grandmothers and great aunts who still had extant examples of the clothing from that time and they were beyond stunning. So many handmade and semi machine sewed garments as well. I spent hours staring at them in their tissues wrappings, hidden mysteriously on faded old silk hangers in the back of sturdy silky oak wardrobes. Thank you fir transporting me back in to my earliest childhood where I fell totally in love with fashion, silks, polished cottons, suede gloves etc..Have a really blessed day!
Yessss I loveeeee this gown and the colour is delightful!
Thanks for the Dr. Who reference 🙂
I just recently watched the Werner Herzog film Nosferatu the Vampyre and the dresses in that movie are from the aesthetic era. It's late 70s so while they get the silouettes and decorations, the fabrics are not good. I think it's one of the few times I've seen a movie with that era of fashions.
Abby listing sizes: “she’s really short”
Me: oh! That would fit me, I can be your mannequin ;)
What would the collar that was ripped off have looked like?
Ugh this just reaffirms how much I want tea gowns of my own!