There are obvious problems for those wanting to recreate this ensemble. First, this is the only picture we have of the original. There are some really fantastic pictures of a stunning recreation floating around out there, but it's still a recreation. We aren't given a good look at the original embroidery, and we can barely see the back of the jacket at all. Because of this, we see a lot of variation in the few reproductions out there, especially in the back.
Costumers of all sorts love this ensemble, and it's made its way on screen many times. We first see it in Jefferson in Paris, with this stunning recreation.
On this version, the designer decided on a super long peplum in the back, which is kind of strange. I've never seen it in an extant garment or fashion plate, so I assume this was the designer's choice and it wasn't based off anything in particular. I do love that they decided to pair it with a matching skirt instead of the white skirt we usually see the jacket paired with. I think it gives it a more cohesive look, though curiously, the skirt and jacket appear to be different fabrics. Perhaps the jacket and gilet were made for an earlier film or production, and the costume department made a skirt out of a similar fabric to match it.
Anyway, the embroidered stomacher has me on a total embroidery kick, and I'm feeling confident enough to tackle larger projects, so this immediately came to mind. Luckily, I am already planning a trip to the fabric warehouses for Monday, so I'll be on the lookout for a teal fabric that matches this jacket. I really want to use silk, and I know one warehouse has silk hidden among the poly, so that will be my first stop. If I can't find a suitable silk, I may settle for a poly, but I'm really set on using silk. It's not often that I splurge for real silk, but I feel like this project deserves it.
No comments:
Post a Comment