1875 Bustle Dress

This project is given to create a Bustle Dress based on a painting by James Tissot. I chose his painting The Bunch of Lilacs. This painting is from 1875 and is arguably closer to a tea gown rather than a true Bustle Gown. However, it was decided by my professor and I that for the purpose of this project it would be appropriate to create a full bustle cage regardless. Additionally, I created the petticoat and the corset for this piece. These are highlighted in the "Understructures" page of this website.

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This dress is created from three pieces, the Bodice, the Underskirt, and the Tabliet (Overskirt). The Underskirt is created with a Cotton Sateen underlayer and a Cotton Voile overlayer that floats on top. Both of these fabrics have been dyed different shades of blue, the cotton sateen a darker, almost lavender color, and the voile has been dyed to be just a whisper of light blue. The Tabliet is created out of only the voile layer, as to help give the loft of the skirt without being weighed down by the sateen. The bodice is made by flat-lining the voile to the sateen. Most of the trim is made of the same voile, starched and hand pleated or gathered by machine and applied. The Piping on the bodice as well as the sash is made from a blue cotton backed satin.

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The Model is Alivia Cross; Pictures by Blake James