1882 Tea Gown

Based on an original design and constructed with original practice and modern techniques.

This project happened largely due to happenstance. A fabric shop local to me was clearing out some old inventory - vintage upholstery trims, modern overstock, and more than sixteen yards of purple silk dupioni. Right around the same time, I purchased an 1882 White Sewing Company treadle sewing machine. So, of course, my automatic reaction was to figure out a project to use all those things. This tea gown was the result!

I used six of the sixteen yards of the dark purple silk, added an additional yard of lighter silk for contrast, and used several yards of vintage trim and ribbons. There are twenty-five bee buttons down center front,  and fifty-three additional bees hand-appliqued all over. 

In the Victorian Era, tea gowns were worn lounging around the house or informal gatherings between friends. This particular gown is silk dupioni, but they could be made from chiffon, taffeta, velvet, or cotton. Liberty of London - well regarded for the quality of their fabrics - was known for their tea gowns in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. I was able to find an extant tea gown made from wool flannel at a vintage store local to me. I’d love to make another one of these tea gowns for lazier around the house activities - this silk is a little stiff for lounging!