Cheater Regency costumes for the ladies

Oh dear! Have you suddenly realised that the ball of the season is less than a week away, and you have nothing to wear?

Never fear, we are here to the rescue with some suggestions for fabulous cheater Regency costumes for ladies!

First off, have a raid of your closet, the linen cupboard, and any fabric stash you may have. The unlikeliest things can become great Regency ballgowns.

In one closet and stash we found: a green satin ball dress, a fab vintage 1960s cocktail dress, a little eyelet lace jacket with puffed sleeves, an orange Grecian inspired top by NZ label Blak, some lengths of white fabric, an old curtain, an orange silk Veronika Maine shirt, a puffed sleeve summer dress, a kimono, and a pile of ribbons and a pile of jewellery.



By adapting and combining these things, we are able to come up with a dozen different Regency looks, each more fabulous than the last.

First off, hair. The right hair do instantly says 'Regency'.

For shorter hair, ruffle up the hair and channel the classical grecian look that was so in in 1800 with a ribbon wound through the mussed locks.

For longer hair, part the hair in the centre, free a few curls at the temples, wind the back hair into a little French twist and form a bun or a loose arrangement of curls at the top of the twist. A ribbon or a necklace as a tiara adds period charm.









For your costume, let's start with the green satin ball dress. A great garment on its own, and the empire line is very period, but the bias-cut skirt and tiny straps just don't say 'Jane Austen'.



Solution? Downplay the skirt and give the illusion of sleeves with an evening robe made from an old kimono (you can buy them at the Asia Gallery from $5).

Evening robes are very Regency - check out the Regency Costume Companion for a discussion on them, and have a browse of some of the gorgeous robes that costumers such as American Duchess have made.



For your robe, rip out the sleeves of the kimono, and sew up most of the sleeve hole to leave a small armsceye. Using a wide ribbon or a length of fabric from one of the sleeves, fashion a sash just under the bust. Pin into place at the sides, and arrange the extra fabric in pleats at the back of the kimono.





Ta da!

Can't be bothered sewing or don't like the look of the robe? Combine the green dress with the little eyelet jacket for instant Regency chic.



What about the 1960s cocktail dress? The pleated bodice and sleeves are perfect, the colours are to-die-for but the short skirt is a total no-no.

Solution? Make a quick drawstring under-the-bust skirt out of a length of fabric sewn in a tube and gathered at the top with a ribbon. Arrange most of the fullness at the back of the skirt. You could even cut it longer in back to make a train, just make sure you have a way to pin up the train so you can dance.

Put the skirt over the short dress, pin in place so it won't slip, and then wrap a ribbon under your bust to hide the join.



Perfect!

The drawstring skirt can be used in a number of other costumes:

With the Blak shirt and a gold ribbon sash for an exotic look



Or over the Veronika Maine shirts for a simpler look.

The ruffle around the neck is a lot like this painting:



To dress up the purple satin ball dress, wear the kimono robe or try another variant on the robe.

Take your old curtain and fold it in half. Cut out an oval 5" long and 4" wide 9" away from the centre fold and 4" away from the side of the curtain.





Slide your arms through the ovals, wrap a sash around your waist, straighten the hem if you wish and there you are!



Knee length summer dresses or longer tunic shirts over the drawstring skirt or any long skirt are another great way to recreate the tunic look that was so popular in Jane Austen's time:

The Grecian look was also extremely popular, and extremely easy to replicate with two pieces of fabric pinned at the shoulders: