1920-ies Robe de Styl and the roaring twenties

 For the first FO the year, which is actually still from last year, I will bring you one of the strangest piece I made last year.

And it is strange/unusual for many reasons. 

Not only because it is mid 1920-ies period, and it is really well known that I do not relish the 1920-ies, in fact I really do not like what is typically known as 1920-ies fashion. Like these:

I was happy enough that I found my niche at the late Victorian /early Edwardian period, and did not plan to conquer yet another time/fashion period I was not a fan of. However, we had an appearance with the Museum of Applied Arts at the one of the big music festivals of Europe, which is the biggest one in central Europe. And the period we were asked was the Art Deco, the 1920-ies. 

One thing I dislike more than the 20th century fashion... Missing out on things because the event is set in a period that is not my favorite, and lately I take those as a challenge to find something in the given period I like something I can grab and hold on and find my place in it. 

For the 1920-ies it was the Robe de Styl. For a while I did start to collect some 1910's fashion, knowing that sooner or later we will be getting into something new, and found that the Lucille-dresses appeal to me much better than anything else. 

Lucille-dress from the mid 1910's.

 I also saw that there I did save a few not-typical 1920-ies dress, that felt similar to me. Like these:

Looking closer I realized that there is a certain style in the 1920-ies (which, in my opinion kind of evolved from the Lucille dresses, though I am not a fashion historian, nor did I researched the early 20th century fashion too much). That style is called Robe de Styl and if you put those dresses among the typical "charleston style" they do look weird. However, if you know a bit of the 18th century fashion there are elements that look... familiar.

It is much more feminin, almost historical, "historicist".

So that was what I was going to make.

It has a structure, a line that is strange to the modern eye, because it uses the little "panniers" that we remember from the 18th century.

There is a special undershirt with inbuilt panniers go under the dress, giving it its distinct shape.

For me, the dress also "strange" because it is not blue, but green, which is an unusual color for me. But looking at these dresses, original pieces, I really liked those with the soft embroidery, evoking nature, besides, I seem to be on a petrol kick lately, so, there goes the color. I had the petrol taffeta in my stash (Bought from I Love textile, who knows how many yeras ago), and I bought the chiffon. 

Once again, I was not making an exact copy of an existing dress of fashion drawing, but taking inspirations and details from existing pieces. Like these ones:

I especially love those that have a soft feminine chifon layer and embroidery, so mine has a copious amount of ribbon embroidery, which is intentionally not orderly, even and/or symmetrical, but I was going for a more flowing organic thing, so I did not draw up any pattern, just started the middle and go from there free-handing it. 

But do not try to embroider poly-taffeta with ribbon... Especially not a full dress in a couple of days... I broke several needles, a plyer, and my hands hurt for weeks afterwards, 

But the result was worth it.

I have to thank my friend, Anna, for talking with me about the Robe De Styl, encouraging me to try it, and giving me the pattern I used as a base.

Modelled Photos: Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto