A long jacket which may be worn long or pulled up a la polonaise. Optional ruching strip may be attached across center front to hold handkerchief in place. Pattern is for Caraco jacket and sleeve flounces, with diagrams for handkerchief and petticoat to be worn over sides hoops or false rump. Available in sizes 6 – 24, two sizes per pattern.
18th CenturyCaraco Jacket with Sleeve Flounces, Handkerchief and Petticoat
The caraco jacket was a popular ladies' fashion from approximately 1770-1785.
This caraco is designed with a false stomacher front which has a center front hook and eye closure. The over-the-elbow length sleeves are finished with shaped cuffs. An optional ruching strip may be fastened across the stomacher to secure a neck handkerchief, if it is worn over the caraco rather than tucked into the neckline. Optional ribbon loops may be sewn inside the caraco, which can be fastened up over the covered buttons (optional) to lift the jacket skirt a la polonaise.
The original design for this caraco jacket is based on several extant examples in the collections of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, The Gallery of Costume, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is intended to be worn over stays, and will not fit a 21st century figure wearing modern undergarments.
Pattern contains pattern for caraco jacket and sleeve flounces only. Directions are included for a shaped petticoat to be worn over side hoops/false rump and a square or triangular handkerchief.