The most versatile gown of the 18th century!
Quick and easy to construct, the Robe à l’Anglaise can take you from encampment to ballroom, depending on your choice of fabrics and trimmings. Similar gowns appear in collections of 18th century clothing all over the world, demonstrating the popularity of this style and its universal acceptance.
Robe à l’Anglaise or English Nightgown
This pattern is designed to be constructed in a variety of ways. It may be made as a Robe à l’Anglaise en fourreau as a round gown with an apron front or as a Robe à l’Anglaise a la polonaise as an open robe with petticoat. Either view may be made as an open or closed robe, with a choice of two sleeves. Included in each pattern is a small sleeve flounce pattern, not shown in illustration, plus diagrams with instructions for making a petticoat to be worn over hoop or a false rump.
This original design, Robe à l’Anglaise en fourreau, is based on extant gowns in the collections of The Chester County Historical Society, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. All of these gowns have sewn-down pleats tapering to the waist on each side of the center back seam. The pleats radiate from the center back towards the side seams with the material from the center back pleats continuing down into the skirt of the gown. This is the most typical style of en fourreau back pleating from this period. As an example, The Gallery of English Costume has 28 robes, c. 1750 - 1780, with 17 gowns showing this construction, 4 having back pleats folded and sewn towards the center back, and 7 with other pleating variations.
Examples of the Robe à l’Anglaise a la polonaise may be found in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, c. 1775, and The Municipal Museum of The Hague, c. 1780-1782.
Both of these gowns share the same bodice seam placement, sleeve shape and polonaise skrt treatment although they were produced in different parts of the world.
Available in sizes 8 – 22, one size per pattern.