I Made My First Robe a la Francaise! | Part 1: The Petticoat

When people think of 18th century fashion, they often picture one of the elaborate gowns that Marie Antoinette herself would have worn to a ball. The robe a la francaise is just such a gown. It's lavish, and it's meant to impress! I finally had a reason to make my own robe a la francaise (also known as a sack back or sacque gown). I attended the St. Louis Historical Sewing Society's 18th century ball last October. The Fêtes Historiques de St. Louis was a wonderful evening, and I'm so glad I was able to attend. I had several months' advance notice, but life got in the way, and I ended up making my gown in the last few weeks before the event. This series of videos will show you how I made it! I relied heavily on The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking by Lauren Stowell and Abby Cox, and Patterns of Fashion (books 1 and 6) by Janet Arnold and The School of Historical Dress. If you are interested in historical sewing, these books (among others) are invaluable resources. #stlfetes2023, #RALF, #18thcentury, #costube, #historicalcostume As always, I hope you'll subscribe, and if you want to stay up to date on my projects between videos, feel free to follow me on instagram @crmarble.