Little Red Redingote

So yesterday I finally finished the little Red Redingote, a costume idea I'd been kicking around for a long time.  Part of the reason I think it took me so long to finish was that I was a bit stymied by not settling on a particular style of redingote and not knowing exactly where to start with patterning.  I ended up deciding to do a more of a gown style redingote rather than one of the more "coat" styled ones with double collars or "coachman" type capes.

I took inspiration from these fashion plates, this gown in Patterns of Fashion and this jacket in the Cut of Women's Clothes.




And I finally had the eureka that I could just draft something similar to the Duchess "victory jacket" I'd made in the picture below right.

For that jacket I'd used my trusty Period Impressions Polonaise pattern as an 18th C body block.  I did the same thing for the redingote, changing some of the seamlines and adding to the center front to create a double breasted front.  I used the J.P. Ryan jacket pattern single piece sleeve as a base for my sleeve, just extending the sleeve to wrist length.  Then I drafted a collar and cuffs, and at the last minute decided I wanted some pocket flaps to further emulate the men's styles, and use up the 6 extra buttons I had!

The fabric is a red silk faille from Fashion Fabric Club lined with ivory silk shantung I got when a local Jo Anns was going out of business.  I bought the  brass buttons at Fort Frederick's 18th Century Market Faire a few years ago (for a coat for my husband, sorry hon!) I think from Burnley and Trowbridge.

While it's a mishmash of styles that may not really be historically accurate, I really like the over all result, although I think I might bring the skirts forward just a few more inches on either side.  I was lucky enough to have a big blue velvet hat trimmed with white and red I'd made for another costume that went perfectly with it.  I'm also wearing a petticoat I made of embroidered cotton curtains  from Target (!) and red leather 18th reproduction shoes from Burnley and Trowbridge.