Frock Chick

It’s not surprise I am obsessed with the style. I have been for more than a decade but never found a fabric I thought would do the style justice. Well now I do have a fabric! And thanks to an online friend sharing images from her own research that connection was sparked and the final push to actually make one inspired!

Many moons ago a very well respected costumier who creates the most amazing 18thC gowns gave me information on a few mantua especially one of my favourite gowns ever, he shared privately but there is now an official source:

National Museets Samlinger Online

Kjole med slæb, grøn silke

Beskrivelse

Kjole med slæb. Af grøn silke med broderet guldmønster, antagelig 1740erne. Fra Valdemar Slot, Tåsinge.

(I have a pattern for this)

Victoria and Albert Museum.

Blue silk: Museum no. T.88 to C-1978, early 18thC (note the skirt is essentially a full ruffle from hip height)



Shrewsbury Museums Service:

Mantua.18th century (1710).(SHYMS: T/1973/6/1). Image sy14188

National Museum Wales:

Silver embroidered blue damask court mantua (an open fronted gown with an elaborate train), (mix of suggested dates, 1720-1740)

Tredegar Collection

Date: late 17th century

Culture: British

Medium: wool, metal thread

Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1933

Accession Number: 33.54a, b

(I have two patterns for this)

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Mantua (note the skirt is a series of reverse flounces!)

Date: ca. 1708

Culture: British

Medium: silk, metal

Credit Line: Purchase, Rogers Fund, Isabel Shults Fund and Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1991

Accession Number: 1991.6.1a, b

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Woman’s Mantua with Stomacher and Petticoat

Italy, circa 1700

Costumes; principal attire (entire body)

Silk satin with gold- and silver-metallic thread embroidery

a) Dress: Center back length: 56 in. (142.2 cm); b) Petticoat: Center front length: 35 in. (88.9 cm)

Costume Council Fund (M.88.39a-c)

Collections of the Lincoln Museums:

Usher Gallery, The Lincolnshire mantua

(There is a pattern to a similar garment in the first PDF, also a skirt layout and layout of the train. All three documents are available to download and are incredibly fascinating!)

I have another favourite from the Museum of London but there is no link online.

I will share a thumbnail though and hopefully in time the museum will have this on their site:

Museum of London

Dress 1720-30 (no. 2) front view, with added STOMACHER, 1720-1730 (no.39)

(I have a pattern for this)

This does not appear to in their collections, I will update as soon as I know more. I much prefer to link to the collections rather than take from a book, but I can at least, hopefully, generate interest in this garment!)

So I have a fantastic start, a nice range of extant garments to look at trends and to decide on particular style.