Secretary, Caron Myers introduced the guest speaker, Yvonne Brown, who is an expert in making Colonial attire. Yvonne started making clothes as a little girl and eventually began making period clothing. Yvonne has a home in Greensboro, NC and one in the Supply area where she has a studio for dressmaking. Yvonne displayed several different outfits shown below in styles from 1765-the early 1800s. She showed us how the styles changed over those years, and how the fabrics also changed. She showed the difference between the French style, which was always cutting edge, similar to the way it is today. to the English style, which was cheaper, using less fabaric by sewing little pleats in the back of the gown, to the Italian style, which used cotton, since that was cheaper than using silk. She also oshowed the difference between what an upper-cclass lady would wear, verus someone of a lower standing. Yvonne displayed several outfits that she had created on a mannequin, with riding coats, scarves and various cuffs and told how buttons were seldom used. Instead, she said outfits were held togeth with pins.
Information provided by Caron Myers.
I am holding mini example of gown with two different cuffs. My dress is a jacket with a petticoat(skirt). This was worn by all classes for everyday wear. Model wearing under pinnings and petticoat
Model has on Redingote coat dress which can be worn for all, but formal occasions. It was a very popular style 1770's
French style gown with long back in 1760"s. Called a sack dress and was going out of style in early 70's.
A more practical style is the Italian style which came to a low V-shape in the back waist. By this time the fabrics were cotton and lighter fabric.
Thank you Michele Russell, Susan DeGroote and Caron Myers for the photographs.
