Seen on the Blogosphere: Vintage Fabrics

An article from the Smithsonian Institute discusses how the serious fabric and clothes collector ought to store antique fabrics at home. Click here to read it.

French Treasures.com offers truly exquisite and breathtaking fabrics that conjure up another century. Click here to view samples like this 18th century brocade on the right.

This New York Times article describes vintage fabrics for sale in antique shoppes near Sloane Square, London.

Borderline Fabrics sells beautiful fabrics inspired by archived clothing.

And here is a one-stop shop for fabric buying: Mary's Fabric Sources. Simply fabulous.

To round out your fabric tour, read my post on Jane Austen's World: Fabrics and Fashion
and this fascinating article about Hand Loom Weaving in the 19th Century.

Fabrics in the Regency Era

I recall seeing Princess Charlotte's wedding dress years ago at the Museum of London. I couldn't take my eyes off this exquisite creation made of white silk net and silver embroidery. The details were breathtaking, and I could only imagine the number of hours that seamstresses spent toiling over this wondrous dress. The dress fabric was an exception, made for royalty. (Find more details about the dress and wedding here.)

Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra could choose from any number of bolts of fabrics from their milliners and mantua makers. Some of the more expensive cloths were dyed and handpainted, such as the silk fabric above. It was hand painted in the 1700s, made into a dress, then unpicked and remade into a dress in the 1820's. The custom of reusing fabrics was not uncommon. This child's dress was remade from an adult gown. The pattern is obviously too big for the tiny dress to begin with.

This white muslin fabric with embroidered spangles would have shimmered wonderfully at a ball in candlelight. One can imagine the sparkles glittering as the wearer moved about the room.

We know that white muslins were popular during this era, and that silks were used for evening gowns. But what other fabrics were popular during Jane Austen' time? To learn more about Regency fabrics, find a detailed study and samples on Jessamyn's Regency Costume Companion.