Natural Form Pioneer Work Dress

Hello sweet friends! Welcome to another historical edition of Fashion Friday. Today I will be sharing a Natural Form Pioneer Work Dress.

Natural Form Pioneer Work Dress

I wrote a post last year on the hallmarks of the Natural Form Style which was worn in the bustle era between the years of 1877-1882. 

The research led to the creation of my first natural form era dress. 

Just like today, in the Natural Form Era, many of the high fashions came from Paris and New York. 

Wealthy ladies could trim their dresses in lovely laces and gorgeous trims. 

Those of more modest means often trimmed their gowns in coordinating fabric. 

I adore these two! The seated model with her ruffled trim quite captured my fancy. 

The Allie Pattern

To construct the garment I used the Allie pattern by Marna Jean Davis, a fashion historian. The pattern was made from an extant dress in Ms. Davis’s extensive collection. It features an easy-fitting basque bodice and skirt. The pattern is available in two sizes:  Size A (32-39″ Bust) and Size B (39-51″ Bust). Size A was the pattern I purchased. 

I would classify this as an intermediate and above level pattern. I did have a bit of difficulty in cutting out some of the pieces. As this is a multiple sized pattern there were a few areas I wasn’t quite clear on which cutting line to follow. I should have stopped to get clarification from the pattern maker. But I was in a rush and as usual, was cutting the pieces out very late in the evening.  This was a big mistake, HUGE, on my part. It would result in sleeves that weren’t quite right and had to be reset five times. SLEEVILS: evil sleeves.

This was a rare occasion that, instead of using fabric from an estate sale find, I purchased the fabric at a quilt shop that was going out of business. The three coordinating fabrics are from the Sweet Mint collection created by Andover Fabrics. 

Mulberry Hued Meanderings

For many pioneer women, they might only have one or two dresses. The best dress of the two would be worn to town and other social gatherings. While the style of this work dress is simple there is beauty in its simplicity. 

I opted to sew three quarter length sleeves on the dress so it is quite versatile. It can be worn during the spring, summer, and fall. Every now and again there are also warm winter days here in Texas. 

This is a very easy to wear and comfortable style. 

I love the covered buttons on the bodice. Buttons are my preferred means of closing a garment. 

Probably sometime in the future, I will make a long-sleeved version without ruffles. 

All The Accessories

The bonnet was created by repurposing a navy 1950’s hat. After spray painting it to match, I added cotton Petersham ribbon, paper flowers, and a wee bird. 

It should be noted that historically accurate undergarments were worn to provide the correct silhouette for the outer clothing. 

The beautiful pink shell cameo brooch was a heartfelt gift from my sweet friend Carol. 

The Fabulous Ms. Fox

The brooch belonged to Carol’s great aunt, Leah Fox. It seems rather whimsical that Ms. Fox married a furrier. Carol said her great aunt was always quite fashionable and it’s easy to agree when viewing the photo below. Leah lived to be 100 years old and drove a lavender Cadillac. The lavender trim on my dress was a wink to her. 

You can see the dress in action on my Youtube channel HERE. The stroll starts at the 15:30 mark. 

I hope you have enjoyed this latest historical fashion post.

Laura