Hello sweet friends. Happy historical fashion Friday! For the past few years, I have made myself a dress for my birthday. This year is no exception. I selected the peridot green fabric with a nod to my birthstone. I hope you will enjoy Altering The Sleeves On An 1840s Dress.
Altering The Sleeves On An 1840s Dress
I have been wanting to make an 1840s dress for a few years now. Anytime I came across a great dress image I would add it to my 1840s Pinterest page.
Some of the haulmarks of the style include:
- A fan front bodice.
- Full skirt.
- Beautifully embellished sleeves.
I also love to look at daguerreotypes and portraits such as this lovely gem of Mrs. Nancy Lawson, a minister’s wife, painted by William Matthew Prior.
The Patterns
For the main bodice and skirt, I used McCalls pattern M7988. This is a fantastic pattern that went together well. I would label it as an intermediate-level pattern.
One can clearly see that the pattern was based on extant (existing antique) dresses of the 1840s.
I absolutely adore the ruffled sleeves. If I were 15 years younger I would have absolutely made the dress as-is.
But historically a married woman of my age would have covered her arms.
Butterick pattern B 5832 included a great sleeve alternative. It uses a 2 piece sleeve lining that has very nice lines. 
A similar dress style can also be found as an extant example.
I believe they based the pattern off of the dress in Nancy Bradfield’s excellent book, Costume in Detail.
Still, I wanted a ruffle on my sleeve. It is such a charming detail.
In the 1840s dresses would often feature a convertible sleeve. Long undersleeves would be attached to a shorter cap sleeve. This style is modeled by three of the Clark sisters.
Yes, this was the sleeve for me!
The 1840s Hairstyle
In the 1840s women would generally have a center part paired with a low bun.
Side curls, swoops, and braids helped to soften the severe style.
White lace caps and floral combs were popular hairstyle embellishments.
Combs and headbands could also have ribbons attached.
Carmen Miranda’s grandmother might have worn this.
Many women would wear ribbons, flowers, AND lace.
Helene Louise Elizabeth de Mecklenburg Schwerin, Duchess of Orleans, and Her Son, the Count of Paris, by Franz Xavier Winterhalter
Personally, I did not care for this harsh hairstyle on me.
But I did like my floral combs.
I simply hot glued vintage ribbon and faux floral to the tops of two combs and tucked them into my bun on either side of my head.
However, I am a fan of this dress. Thank you, thank you very much. I’ll be here all week.
Other accessories included a fan which was a gift from my friend Jane.
The antique necklace and earrings were found at a French flea market a few years ago.
Today’s Video
You can see how I constructed the sleeve alteration in today’s video.
Come back tomorrow to see what my Costuber friends wore to the 1840s tea party!
I’ll be here eating cake.
Laura
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Your dress is amazing and what a pretty colour. It must have been heavy as well as quite warm to wear with all the extra fabric needed for the tucks and gathers. I can’t even imagine how the poor souls managed to wear those bulky gowns as well as all the undergarments required of them to be proper, especially all summer in the hot, muggy weather.
You did a beautiful job fitting your gown and altering the pattern. Again, the sleeves might be proper but must have been warm in the summer’s heat. If I was you I would have lied about my age and made the short sleeves! With your beautiful looks and slim figure, you could have pulled it off with no problem! The piping along the bodice and the dainty sleeve ruffles are perfect! The waist gathers at the waist are definitely a labour of love and speak volumes about how much you love to sew and create these beautiful costumes.
Love your purple ribbons and flowers in your hair.
Thank you so much for sharing your work! Your research and photos are so interesting to read. 🙂
Dear Laura,
Beautiful! Such precise attention to detail. While reading through and admiring all the dresses, I couldn’t help but to think how lovely the styles would be for a wedding dress, even today, made of appropriate wedding materials. Also, the hairstyles and the adornments would be lovely for a wedding. If I was in that position, I would strongly consider using one of the patterns shown her for a wedding.
They say what is old will be new again!
Thank you for sharing
Judy
Dear Laura,
Beautiful! Such precise attention to detail. While reading through and admiring all the dresses, I couldn’t help but to think how lovely the styles would be for a wedding dress, even today, made of appropriate wedding materials. Also, the hairstyles and the adornments would be lovely for a wedding. If I was in that position, I would strongly consider using one of the patterns shown here for a wedding.
They say what is old will be new again!
Thank you for sharing
Judy
LOVE all those dresses pictured. The one you made is lovely. Ya sure gotta feel for those women back in the day….NO air conditioning and menopause!!!!
…..yikes!!!!!
This is gorgeous, Laura. I love seeing the different gowns and your hair is just beautiful, too!
Loved reading about your research process. You picked two of my favorite patterns to combine. I would normally not pick anything green but this color is great on you and seems period correct.