Sissi Wedding Dress Part 3: Skirts and Floof

Sissi Wedding Dress Part 3: Skirts and Floof

So in the original Winterhalter painting, I can see two layer of fabric. First we have the base in a white or cream color, then the sheer overlay.

For information on how the fabric was selected or a more in depth look at the research process follow this link 

There are different ways of constructing historical skirts, my preferred method is the one used by Mrs. Marion Pullan in her 1860 book "Beadle's Dime Guide to Dress-Making and Millinery." Here Mrs. Pullan instructs "At the preset time a skirt should be at least four and a half yards around the bottom... Seven breadths of the ordinary 21 inch wide silks are sufficient for a skirt." At the time fabrics were only 21" wide and could not be made into the tube that we see today, instead the author writes that the fabric should be cut into breadths or panels as we might call them today. She also suggests that the skirts be made of 7 panels or 21 inches. Giving half an inch per breadth/panel, those following the instructions had a skirt circumference of 143.5". 

Assuming that this was written for the average middle class woman, Empress Sissi's dress was most likely much larger. However the many seamstresses and storehouses of gold that her majesty is not available to myself sooo... the skirt was made of three panels of 55" ivory silk with a total circumference of 163.5". 

This also allows for a train as the back panel can be longer with the other panels angled back towards this panel. In the image above you can see how the back panel was guestimated in length. It is quite a (not) scientific process.

Here the ivory underskirt had been made and the star organza had been laid over it to just see how it looked

The overskirt was sewn in a tube due to the directions of the stars, it was fortunately nearly 65" wide and could be shaped along the bottom edge to follow the slight train. I wanted enough of a train that you could tell it was there, but not so much that it would impede dancing. This dress isn't just for the wedding, ultimately if the plague ends and we dance again, this dress is going to rock the ballroom.

 

Together with the bodice, Here is where it really came together and really "became the "Sissi" dress for me.