La-madame-x - 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚇

𝙰𝚗 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

Good evening. I am a tailor; I have been for a very long time. I first learned to sew when I was 5, and ever since I've been experimenting with styles, fabrics, eras, and inspirations. For the past few years, I've been designing [and sometimes recreating] gowns and outfits from the 1890s. My favourites are those from the long-gone courts of Russia, and those based on its intricately detailed uniforms. Currently in the works are two silk court dresses, and a recreation of Tatiana's Ulan uniform.

When I'm not lost in the 1890s, I'm making vintage suits, playing with fountain pens [and inks!], collecting antiques, and obsessing over old jewelry.

Shall we proceed? — 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚇

Portrait of Agnes Margaretha Albinus (detail), by Mattheus Verheyden, 1750. Oil on canvas.

necklaces/chokers + art

𝚃𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚊'𝚜 𝚄𝚗𝚒𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖 - 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

This particular project will be a blend of two things - Grand Duchess Tatiana's Ulan uniform and a late Victorian walking suit [meaning the skirt will be changed from an asymmetrical riding habit skirt to an 1890s fan skirt, and the jacket will be cut to a curvier profile]. The patterns for the both the jacket and skirt will be entirely self-drafted based on the original photos shown above. Let's go over the materials: For the body of it, I chose a medium-heavy weight [450 gsm] English herringbone tweed in 'Dark Navy'. This totaled to 6 metres. The yellow front is also of tweed, but this time a plain weave and only 1/2 a metre. They are pictured below along with silver dome buttons and an antique fob necklace, because who doesn't need one of those. Additional materials such as trims for the collar and cuffs, as well as the belt, will be shared in a future post.

Photos are not mine [except for last one], I found them on Pinterest.

by Maria Babintseva

John Singer Sargent       Madame X (Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau)  1884