Victorian Bustle Gown

Photography by David Crosby.

Dress and all accessories by me

Another view of my bustle gown. Photos taken at Hightower Hall, Historic Brattonsville.

This dress was constructed using patterns from "Patterns of Fashion 2." It took over 100 sheets of paper to scale up and print out all the patterns needed, and still required a number of custom patterns for certain pieces. Underneath is a corset, chemise, bustle, and petticoat. Undergarment yardage is about 6 yards or so, with about 14 yards of fabric or so in the actual dress. The best part? The striped material is from Walmart of all places for just $2/yard. Awesome! Everything was made by me, including the pleated trim (all 27 feet of it) and bias tape trim (all 40 feet of it). Fabric involved include gold silk taffeta, navy broadcloth and unbleached muslin for lining, navy blue satin, and some good 'ol Walmart mystery fabric.