"Robe à la Française" Custom-made historical dress

Model presented: French dress circa 1760

A bit of history:

This is the iconic dress of the 17th century. Embodied by Madame de Pompadour and then by Marie-Antoinette, it is characterized by its pleats in the back, nowadays called "Watteau" pleats, in reference to the eponymous painter who often represented them in his paintings.

The dress is composed of a coat, a skirt and a stomacher. These three elements are separable and can be coordinated. The sleeves of the French dress always stop at the elbow and are generally pagoda (opening in a funnel) to let the engageantes, cuffs of two or three flounces of lace or gauze, protrude.
It is worn for special events such as a presentation at court or a ball.

Materials:

Requiring a large amount of fabric (10 to 20 meters) it is a very expensive dress.
At the time, silk was reserved for the nobility and the upper middle class.
The lower middle class will be able to afford a less expensive, more sober version in linen or cotton.

The lingerie
This dress must be worn over a boned body, also called a corset nowadays).
It is the corset that sculpts the bust into a cone shape and gives this silhouette so characteristic of the 18th century.
The whalebone body is worn over a linen or cotton shirt.
The chemise helps prevent the corset from rubbing against the skin, as well as protecting the dress from perspiration.
Finally, the volume on the hips is created by the baskets, which also act as pockets (an opening is provided in the petticoats to provide access to them).