My dear friend Meagan went on a European adventure last summer and brought me back the ideal souvenir— lace from her time in Belgium. I was so happy to put the finery to use this week, as I do believe use is the best way to appreciate beauty and craft! A timely re-watch of a favorite period drama, the 2011 film adaptation of Jane Eyre, served as reference for creating a dress with a lace collar as it’s focal point.
Jane Eyre, the famous romance from Charlotte Bronte, tells the story of it’s title character: from her cruel and unjust childhood as an orphan, to her employment as a governess in a grand but mysterious home, to her meeting and subsequent love story with the home’s intimidating master, her employer Mr. Rochester. This is a Gothic tale, and as such there is a lot of dark intrigue, secrecy, and an uneasy quality that is prevalent, casting a shadow on moments the of tenderness and love. The adaptation directed by Cary Joji Fukanaga captures this all very cinematically and well. True to the Gothic form is this moody and atmospheric take on this poignant classic.
Period dramas continue to draw me to the movie theater at the very least to enjoy wonderful costuming. Costumer Michael O’Connor did a wonderful job with his work here, there are so many stunning costumes in this film, and that is likely the reason I keep revisiting it! Any of Jane’s dresses could serve me well as inspiration… and if I ever dip a toe into bonnet making (don’t tempt me!) I’m sure it will shoot to the top of my queue again.
For this newsletter I am going to focus on the day dress above, which Jane wears for a lot of film. I was so inspired by the style lines in the bodice, and the use of a patterned fabric! Anytime I have used lace, I have put it against a solid dark color garment to serve as it’s backdrop, thinking anything else would detract from it’s focus or be too busy… well let this be proof that that isn’t the only way! The stripes add an interest all their own, but still beautifully highlight the lace collar by drawing the eye to it with high contrast. My gifted Rococo lace and fabric from Smart art thrift store made the perfect combination for me to recreate that look.
It can be hard making a fitted garment for yourself and trying to get the fit right when you are the one pinning, especially on bodices where most fit issues arise. I ended up putting it together before it was perfect so I could insert the zipper, having the back closed helped so I could really tell how much excess I had… though it did mean more ripping of seams for me! I am very pleased with the end result— a sleeveless mini dress, narrow center panel and radiating bodice darts, and fun with directionality of the stripe!
Now, if that has piqued your fancy, I am happy to have two ready-to-wear blouses utilizing lace collars on offer here as well as an over flowing lace drawer ready to don any made-to-measure frock you can envision! Just reply to start the conversation! These are from a holiday market in 2021… so they need a home and prices are reduced :)
Cute dress!