The original gown belonged to the Nathan Pierson family in the Richmond/Pittsburgh area of Massachusetts. The style of the gown, however, is a typical transitional dress from the waisted gowns of the 1770s and 1780s to the rising waistlines the early 1790s to what we know as the Empire Style of the 1800s. The use of the shoulder strap construction and ties for closure are holder-overs from earlier sewing techniques, as is the method of attaching the self to the lining. The high waistline and very long sleeves speak to a very stylish and fashionable garment. This garment was featured in DAR Museum’s exhibit “An Agreeable Tyrant”: Fashion After the Revolution.
Check the measurement charts for sizing. Patterns are printed on 20lb weight paper, with multiple sizes each uniquely color-coded on the pattern. Includes documentation, photographs, drawings, and sewing instructions focusing on period construction methods, but can be sewn using modern sewing machine methods. The person who buys any one of these patterns can be confident that the pattern shapes are period correct which allows the individual the option to be as period correct in sewing techniques and construction as he or she wishes to be.
