EVOLUTION OF DIFFERENT GOWN STYLES (from an email by Suzanne Gousse):

The Casaque or saque-back gown first started as an informal gown worn by the mistress of Louis XIV (end of the 17th century) to conceal her pregnancies, and it was worn loose but the front was sewn from the waist down. The style evolved over the century. Paintings of the 1720-1730s show that the gowns were worn closed, sometimes even by the means of very small buttons; this style was still not fitted around the waist. Wide pleated cuffs, not much decoration on the gown itself, plain fabrics or very large patterned silks.

Later in the 18th century, the gown became more fitted, some seams of the gown being basted or sewn onto the underlining (following closely the lines of the stays worn underneath) and it was now opened over a petticoat. Stripes and smaller patterns were in style.

There was another evolution in the way the pleats were done in the back: wider in the earlier period and closer to the center at the end of the 18th century. For those who deal only with the years prior to 1763, the seam at the waist appeared after the F&I War period. This was probably done to follow the curves of the English stays which were less conical than the French and followed the natural curve between the waist and the hips. There was a change in the styling of the cuffs also and the treatment of the front closure evolved as mentioned in the previous text. The dress was usually pinned onto a stomacher. Ribbons were decorative and there was no strain on them, the piece underneath was pinned onto the gown.

Everyone has to remember that all the dressmakers who made these gowns all had their own ways. But for people from another city or another time period like us, all the gowns of a certain decade look much the same. Look at paintings of markets where you see many different people. If you take a look at some 20th century pictures, with the eyes of someone from another century, you will get the same feeling: we all look the same although WE, from the 21st century, think we all look different.

On a final note, you get more different looks with different "tops" or bodices and many petticoats in various colours and stripes than you will ever get from one gown. But if you go to a ball once or twice a year, a gown is a good investment. For those of you who portray ordinary women from Canada, many of them owned French style gowns made from very fine wool called "estamine". Fine wool crepe from Italy would be a good substitute.

 CASAQUE (OR SAQUE-BACK GOWN)/ROBE BATTANTE

The Casaque was fashionable earlier in the 18th century than the Pet-en-lair, but was popular into the 1780s. Casaques might have been an old jacket style passed down from mother to daughter, or might be traded as used clothing, making it an everyday item for rich and poor.

As time went by, the Casque evolved bit by bit into the Pet-en-l'air, becoming gradually more fitted. The Robe Battante similarly evolved into the Robe a la Francaise. Transitional Robe Battante/a la Francaise garments existed, and also possibly transitional Casaque/Pet-en-l'air garments. The older ladies might have stuck with the Casaque, while the younger women would be more likely to follow the "current" fashions from France. Mobile and New Orleans probably received current fashion information more quickly than just about anyone else in Nouvelle France because of their location and ease of transportation via the sea.

A Casaque has pleats in front which are not stitched down, as well as behind, and it is worn open, not pinned to a stomacher. It appears the Casaque was closed by holding it shut with apron bibs and/or strings. The Casaque is also less fitted in back. The draping across the back of the shoulders is tacked just at the top of the pleats and hangs free down to the bottom of the gown. It is about 3/4 length.

The Casaque seems to be just a shorter version of the full-length Robe Battante.

Sharon Ann Burnston's MillFarm Pattern is excellent for a Casaque - you can get it from Burnley & Trowbridge.

Suzanne and I have been talking about the instances of bedgowns or Manteaux-de-lit that appear in the record. We have decided that a lot of sacques or casaques or pet-en-lair are actually being portrayed. Look at the following pix to see if you don't agree: http://sunsite.dk/cgfa/chardin/p-chardin23.htm http://sunsite.dk/cgfa/chardin/p-chardin10.htm http://www.marquise.de/1700/pics/1740_2.shtml Notice the folds on the shoulders and the fullness caught by the apron strings. Bedgowns have an inverted pleat down the back to control the fullness and would not have exhibited folds hanging from the top of the shoulders down the shoulder blades. Why is this important? If your age (in real time) suggests that you are old in your portrayal(30s to 50s+) during the F&I, you probably would have had sacques and pets-en-lair for jackets and may have had fewer bedgowns. Also notice that the lappets cap, with or without ruffles, and sometimes worn over another smaller cap seems to be the preferred headcovering. PET-EN-LAIR/ROBE A LA FRANCAISE

The Pet-en-lair became fashionable after the Casaque, and was about equally informal. In any time period in which you might see both, the Pet-en-lair would probably be the more 'formal,' since the Casaque by then would be outdated and possibly second-hand.

The Pet-en-lair lies flat in front, and is pinned to a stomacher. The pleats in front were stitched down to the waist. It is more fitted, with pleating, in the back. It is referenced in historical texts as the top part of a dress reaching to a foot below the waist, and back-pleated.

The Pet-en-lair seems to just be a shorter version of the Robe a la Francaise.

J.P. Ryan's Pet-en-lair pattern is recommended, as it has the added bonus of lengthening into a robe-ala-Francaise.

MANTELET/JUSTE

"Juste" is the term used in France and "mantelet " is the term used for the same piece of clothing in New France/Canada. It is primarily a type of women's waistcoat or jacket. The term "mantelet" was also used in Canada for men's waistcoats (when it was not part of a complete suit). Garsault's "L'Art de la Coutouriere" describes "juste" as: "This is usually worn by country women. The sides are sewn down to the waist only, and then are left open to form basques...."

Jackets are fitted garments, and usually have set-in sleeves and cuffs. They have skirts which are usually about hip-length. Jackets are nearly always cut with the "side" seams toward the back, like gowns and like men's coats and jackets. Jackets will not have the correct look if you don't wear stays or jumps underneath.

For an example, see Gruese's Laundress (left). It's longish and plain, not pleated or with divided skirts/tabs.

The mantelet or women's waistcoat or Juste seen on page 25 of Gousse's book, taken from Garsualt appear to be the everyday styles of French women. Around "camp" they may or may not have worn the panniers or bumrolls, but Chardin's paintings and the "chocolate girl" by Liotard all show these garments.

For a good jacket pattern, visit J.P. Ryan and look at "A Fine Collection of Ladies' Jackets for Undress Wear." http://www.kannikskorner.com/patwomen.htm. Also check out Suzanne Gousse's patterns at Le Fleur de Lyse.

Of Gowns, Jackets, "Shortgowns", and Bedgowns: - What Should I Really Be Wearing? By Sue Felshin - A very informative article, just focused on Rev. War time period.