1780s Matching Cotton Jacket and Petticoat

This ensemble circa 1780 was made with an Ikea duvet cover like my previous 1780s Italian gown, except I actually bought this duvet set prior to that one. After a bit of a snafu with the fabric, I decided I didn’t have enough fabric to make a whole gown but I could do a jacket and matching petticoat combo.

I used the Amalia jacket by Scroop patterns and added a bunch of trim inspired by extant jackets of the era, however, I was wishy-washy on how exactly I wanted to trim this jacket and went through several iterations before deciding on the final look.

I used the free Frances Rump pattern (the large size) from Scroop to make a bum pad to go under the skirt. The late 18th century favored a rounder skirt silhouette over the wide-hipped hoops from earlier decades.

I styled this with a new linen cap made with the Bess pattern from Virgil’s Fine Goods and matching sleeve ruffles (from scraps), along with a silk bow (also from scraps, the size of the bow was determined by the tiny pieces I had left), a heart-shaped pincushion (scraps from my 1840s ballgown). All of those projects were hand-sewn. I’ve been trying to keep little hand-sewing projects at the ready for when I’m not in my sewing room but still want to keep my hands busy.

There is also a ton of hand-sewing on this whole outfit. The petticoat and jacket lining are mostly hand-sewn but all the finishes and attaching the trim were done by hand. Basically, if it can be seen on the outside, I tend to do it by hand.

I’m also wearing silk stockings and my American Duchess show plus a linen fichu/scarf and I powdered my hair. My hair is super short now so it makes it hard to do historical hairstyles. Caps/hats/bonnets are a lifesaver. I’m slowly collecting some wigs and hairpieces to help out when I can’t easily cover my hair.

I made an in-depth YouTube video for this dress. I had a lot of stops and starts due to real-life getting in the way but I love the finished ensemble.