18th Century Women’s Jacket Recreation
A women’s 18th century caraco jacket made from blue and gold silk jacquard, lined with silk taffeta and linen.
This was based on a jacket in the Janet Arnold Patterns of Fashions 1: The Content, Cut, Construction & Context of Englishwomen’s Dresses c. 1720 - 1860. This recreation used the exact pattern and scale of the one created from Arnold’s research.
Construction was made in a historically accurate manner with hand sewing and soft tailoring techniques.
The Inspiration
The original jacket, of red brocaded floral silk with a lining of pale blue taffeta and linen. This is dated to the period of 1735 - 1740 and is currently part of the Charles Wade costume collection at the National Trust’s Snowshill Manor.
Images and pattern source: Arnold. J. (2021) The Patterns of Fashion 1: The content, cut, construction and context of Englishwomen’s dress c. 1720 – 1860. London: The School of Historical Dress.
The Process
Materials used include silk jacquard, silk taffeta, linen, cotton domette, horsehair canvas, linen tape, synthetic baleen strips, domed wooden buttons, and cotton embroidery thread for braiding.
An accompanying stomacher is made from buckram, cotton domette, linen, and silk jacquard, and includes a wooden busk.
The whole garment is handsewn, using backstitch, slip stitch, herringbone stitch, prick stitch, and whip stitch.
Two toiles were created first to test the construction process and pattern.
