For summer I made a Victorian sheer cotton day dress. I used sheer white cotton muslin from the UK. Unlike US muslin, UK muslin is a very sheer, lightweight cotton fabric – perfect for summer dresses!
I love how my Victorian muslin dress turned out: It looks so elegant. And at the same time, it’s comfortable and cool to wear in summer despite the tons of underwear!
Wrap Bodice With Pagoda Sleeves
Like most Victorian dresses, the bodice and skirt of my Victorian summer dress are separate, such as this pretty 1860s sheer white linen dress.
The bodice of my Victorian cotton dress wraps in front. It’s lightly gathered at the front and closes with two hooks and eyes at the waistband, it’s very similar to this mid-Victorian muslin gown or this beautiful 1860s lilac print muslin gown.
Related: Victorian Black Wool Dress
Like this Victorian sheer muslin gown, the bodice of my Victorian dress has princess seams at the back and sloped shoulder seams. Victorian dresses emphasized sloping shoulders, such as this pretty 1855 flounced white muslin dress at the LACMA museum.
Because pagoda sleeves were popular in the early Victorian era, I also made pagoda sleeves similar to this pretty 1855 fashion plate of a muslin gown with blue ribbons. In the Victorian era, pagoda sleeves were often worn with undersleeves like this beautiful Victorian day dress. But Victorian summer dresses can also be worn without undersleeves like this photograph of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and this 1850s painting show.
I trimmed the front of the wrap bodice and the sleeves with cotton Valenciennes lace. By the way, it’s the same Valenciennes lace which I used for my 1850s lace day cap and my Edwardian muslin & lace blouse. This Victorian muslin gown also has Valenciennes lace at the sleeves.
Related: Edwardian Muslin & Lace Blouse
Opaque Under-Bodice
Sheer Victorian summer dresses usually had a tight-fitting under-bodice with short sleeves. This 1847 painting shows the under-bodice of the muslin gown quite well. And here’s an antique 1840s sheer tucked dress with under-bodice, and the inside of a Victorian sheer plaid bodice with under-bodice. The under-bodice is unboned like mine.
For the under-bodice I used a thicker off-white cotton fabric: it’s the same fabric that I also used for my Victorian ruffled petticoat. The under-bodice has short sleeves and is partly attached to the bodice. It closes with countless hooks & eyes at the center front like the under-bodice of this Victorian sheer cotton dress or the under-bodice of this 1860s sheer bodice at the MET museum.
Skirt With Ruffles
The skirt of my Victorian summer dress is just a rectangle, gathered at the waist and closes at the center back with hooks & eyes. I trimmed the skirt with three self-fabric ruffles: one wide ruffle at the hem and two shorter ruffles above.
The skirt is mainly inspired by this pretty Victorian white muslin dress. And this Victorian printed sheer cotton dress also has similar three ruffles at the hem. And here are three more sheer Victorian cotton dresses with ruffled skirts: 1845 white cotton summer dress, 1851 white cotton dress at the V&A museum, and 1850s purple and white striped cotton dress.
Victorian Underwear & Lace Cap
Because the steel cage crinoline was not yet invented in the early 1850s, I only wear petticoats under my Victorian day dress. I wear six cotton petticoats under the dress: four plain cotton petticoats, one tucked cotton petticoat and one cotton petticoat with ruffles. By the way, I wear the ruffled petticoat inside out because the muslin dress is so sheer that you could see the ruffles through the skirt! The ruffled petticoat worn inside out almost looks like a quilted petticoat.
Related: Victorian Tucked Petticoat & Victorian Ruffled Petticoat
I also wear my usual Victorian under the dress: chemise, corset, drawers, white cotton lace stockings and black leather ankle boots. Despite the tons of underwear, the dress is really cool to wear in summer!
Related: My Victorian Underwear: Chemise, Drawers And Petticoats
And because an early Victorian woman usually covered her hair, I also wear my handmade Victorian Carrickmacross lace day cap with blue silk ribbons.
Related: 1850s Carrickmacross Lace Day Cap
Hi,
I have a question about fabric.
Where did you get the sheer muslin? I’ve been looking all over for fabric like this!
Thank you,
Isabella
Hi Isabella,
I’ve bought the fabric online at macculloch-wallis.co.uk. The fabric is called ‘Muslin, Egyptian Grade A’. Depending on where you live there may be import duties etc. but till now it’s the only seller I’ve found who sells this kind of fabric.
I hope this helps,
Lina
Thank you so much Linda!
I think I’m going to buy this fabric. But I have one more question.
I don’t want stiff fabric, I want fabric with a soft drape. Your dress seems to have a soft drape but I just want to double check that it is.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!
Isabella
Hi,
yes, the fabric has a soft drape. I’ve also used this fabric for my Edwardian blouse. There are also some close-ups of the fabric.
Thank you so much Lina(sorry, I spelled your name wrong in the last reply :))!
I’m just about to order the fabric
You’ve helped me incredibly!
Have a great day!
Isabella
I found your interesting website by accident when I looked up Victorian white Summer dresses for inspiration, and love it. You are so talented and I wonder if you ever sell or make to sell your creations? Your clothing pieces are beautiful, and your photos look historically authentic.
Thank you for your lovely comment. 🙂 I’ve already sold some dresses on ebay, and I’m thinking about opening up a dawanda or etsy shop.
Awesome! What’s your Shop name? I would be very interested in purchasing something if you have anything for sale.
I’m about to open my etsy shop. My shop name is Sew Historically. 🙂
Your dress is really beautiful. I love muslin in summer – so far I’ve only made nightgowns and underskirts though!
Thank you! 🙂
Outstanding site! You definitely know your costume history. I am costuming a “Jenny Lind” antique china head doll (13” tall) and will use this information. Any recommendations on a lightweight silk to use for her dress? Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you so much! 😀 Should the dress be historically correct? Because then I’d rather use thin cotton fabric for a day dress – such as tarlatan, organdy or batiste – or stiff silk fabric for a ball gown – silk taffeta or silk satin. However, if you want to use lightweight silk, you can use lightweight silk taffeta, habotai silk, silk chiffon or silk gauze.
How do you reduce the amount of bulk at the waistline due to the multiple petticoats? Thanks!
Four of the petticoats are gathered into one waistband. Here are more pictures of this petticoat. And I wear the petticoat waistbands slightly below the waist.