Velvet Aesthetic Tea Gown

I got this length of fabric from Sarah ages ago and had dreamed of making something long, elegant, and flowy with it. Like a tea gown. So finally, in summer 2022, I went ahead and used the Laughing Moon Mercantile princess-line tea gown pattern with this fabric. There was just barely enough of the velvet, I could match the nap but not the pattern, and I used every scrap. I didn’t have enough of the velvet to do the watteau pleats in the back; all I could do was the pleating from the waist down and a tiny sweep train. I made the gown as a fully lined coat-like garment (lined in burgundy silk from my stash), to be worn over a full linen chemise and belt.

When I heard about a Mucha afternoon party at Carnevale 2023, I decided to wear this tea gown, just adding a floral crown.

Then the following May, a friend organized a dinner at a gorgeously Art Nouveau restaurant in Paris, so I wore it again. Photos by Nathalie Malric.