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A Robe De C From the 'Outlander' Books and Movies
A Robe De C From the 'Outlander' Books and Movies
One of the more popular dresses from the 'Outlander' books and movies is Claire's red dress.robe de cérémonie This style is called a robe de c, which is French for "full gown.robe de cérémonie " It was the most formal type of court dress, worn by royals in France and Europe throughout the 18th century.
A robe de c was a full, puffed dress, with a dropped waist and wide skirts supported by hoop petticoats or panniers (a ruffled undergarment).robe de cérémonie It was a close cousin of the famous flapper dresses that were so popular in the 1920's. The couturier Jeanne Lanvin made this style of dress her signature silhouette.
Robes de c were not only gorgeous, they were very expensive.robe de cérémonie They were usually embroidered with silver and gold thread and embellished with pearls, beads, and jewels. They were made in a variety of fabrics - silk, velvet, satin, or brocade.
The earliest robes were made of silk, with later ones made of velvet and lace.robe de cérémonie This style of gown was extremely fashionable in the 1740s through the early 1770s. During this time it was sometimes known as a mantua.
A mantua was similar to a robe de c, with the main difference being that it had a folded and pleated back, rather than being open like a robe de c.robe de cérémonie It was often worn with a hood, or bolero, and was very popular in England at this time.
It is not known why this style of gown went out of fashion in the mid-late 1770s.robe de cérémonie However, the onset of the French Revolution may have been a factor, as was the desire to look more modest.
During this time, the robe de c became more common in the rest of Europe.robe de cérémonie It was still a very formal garment, but it was no longer as extravagant in style as the French robes.
This robe de c in the Maryland Historical Society Fashion Archives is a great example of this change.robe de cérémonie It was made of bright pink and cherry red silk, with metallic thread and sparkling rhinestones. It was originally designed by the French designer, Jeanne Lanvin.
The 'Outlander' book and TV show creators have not revealed which couturier 'designed' the gown that Claire wears, but I think it is safe to assume that they used this robe de c as inspiration.robe de cérémonie It was a beautiful and sumptuous dress, and one that many fans have been dying to see on the screen.
If you are interested in learning more about the robe de c and why it fell out of favor, there is a fantastic chapter about them in this book, "Fashion Victims," by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell.robe de cérémonie It is worth the read! Also, there is a good article here about the robe de c on Wikipedia. The article is a little out of date, but it gives an idea of what this style of gown was about. The website also has a short clip of the gown being worn by Claire in the TV show, and a high resolution photo that allows you to zoom in and see the detail on the lining and boning.
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