Issue 7 - Civil War / Victorian Collaboration Scarlett's Burgundy Velvet Gown by Sata & Haykush Designs

Scarlett's Burgundy Velvet Dress

By Sata & Haykush Designs

Scarlett wears this outfit to Ashley Wilkes' birthday party.  It was chosen by her husband Rhett to deliberately put her into an awkward position.  Like the blue and white walking suit that I presented in the previous issue, this outfit is also part of the 1860's-1870's Victorian reconstruction era fashion. The outfit was so inappropriate for the event she attended that when Scarlett walked into the room everyone's jaws literally dropped and not because of how stunning she was (which she was) but because of how unacceptable she looked.

Some critics say that this dress is not very true to the historic fashions of the time.  In my opinion, the dress was certainly not appropriate for the daytime event she attended but it was a perfectly fine Victorian ballgown.  

In fact, I found a strikingly similar ballgown to Scarlett's (above). I wonder if Walter Plunkett, the designer of Scarlett's costumes, used this dress as inspiration. 

The details on this dress are so captivating.  Recreating it was not an easy task.  I wanted to be as accurate as I could.  The first decision I had to make was if I should make a two piece outfit or a dress.  Two-piece certainly sounded more doable as I already had a pattern for that and with small adjustments it would have been perfect.  But looking closely at the museum pictures of this outfit, it was clear that it was a dress.  This was a bit of a puzzle.  I searched the patterns on various websites and I couldn't find anything that I could use as a base, so I drafted a dress pattern.

The dress is made with a deep burgundy viscose silk velvet and matching color fluffy marabou feathers.  The dress is fully lined with batiste fabric and snaps are used for closure.  The front of the dress is fitted, and it features hand-sewn Swarovski crystal beads. 

The skirt is flat at the front but has volume in the back and a train which was the fashion trend of the 1870s.  The skirt has been hemmed with a matching color satin bias strip.  The dress also features a dramatic bustle.  The bustle is dual sided which makes it so luxurious.  It snaps on the dress in the back.  Below is a side-by-side comparison of the original dress and the one I made for this collection.

I accessorized the dress with a pink heart necklace set available to purchase in my Etsy shop here.

I paired this dress with a pair of Rococo 18th Century Historical Shoes in Lipstick Pink from Bbeauty Dolls.  A strip of tulle for a scarf completes the look. 

For the undergarments, I made a corset and pantaloon duo from silk fabric in nude coloring using MHD's design pattern.  The corset is fully lined.  I added a stay-in stabilizer layer in between to make it stiffer - for a proper corset shape/function. 

I used an embroidery detail with a pink accent color on both the corset and the pantaloons.  

The Pantaloons have an enclosed elastic waist and feature pleated trim on the bottom.

This outfit also has a bustle pad that's made using a pattern by Pemberley Threads.  The corset has a beautiful lacing detail in the back with a matching color satin ribbon. 

I made two versions of this dress, left picture is a two-piece version inspired by the historical outfit similar to Scarlett's and the right picture which was the recreation from the movie.  I am curious on which version you liked best? I will do a little poll on Instagram, so vote for your favorite!

How to find me:

Etsy: https://satahaykushdesigns.etsy.com

Facebook: Sata & Haykush Designs

Instagram: @satahaykushdesigns

The blue and white walking suit featured in yesterday's newsletter as well as both versions of Scarlett's Burgundy Velvet Dress will be available to purchase in Satenik's Etsy store (link above) today at roughly 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

Don't forget also to go to her eBay store (links provided in previous issues) to bid on some of the previous pieces in the collection as the auctions end soon!

Closing Remarks from Satenik

I am very grateful for the opportunity to present my collection for the Civil War / Victorian Collaboration hosted by Bbeauty Dolls.  This has been a great experience.  Not only did I challenge myself to create new designs, to work with challenging fabrics, and to make my first RRFF outfit but I also got to learn more about Heather, Ava, and Sarah.  Their friendship and support are so invaluable, and their work is so inspiring.  I learned new things all along the way, including how to use hashtags and other little tricks!

I want to thank Heather for making all this happen, for promoting artists and small businesses, and for her generosity.  I really appreciate all the incredible products that she has in her store, such a wide selection of styles, colors and sizes.  I'm in love with the historic shoes that she has available.  And, let's be honest, my Scarlett wouldn't have looked so splendid without the Dark Brown Cecile wig!  I am so glad that she added the Civil War undergarment set to her product line - it is so adorable and saves so much time!

In closing, I would like to thank all my friends and family for their support and cheering, especially my mom, Haykush, and my sister Karine.  I would have never been who I am today without their support and them being my role models.  And I'm so excited to pass the baton to Ava, whose collection is up next!