The Puzzle of the Puffed Sleeves: What Scarlett's Wedding Dress Should Have Looked Like

"In the midst of this turmoil, preparations went forward for Scarlett's wedding and, almost before she knew it, she was clad in Ellen's wedding dress and veil, coming down the wide stairs of Tara on her father's arm, to face a house packed full with guests."

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter VII

Back when the Doppelganger Dresses series in full swing, one dress I definitely hoped to feature was Ellen's and subsequently Scarlett's wedding dress. So I plugged the numbers to refresh my memory as to what year Ellen married Gerald O'Hara. (Ellen is 32 at the start of GWTW in 1861, meaning her wedding at age 15 was in 1844.) With the date in hand, I went off to search for fashion plates.....and found nothing that even remotely resembled the massive-sleeved creation that Walter Plunkett made for Scarlett's wedding to Charles Hamilton (shown right). 

That was very puzzling to me--that the 1840s dress silhouette appeared to bear no resemblance at all to the bridal style shown in the movie. But dozens and dozens of fashion plates later, I couldn't avoid that fact. Big sleeves were distinctly out in the 1840s. Dresses featured tight sleeves, perhaps with a few delicate puffs for decoration, but that was about the extent of it. 

To help you visualize what I mean, here's a good example of day and evening styles from an 1844 fashion plate:

Dress Styles from May 1844. Ladies' Companion.

So, what did Plunkett use as the inspiration for Ellen/Scarlett's wedding dress, since it definitely wasn't 1840s fashion? Not being able to figure out the answer to that question, I gave up my search and moved on to look for other doppelganger styles. But this mystery continued to bother me from time to time--until something recently jogged my memory. 

It's true that 1840s dresses eschewed giant sleeves, but this wasn't the case a decade earlier. In the early 1830s, enormous gigot sleeves were all the rage--much like the ones we see on Scarlett's wedding dress. A quick search of 1830s wedding dresses turns up styles much more akin to the dress in GWTW than anything from the 1840s: 

                   Wedding Dress, June 1834. La Mode.                                           Wedding Dress, June 1835. La Mode.

So there's our answer. It looks like Walter Plunkett based his design for Scarlett's wedding dress on 1830s bridal styles, not 1840s. But why? This intriguing note on the Harry Ransom Center's Gone with the Wind costume collection offers one clue: 

"Since Scarlett rushed into the marriage with Charles Hamilton, she would have had to use her mother's wedding dress. So Plunkett fitted the dress on Barbara O'Neil's (Ellen O'Hara) dress form. Consequently, the dress was a little too long and had large sleeves which was the fashion in 1834 when Ellen would have been married." (Emphasis mine)

So did Plunkett simply get his dates wrong and put together an 1830s gown instead of an 1840s one? It seems so. It's also possible that he was just uninspired by 1840s fashion and instead found a historical model more to his liking a decade earlier. Either way, it begs the question: what should Ellen/Scarlett's wedding dress have looked like, if done in actual 1840s style? 

You'll find the answer after the jump, where I've put together a gallery of bridal gowns, all from the year of Ellen's marriage in 1844. Would you rather have seen Scarlett wear a dress like one of these in the movie? Or do you prefer Plunkett's vision? 

Ballgowns Circa 1867-68, or What to Wear to Make Your Enemies Jealous

"Hoops were out now, and the new styles were charming with the skirts pulled back from the front and draped over bustles, and on the bustles were wreaths of flowers and bows and cascades of lace.  She thought of the modest hoops of the war years and she felt a little embarrassed at these new skirts which undeniably outlined her abdomen."

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter XLVIII

You've just secured a fabulously stylish new wardrobe. What to do next? Why, throw an elaborate party and show off celebrate, of course! At least that's the course of action Scarlett O'Hara Butler decided to take as a newlywed. As we know, one of her very first initiatives as the freshly minted Mrs. Rhett Butler was to throw a lavish, if regrettably ill-attended, "crush" in her huge new mansion. Given that Scarlett expected her crush to be the social event of the season, we can surely guess that she put tremendous care into dressing for the occasion. So what exactly would she have worn?

As per her usual attention to detail and historical acccuracy, MM does a wonderful job of describing the fashions that comprised Scarlett's new wardrobe after her marriage to Rhett. But we thought we'd take her description one step further and bring you a slideshow of the fabulous, frilly ballgowns of the time. Below you'll find 21 fashion plates from Le Monde Elegant all circa 1867-68. Check them out and let us know what you think. Do you have any favorites? Which one(s) can you see Scarlett wearing? 

Ladies at Home: A Peek at Victorian Wrappers

For those of you reading/receiving this post for a second time, we're sorry. Blame our Google overlords for screwing up and deleting the initial post.

A long, long time ago our friend MM (now going by the name of MCM84) had a question. A very specific question. He was interested in Scarlett's wrappers. The movie features a variety of wrappers, the book mentions them on more than a few occasions, without offering further details about their style and color, so why not write a post about Scarlett's homewear? Easier said than done. Since clothes you wear at home have never been the most glamorous of items, fashion magazines of the time tended to bypass them in favor of the more elegant street dresses. We did our best to dig out stuff, however, and this is what we came up with.

The key to understanding Victorian wrappers is understanding their function. When were they supposed to be worn and who was supposed to see them? We get our answer from Florence Hartley's Ladies' Book of Etiquette, Fashion and Manual of Politeness, a book that first appeared in 1860, but was revised and republished over the years; our edition is the 1872 one.  Wrappers were supposed to be worn in the morning, before morning calls, when ladies were attending to their household duties. This explains the need for durable fabrics, that could be washed frequently, as Hartley explains at length:

"MORNING DRESS The most suitable dress for breakfast, is a wrapper made to fit the figure loosely, and the material, excepting when the winter weather requires woolen goods, should be of chintz, gingham, brilliante, or muslin. A lady who has children, or one accustomed to perform for herself light household duties, will soon find the advantage of wearing materials that will wash. A large apron of domestic gingham, which can be taken off, if the wearer is called to see unexpected visitors, will protect the front of the dress, and save washing the wrapper too frequently. If a lady's domestic duties require her attention for several hours in the morning, whilst her list of acquaintances is large, and she has frequent morning calls, it is best to dress for callers before breakfast, and wear over this dress a loose sack and skirt of domestic gingham. This, while protecting the dress perfectly, can be taken off at a moment's notice if callers are announced." 

--from Florence Hartley, The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, Fashion and Manual of Politeness

Wrapper from Godey's Lady's Book, 1866

But, if this was their function, were wrappers then designed solely for the eyes of the lady's family and house servants? Strictly speaking, yes. Well-bred ladies were not supposed to receive wearing their wrapper. But Victorians were nothing if not overly fond of elaborating  their etiquette rules to contradictory heights. While it was not polite for a lady to receive visitors in her plain wrapper, it was even more impolite to keep them waiting while she changed into a suitable outfit (which, depending on the lady's tastes, could take some time). So if one had unexpected callers, it was considered acceptable to excuse oneself and greet them in a wrapper. Moreover, it was impolite to wear very elaborate dresses in the morning, so ladies were encouraged to avoid the danger of overdressing by donning an elegant wrapper, meant to button to the waist and show the white underskirt from there down:

"DRESS FOR MORNING VISITS A lady should never receive her morning callers in a wrapper, unless they call at an unusually early hour, or some unexpected demand upon her time makes it impossible to change her dress after breakfast. On the other hand, an elaborate costume before dinner is in excessively bad taste. The dress should be made to fit the figure neatly, finished at the throat and wrists by an embroidered collar and cuffs, and, unless there is a necessity for it, in loss of the hair or age, there should be no cap or head dress worn. A wrapper made with handsome trimming, open over a pretty white skirt, may be worn with propriety; but the simple dress worn for breakfast, or in the exercise of domestic duties, is not suitable for the parlor when receiving visits of ceremony in the morning."-
-from Florence Hartley, The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, Fashion and Manual of Politeness

La Mode Illustree, 1867.

Godey's Lady's Book, 1856

What this meant was that wrappers were never plain, shabby garments never to be seen  by the world, not even the ones that were worn solely for breakfast. They were meant for a more informal and intimate but still semi-public  space and, as such, their patterns followed the trends for proper dresses, if in a more subdued style and different fabrics. When bustles became popular, wrappers were cut to either resemble a small bustle in the back or to be able to accommodate one. They favored bright colors and patterns and were meant to be worn with slipper of embroidered cloth or, in the summer, black morocco.

Godey's Lady's Book, October 1864

One example of a beautiful  and very ornate Victorian wrapper you can see below. You're strongly encouraged to visit this page to see more pictures of it and read the detailed description. It is easy to envision Scarlett in this style of more lavish wrapper, isn't it?

 

How to Ease Out of Victorian Mourning in Fashion

"A widow had to wear hideous black dresses without even a touch of braid to enliven them, no flower or ribbon or lace or even jewelry, except onyx mourning brooches or necklaces made from the deceased's hair.  And the black crepe veil on her bonnet had to reach to her knees, and only after three years of widowhood could it be shortened to shoulder length."

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter VII 

It's fair to say that "dutiful widow" was not an epithet long attached to Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton (or Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy for that matter, but I digress). Thanks to the irresistible allure of a green bonnet, we of course know that Scarlett opted for a scandalously short period in widow's weeds. But what was the conventional path she should have followed to ease out of mourning? Today we're exploring the answer to that question with a look at mourning fashion from the early 1860s.

But before we look at the fashion plates (always the best part!), we'll first get acquainted with the three stages of Victorian mourning dress. There's just one important caveat before we jump in, though: it's important to note that customs for mourning dress tended to vary from region to region throughout the United States. In fact, as late as 1886, Harper's Bazar observed that nothing was "more undecided in the public mind than the etiquette of mourning." This point bears mentioning because the general guidelines for mourning, as described below, are somewhat more lenient that what Margaret Mitchell alludes to Gone with the Wind. So it likely would have taken Scarlett longer to progress through the full stages of mourning dress, which we now bring you without further ado.  

Stages of Victorian Mourning Dress for Widows

Full or deep mourning: Full or deep mourning generally lasted for one year and one day following a husband's death. During this period widows wore all dull black clothing, along with a widow's cap and a knee-length weeping veil of black crepe. Crepe also served as the most common fabric for mourning dresses, thanks to its lusterless appearance. No jewelry was allowed, except for jet. In winter, however, it was permissible for widows to wear dark furs.   

Second mourning: Following a period of deep mourning, widows then progressed into second mourning, which typically lasted for a period of nine months and gradually eased the restrictions of full mourning. Weeping veils could be exchanged for shorter ones and the widow's cap could be dispensed with altogether. A widow could implement fabric trim and mourning jewelry back into her wardrobe. Silk fabric could once again be worn. And while a widow's dresses were still expected to be dull and lusterless, she was allowed to slowly incorporate color, moving away from all black into the acceptable shades of gray, mauve, lavender, and white. No bright colors were yet permitted.  

Half mourning: The last stage of Victorian mourning was half mourning, which generally lasted from three to six months. Richer fabrics could be incorporated as dress trim and all forms of jewelry worn. Following the process started in second mourning, a widow could continue to ease more and more color back into her wardrobe--until she was at last free to resume wearing normal attire and fully reenter society. 

Thus ends our overview of Victorian mourning dress. So knowing this, what dresses should Scarlett have worn to ease her way out of mourning? After the jump, we've collected two second mourning and two half mourning styles from Godey's Lady's Book to give you an idea of the appropriate sartorial path Mrs. Hamilton should have followed. Check them out and let us know what you think. Can you envision Scarlett wearing any of them--or are they simply too dull for Scarlett to entertain? 

Honeymoon Shopping Spree, Part 3: "Satin Slippers... Three Inches High"

"And the darling little bonnets that were not really bonnets at all, but flat little affairs worn over one eye and laden with fruits and flowers, dancing plumes and fluttering ribbons!  (If only Rhett had not been so silly and burned the false curls she bought to augment her knot of Indian-straight hair that peeked from the rear of these little hats!)  And the delicate convent-made underwear!  How lovely it was and how many sets she had!  Chemises and nightgowns and petticoats of the finest linen trimmed with dainty embroidery and infinitesimal tucks.  And the satin slippers Rhett bought her!  They had heels three inches high and huge glittering paste buckles on them." 

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter XLVIII

Today brings the last post in our Honeymoon Shopping Spree series, where we take a look at the luxurious loot Scarlett received on her honeymoon, from bonnets to lingerie and now finally slippers. To help you envision what Scarlett's fancy footwear may have looked like, we have an 1868 full-color fashion plate comprised entirely with shoes, from dainty slippers to everyday boots. To my mind at least, the bottom right pair of slippers seems like a good match to MM's description of Scarlett's own satin slippers, albeit much shorter of course. What do you think? Are there any pairs of shoes that you especially like or could see Scarlett wearing?

Fashion plate of ladies' shoes. The Queen, January 25th 1868.

Description: "Seven shoes are displayed. The top left shoe is a white flat with a small heel, and a small cording bow on the front of the shoe. The top right is a gray flat slipper, trimmed with ruffles and a gold ornament in the front. The middle row left is a brown ankle boot with a low heel, with black ruffles around the top and down the front. The center shoe is a higher ankle boot with a short heel. It has buttons down the front and a patent leather toe. The middle row right is another ankle boot with a short heel. It has brown fur around the top and buttons down the front. The bottom row left is a dark pink backless slipper with a low heel. It is heavily decorated with gold trim, tassels, and cording. The bottom right is a light pink low-heeled slipper. It has a black and gold ornament on the front and black lace around the sides, and a darker pink heel."

Honeymoon Shopping Spree, Part 2: "Delicate Convent-Made Underwear"

"And the darling little bonnets that were not really bonnets at all, but flat little affairs worn over one eye and laden with fruits and flowers, dancing plumes and fluttering ribbons!  (If only Rhett had not been so silly and burned the false curls she bought to augment her knot of Indian-straight hair that peeked from the rear of these little hats!)  And the delicate convent-made underwear!  How lovely it was and how many sets she had!  Chemises and nightgowns and petticoats of the finest linen trimmed with dainty embroidery and infinitesimal tucks.  And the satin slippers Rhett bought her!  They had heels three inches high and huge glittering paste buckles on them." 

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter XLVIII

Today we're back with the second installment in our Honeymoon Shopping Spree series, where we take a look at some of the fabulous goods Scarlett purchased (or had purchased for her) during her honeymoon in New Orleans. Last week, we explored bonnets and up next is lingerie, an obvious honeymoon staple of time eternal, it seems. So what kinds of delicate underthings would a fashionable 1868 bride like Scarlett have tucked away in her trousseau?

To help answer that question, we've gathered some helpful pointers from articles appearing in 1868-69 editions of Godey's Lady's Book that describe the latest trends in ladies' undergarments. With MM's description as our guide in this matter, it's of course safe bet that Scarlett had the very best of everything, especially if Rhett was actively involved in the selection process as he likely was. To round out our overview, we also found a full-color fashion plate that illustrates the latest French lingerie fashions from 1868. Go ahead and check it all out. 

A bridal trousseau should include at least 18 sets of undergarments.

"As it is often a difficult matter for young ladies to know what articles to get in purchasing a trousseau, perhaps a few hints on the subject would not be objectionable to our readers....In all purchases care should be taken to remember that it is better to have one really good article than two of an inferior quality. In under-clothing a dozen and a half of the principal articles is a fair quantity, and not too much."

What undergarments should include tucks, puffs, and ruffles? Why, all of them!  
"Tucks, puffs, and ruffles, adorn all underclothing, and, since the advent of sewing-machines, the labor of making them is small, beside the endless stitching formerly done by the hands, with such detriment to health and eyesight."
  

For chemises, use the finest linen and have matching drawers.

"The imported chemise of finest linen is made in the sack shape, with sleeves and skirt in one... The fall should be richly trimmed and made deep enough to reach to the waist. A cluster of tucks above the hem is the only trimming admissible on the skirt. Drawers are buttoned at the sides, and worn narrow and short, reaching just below the knee. They should be trimmed to match the chemise."

Night-dresses are enchanting when adorned with elaborate lace and silk details.

"Night-dresses can be had most elaborately trimmed; we have lately seen some fronts composed almost entirely of one broad piece of Valenciennes lace made on purpose, and stitched in with a band of jaconet muslin. This was of course lined with colored silk, and was very elegant."

Corset covers look lovely with several inches of trimming about the neck.

"Corset covers, or under-bodies, have short darts in front, and are sloped over the hips. The trimming around the neck is two or three inches deep. The sleeves are a single short puff, or else entirely formed of trimming."

Imitation lace? Perish the thought!   

"One word of advice— never purchase imitation lace. The plainest linen collar, and plain hemmed handkerchief are more to be desired than the best imitation lace ones that can be bought."

Petit courrier de dames, 1868.

Honeymoon Shopping Spree, Part 1: "Darling Little Bonnets"

"And the darling little bonnets that were not really bonnets at all, but flat little affairs worn over one eye and laden with fruits and flowers, dancing plumes and fluttering ribbons!  (If only Rhett had not been so silly and burned the false curls she bought to augment her knot of Indian-straight hair that peeked from the rear of these little hats!)  And the delicate convent-made underwear!  How lovely it was and how many sets she had!  Chemises and nightgowns and petticoats of the finest linen trimmed with dainty embroidery and infinitesimal tucks.  And the satin slippers Rhett bought her!  They had heels three inches high and huge glittering paste buckles on them."

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter XLVIII

As frequent readers of the blog, you are no doubt familiar with two key facts: we have a penchant for series here and I in particular am enthralled by old fashion plates. So it's only natural that today we offer you a new, albeit small, series featuring--you guessed it!--more vintage fashion plates! And while much of our fashion coverage to date has focused on dresses, we're turning the page for a while and giving accessories their turn in the sun. Over the next three weeks, we'll be exploring the fantastic loot, as described in the quote above, that Scarlett amassed on her honeymoon: bonnets, lingerie, and shoes.

Up first is a look at the "darling little bonnets" the new Mrs. Butler procured during her stay in New Orleans. As we've seen time and time again, Margaret Mitchell's description here is uncannily faithful to the historical record.  Although we can't be certain of the exact timing of Rhett and Scarlett's wedding and subsequent honeymoon, we do know that they announced their engagement a week after the Georgia gubernatorial election, held from April 20-24 1868. And by the early summer of 1868, Godey's Lady's Book was bemoaning the present state of bonnets, which were becoming increasingly small and flower-laden:

"How are we to speak of bonnets each time it falls to our lot to describe them? They are smaller than the last; those now worn are the smallest yet seen. If they go on decreasing, soon they will be nothing but illusion strings fastened on the top by a spray of flowers. The latest novelty is a bonnet (we had better say a small headdress) entirely composed of flowers; we saw them of small roses, pansies, field daisies, violets, etc."

--excerpted from Godey's Lady's Book, June 1868

Godey's notes a month later that the trend of the-incredible-shrinking-bonnet had continued on unabated--and also put forth an interesting explanation as to why. As it was rather en vogue at the time for ladies to sport wildly elaborate hairstyles, piled high with masses of curls and jewelry, bonnets needed to be very small to complement such coiffures. Perhaps that's why Rhett consigned Scarlett's false curls to the fire?

"In bonnets there is no change from last month; the only difference consists in the size, which, as the weather grows warmer, seems to become smaller; in fact, so elaborate is the hair-dressing, that we cannot better describe it than in the words of a foreign journal, which gives the following amusing advice on the subject: “One general receipt, somewhat in the style adopted in cookery-books, may be given. Take as much hair as you can, either in the shape of curls, bows, frizzed chignons, or otherwise (as yet, hair of the same color as your own is preferred) arrange it in a confused mass as high on the head as you can, and you can then add as much gold, or silver, or steel ornaments, or diamonds, or, in fact, anything shining, as you can lay your hands on, and you will not be far out of the fashion.” While the dressing of the hair continues so elaborate bonnets must decrease in size, for there is really no place on the head for the bonnet to rest."

--excerpted from Godey's Lady's Book, July 1868

After the jump, we've collected five 1868 fashion plates of bonnets, so you can get a sense of the fanciful creations that Scarlett could have donned. Take a look and let us know what you think. Are there any that you believe Scarlett would have especially liked? 

A Slideshow of Bridal Fashions from the Gone with the Wind Era

Although we wrapped up our Doppelganger Dresses series last week, that doesn't mean that we're done covering Victorian fashion here at How We Do Run On! We'll still be bringing you plenty of fashion tidbits from the Gone with the Wind era. Up first is a slideshow of 11 full-color bridal fashion plates, all circa 1867-69, to go along with our earlier look at Scarlett's bridal style for her wedding to Rhett. You see, although that post was chock-full of information about circa-1868 wedding fashions, it had one glaring weakness we needed to correct: the absence of many full-color fashion plates! 

Joking aside, we hope the slideshow below gives you a better insight into the many beautiful dress styles that Scarlett could have worn to become Mrs. Rhett Butler. Check them out and let us know what you think. Which dresses can you see Scarlett wearing?

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 25: Scarlett's Green Striped 'Honeymoon at Tara' Dress

I'm sad to say that today marks our final entry in the Doppelganger Dresses series. However, we've definitely saved our very best match for last! We've uncovered the dress that Walter Plunkett almost certainly used to create Scarlett O'Hara's "Honeymoon at Tara" costume. And doppelganger is absolutely the appropriate word in this case--the period style, which we discovered in an 1866 edition of Godey's Lady's Book, is a near-perfect match for the romantic cream and green striped dress that Scarlett wears to stroll the grounds of Tara with Rhett.

You'll notice, though, that Walter Plunkett did make two visible changes to the historical gown, changing the color of the stripes and modifying the bodice slightly. Other than that, the dresses are mirror images of each other. You'll find the dress after the jump. Check it out and let us know what you think! 

Also, now that our series has drawn to an end, be sure to check out our side page, Walter Plunkett and the Costumes of GWTW, to find a complete archive of the Doppelganger Dresses posts, along a link to our Plunkett bio post and a slideshow of Walter Plunkett's GWTW costume sketches. 

Thanks for reading; we loved working on this series for you!

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 24: Scarlett's 'Lost' Saratoga Dress

Today, the Doppelganger Dresses series takes a look at one of Walter Plunkett's costume designs that didn't make the final cut of Gone with the Wind. Known as the Saratoga dress, the costume was conceived for a scene featuring Scarlett traveling to or from the northern watering hole (a odd plot, to be sure, given how little mention there is of Saratoga in the novel). 

Personally I consider it a shame that the Saratoga dress didn't end up in Gone with the Wind. It's a rather pretty and whimsical dress, one that seems very much in keeping with Scarlett's style from her Mrs. Butler years. Wouldn't it have made a nice addition to the honeymoon sequence, for instance?  

But, alas, the Saratoga dress was destined to be 'lost' from the final film reel of GWTW. Fortunately though, we have at least found its historical precedence. You'll find our period inspiration on the other side of the jump. What do you think of the fashion plate? And would you liked to have seen the Saratoga dress featured in GWTW yourself? 
 

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 23: Melanie's Twelve Oaks Dress

To me at least, one of the very best visual moments in Gone with the Wind comes when Scarlett first encounters Melanie Hamilton at the Twelve Oaks barbecue. For the two women serve as such a study in contrasts. Scarlett is daringly dressed in her inappropriate green sprigged dress, while Melanie tranquilly glides onto the scene in a modest, ruffled gray frock. The two leading ladies' costumes serve as a perfect symbol to demonstrate their divergent personalities, a clever bit of characterization by Margaret Mitchell and one that Walter Plunkett effortlessly translates onto the silver screen. 

And today we're pleased to bring you Melanie's Twelve Oaks barbecue dress in our latest installment of Doppelganger Dresses. Both Mitchell and Plunkett deserve kudos for the historical accuracy of Melanie's dress. Fashion plates of the era are filled with gray or steel blue dresses with ruffled trims. After the jump, you'll find two period fashion plates that we thought were especially representative of Melanie's costume. Check them out and let us know what you think!

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 22: Maybelle Merriwether's Green Bazaar Dress (Book Version)

"Maybelle Merriwether went toward the next booth on the arm of the Zouave, in an apple-green tarlatan so wide that it reduced her waist to nothingness. It was showered and flounced with cream-colored Chantilly lace that had come from Charleston on the last blockader, and Maybelle was flaunting it as saucily as if she and not the famous Captain Butler had run the blockade.

"How sweet I'd look in that dress," thought Scarlett, a savage envy in her heart.  "Her waist is as big as a cow's.  That green is just my color and it would make my eyes look--  Why will blondes try to wear that color?  Her skin looks as green as an old cheese.  And to think I'll never wear that color again, not even when I do get out of mourning.  No, not even if I do manage to get married again.  Then I'll have to wear tacky old grays and tans and lilacs."

For a brief moment she considered the unfairness of it all.  How short was the time for fun, for pretty clothes, for dancing, for coquetting!  Only a few, too few years!"

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter IX

Today the Doppelganger Dresses series brings you the apple-green dress that Maybelle Merriwether wears to the Atlanta Bazaar--and that Scarlett O'Hara yearns to be wearing  in her place. Tellingly, MM's depiction of this dress, along with the fashion plate we uncovered, recalls Scarlett's own apple-green ballgown, the one she never dons for Twelve Oaks ball due to the outbreak of war. Against this background, Maybelle's dress serves as a great visual cue for MM to demonstrate the impact of Scarlett's changed life and her deep frustration. For Scarlett knew, from experience, that a dress such as Maybelle's would set off her figure quite charmingly. And Maybelle's belledom, in dress very much like one she wore in her own belle days, only serves to rubs salt in the wound. 

Well, enough analysis. The dress is waiting for you after the jump. As always, be sure to check it out and let us know what you think! 

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 21: Scarlett's Blue Portrait Dress

Today we feature a paradoxical dress in the Doppelganger Dresses series--Scarlett's blue portrait dress, which holds the unique position of being in Gone with the Wind the movie without being an actual costume. Yet although it's only shown in an oil painting, it's hard to forget Scarlett's lustrous blue dress and white lace shawl--thanks in no small part to Rhett Butler flinging a tumbler of liquor at 'Scarlett in Blue' to vent his frustration over his marital banishment.

After the jump, you'll find a period fashion plate that resembles Scarlett's own blue dress. One important note on that front: Scarlett's dress is miraculously less elaborate than our historical gown. In fact, dare I say it, by the standards of the day (circa 1869), Scarlett's blue portrait dress would be considered downright modest and (horror of horrors!) almost old fashioned. This was the era of the bustle and evening dresses had become lavishly ornate, adorned with flowers, lace, ribbons, and frills galore.  So to find an appropriate match for Mrs. Butler's blue dress, we had to go further back into the archives--to 1855! And even then Scarlett wins the battle for sartorial simplicity.

But enough explanations. Be sure to check out the dress and let us know what you think!

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 20: Scarlett's Green Velvet Wrapper

Well, I suppose if you're going to ban your husband from your bed due to your misguided love for another man, you might as well do it in fabulous mid-Victorian style. At least that's the approach our dear Scarlett takes in the movie version of Gone with the Wind, thanks to the sumptuous green velvet wrapper she dons for her infamous 'no more babies' scene.  

Today the Doppelganger Dresses series tackles the period inspiration behind Scarlett's costume. Full-color fashion plates of the era rarely featured wrapper styles, but we've found a fashion plate that we think matches up well with the green wrapper from GWTW and we're excited to share it with you. 

You'll find the fashion plate in question after the jump, as always. Does it look like Scarlett's wrapper to you? Let us know what you think! 

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 19: Scarlett's Red Mrs. Kennedy Dress

The Mrs. Kennedy era hasn't featured too prominently in our Doppelganger Dresses series so far, despite our first find ever being the dress Scarlett wears at the time of the Shantytown attack, in what's technically the last day of her marriage with Frank. Today we thought we'd remedy that by taking a closer look at the historical inspiration behind the red dress Scarlett wears when convincing Ashley to come to Atlanta and work for her. Check out the screenshots and the fashion plate after the jump!

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 18: Scarlett's Prewar Wardrobe (Book Version)

"The rose organdie with long pink sash was becoming, but she had worn it last summer when Melanie visited Twelve Oaks and she'd be sure to remember it.  And might be catty enough to mention it. The black bombazine, with its puffed sleeves and princess lace collar, set off her white skin superbly, but it did make her look a trifle elderly.  Scarlett peered anxiously in the mirror at her sixteen-year-old face as if expecting to see wrinkles and sagging chin muscles.  It would never do to appear sedate and elderly before Melanie's sweet youthfulness.  The lavender barred muslin was beautiful with those wide insets of lace and net about the hem, but it had never suited her type.  It would suit Carreen's delicate profile and wishy-washy expression perfectly, but Scarlett felt that it made her look like a schoolgirl.  It would never do to appear schoolgirlish beside Melanie's poised self. The green plaid taffeta, frothing with flounces and each flounce edged in green velvet ribbon, was most becoming, in fact her favorite dress, for it darkened her eyes to emerald.  But there was unmistakably a grease spot on the front of the basque.  Of course, her brooch could be pinned over the spot, but perhaps Melanie had sharp eyes."

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter V

We're starting off the year with a small army of dresses for you in our latest edition of Doppelganger Dresses! Today we bring you four dresses which, as you've surely guessed by now, come from the quote above about Scarlett's prewar wardrobe. And just think--if our heroine had changed her mind about what to wear to the fateful Twelve Oaks barbecue, perhaps we'd all be talking about her famous rose organdie dress or green plaid taffeta dress instead of her green sprigged muslin dress.

But while these dresses just narrowly missed their date with destiny, they are just as historically accurate as some of the more famous frocks mentioned in Gone with the Wind. After the jump, you'll find period fashion plates for all four dresses described by MM. 

Check them out and let us know what you think. Do you have a favorite out of the four? Which one could you most see Scarlett wearing? 

A Doppelganger Dress of Sorts for Scarlett's Red Christmas Dress

If you remember (come on, it was only last year!), in our Christmas edition of the Doppelganger series, we talked about Scarlett's red and white Christmas dress, the one she wears to send Ashley back to the wars, and showed you a couple of period fashion plates that closely resembled the style of Plunkett's creation. Both of the fashion plates models had long sleeves and we  agreed that the designer's decision to use short sleeves for Scarlett's dress was an inspired one. But as it turns out, he did explore the long-sleeved version both as an alternative for the Gone with the Wind costume and in another movie. 

Here are some screencaps from the 1944 musical Can't Help Singing in which Deanna Durbin plays the part of a headstrong spoiled daughter of a senator who runs away to follow her  boyfriend, an army officer sent to California during the Gold Rush. Plunkett designed the costumes for this movie, and sure enough, you'll notice the striking similarity between the dress Deanna Durbin wears to sing Any Moment Now and Scarlett's Christmas dress. There are, of course, a couple of differences, in color, sleeve length and the overall size of the skirt and crinoline, that are nicely explained by the fact this movie is set a good 10 years before Gone with the Wind. 

Another interesting aspect is the way Plunkett solved the problem of the puffy sleeves that made the dresses from the fashion plates look somewhat matronly and unflattering. The costume from Can't Help Singing has long sleeves, but they only gain volume below the elbow, which creates a more girlish and innocent look than Scarlett's Christmas dress did, and justifiably so.

 

 

You can watch this scene from the movie and see the dress in motion here or here. 

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 17: Scarlett's Red and White Christmas Dress

Fresh on the heels of Scarlett's green Christmas dress, the Doppelganger Dresses series is delighted to bring you Scarlett's other Christmastime outfit from Gone with the Wind: the charming red and white gown she wears to say goodbye to Ashley as he returns to war. This dress is one of my all-time favorite costumes from Gone with the Wind, and I think Walter Plunkett did an inspired job in creating it.  It hits all the right notes: it's playful without being over the top, girlish without being too demure, festive without screaming "CHRISTMAS" at the top of its lungs.

Little surprise here, it's also grounded in historical style. After the jump, you'll find two dresses from period fashion plates that bear close resemblance to Scarlett's own Christmas gown. One important difference to note: both of our period selections feature long sleeves, as was standard for day dress styles. Plunkett actually did toy with a long-sleeved version of this costume, but opted for the short-sleeved version instead, which he felt made Scarlett look more youthful. 

The fashions are waiting for you after the jump. Check them out and, as always, let us know what you think. Which one reminds you most of Scarlett's red and white Christmas dress? 

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 16: Scarlett's Green Christmas Dress

The Doppelganger Dresses series gets into the holiday spirit this week! For our latest edition, we're delighted to bring you a period inspiration for the enchanting green Christmas dress Scarlett wears over Ashley's Christmas furlough. In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I have a love-hate relationship with this dress. I love it because it's such a sweetly romantic gown and because Scarlett looks so fetching in it. But I also hate it because Scarlett looks so fetching in it... and it's all for the benefit of that wishy-washy, feckless Ashley Wilkes.  

But let's place my own prejudices aside for a moment and move on to the main attraction: the dress, of course. After the jump, you'll find a period fashion plate that recalls our dashing heroine's own Christmas outfit. Check it out and let us know what you think! 

And be sure to stay tuned for next week's installment of Doppelganger Dresses, where we'll feature Scarlett's other Christmas costume from Gone with the Wind, the red and white dress she wears to say goodbye to Ashley as he returns to war. 

Doppelganger Dresses, Part 15: Carreen's Checked Skirt and Vest from the Prayer Scene

Carreen O'Hara returns for an encore appearance in our latest edition of the Doppelganger Dresses series. This time, we've found a historical fashion plate that matches up nicely  with the checked skirt and vest that she wears in during the family prayer scene at the beginning of the movie. 

Check it out after the jump and, as always, let us know what you think!