Behind the Seams - 1920s Fluffy Pink Robe de Style

Greetings all! Welcome to another "Behind the Seams" post. I have recently returned from a fabulous 1920s themed event and still have flapper fashions on my mind. So, today I'd like to share another 1920s piece in my collection, a fluffy pink robe de style. I really adore this dress! Sadly, it's badly worn in certain areas and can no longer be displayed on a dress form. But it's still a beautiful piece to study.

This particular dress is made from a light weight and very crisp silk taffeta. The tired skirt is trimmed with multiple rows of matching taffeta and tulle mounted on a silk base. The bodice is constructed in very much the same way as my black silk robe de style and closes at the sides with metal snaps.

This dress would be very easy to recreate. The bodice is 16 1/4" and the skirt is 23" long (29"including the last layer of tulle which hangs a little below the silk base.)

Skirt is made of a base of pink silk taffeta and a second layer of tulle with alternating rows of tulle ruffles and silk ruffles mounted on top. Each tulle ruffle is approximately 6 1/2 deep and the silk ones are 5". There are four tulle ruffles and three silk ones.

The silk skirt is 15/1/4" across the waist, 23" long and 35 1/4" wide at the base. It measures approximately 86" around the bottom. The whole dress is sewn with 3/8" seams.

Back of the dress

The neck and arms are bound with self fabric. There is piping at the waist and along the top of each silk ruffle. The neck is also trimmed with tulle.

Close up of neckline.

The large matching bow is quite lovely. Each loop is about 6 1/2", the center is about 2" and the tails are 15" long.

Here you can see the side that closes with metal snaps. You can also see how the silk is really starting to split.

I love this shot of the ruffles on the skirt. The bottom edge of each silk ruffle is frayed, which I think was intentional as they are all like that. The tulle ruffles are each hemmed/trimmed with gold thread.

What makes this style of dress really unique and fun are its underpinnings. Some robe de styles were worn with separate hoops underneath but my dress has them sewn into the dress itself. The hoops, though a bit crushed, are very similar in style to pocket hoops of the 18th century. These are made of a rectangular piece of tulle that is pleated at the top and has metal boning across the bottom.

The hoops measure approximately 6 x 10 and are gathered to about 3 1/2" at the top.

I hope you have enjoyed this latest addition of Behind the Seams!