Costume Word of the Week – Polonaise

CWotW – Polonaise

“…The polonaise gown, also developed in the 1770s, effected a more far-reaching though deceptively subtle shift in the eighteenth-century silhouette. In the robe à la polonaise (1976.146a,b; 1970.87), the waist remained small and pointed into very full skirts. The fullness of the polonaise gown was achieved through the voluminous drapery of fabric, most often via rings sewn on the underside of the skirt which were drawn up with cording to create puffs at the back and side of the dress. The puffs of fabric rested on full petticoats to create the still expansive base of the silhouette; its real shift was one of weight, giving as it did an overall lighter impression of the body within.” ~ Source: Eighteenth-Century Silhouette and Support | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“A polonaise (originally robe à la Polonaise) is a woman’s garment of the later 1770s and 1780s or a similar revival style of the 1880s inspired by Polish national costume,^[1] consisting of a gown with a fitted bodice and cutaway, draped and poufed overskirt, worn over an underskirt or petticoat.
The eighteenth century polonaise (also referred to as a milkmaid dress) was a conscious imitation of rustic country women’s habit of tucking their outer gowns up to keep them out of the muck. The open skirt could be poofed up by tucking the front corners through the pocket slits or, later, by means of tapes and loops sewn into the skirt.
The nineteenth century revival style, sometimes described as “Dolly Varden”^[2] had lost all connotations of this rustic origin.” ~Wikipedia

So basically it’s a gown that is open in the front, and the back is pulled up on both side back sides, and draped. Popular in both the late 1700s and late 1800s. The 18th century version usually has more of a low, square neckline (which was very common and popular at the time) where it’s 19th century cousin has more waist shaping and some times found with a high neck line.

Extant Examples:

• Dresses 1780-85 at the Met.
• Polonaise 1775-80 at the V&A
• Robe, Polonaise 1778 at the V&A
• 1868 dress at the V&A
• 1870 dress at the V&A

Reproductions:

• Koska the Kat’s Green 1770s
• Stahlrose’s 1780s
• Mode Historique Striped Polonaise
• Polonaise by fern-bucket
• 1870s Polonaise Suit by Forfaxia

Patterns:

• JP Ryan 18th Century
• Past Patterns 1880s
• Rocking Horse Farm Pattterns
• Truly Victorian Polonaise
• Scan with pattern from Peterson’s Magazine 1872