Jeanne Paquin, 1903
The first step to creating this gown is getting the undergarments right. Many months. Then it was time to order 6 yards of silk chiffon and 5 yards of black velvet.
Starting with the skirt, the first step was to hand stitch the chiffon to the velvet for the skirt. Hurrah for taking the time to make this crucial seam smooth.
This is the goal dress:
Jeanne Paquin, 1903. The dress is at the Kyoto Costume Institute.