Ultimate Doll Costuming: The Trousseau
Pompadour Dress and Guimpe
The school toilette for dolly is comprised of two pieces – a pompadour dress and coordinating guimpe. The pompadour style has a low square neckline and is attributed to the Marquise de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV of France. It is made from a piece of new lightweight, drapable wool with a very small checked design. Cotton could be used as well. The picot ribbon and laces are vintage.
 Pompadour Dress ~ Front |
 Pompadour Dress ~ Back |
 1885 Delineator |
The neckline of the pompadour dress is trimmed in lace and formed in part by three parallel band insertions “en echelle” (in ladder form), the ends of which are flanked by sets of decorative buttons. Lace ruffles, or epaulettes, made from a vintage handkerchief grace the shoulders. Triple rows of hand-stitched tucks add interest to the skirt. The picot-edge ribbon shows up prominently at the back of the dress in the form of a large bow.
 Front ~ Detail |
 Back ~ Detail |
A guimpe is a bodice worn under a jumper or low-necked dress. Silk or cotton of an appropriate weight should be used for this item. Cindy’s is made from vintage silk and laces. The front of the long sleeved guimpe is covered with six fine, vertical pin tucks which Cindy worked by hand, and has a lace frill at the neck. The sleeves end in narrow wristbands and ruffles with a frill of lace peeking out from beneath. The guimpe has a casing with a running string (draw string) at the waist, and a back button closure. The buttonholes were also worked by hand.
 Guimpe Front |
Straw Hat
Dolly’s straw hat sports a “tinted” finish. It is decorated with ribbon coques (a French term denoting bows of ribbon arranged in loops as a decorative trimming), buckles and contains an interior drawstring lining. This type of lining adds authenticity to a hat of this period and is not complicated to reproduce. It is made from a long rectangular piece of fabric with a casing on one edge. After the lining is attached to the hat, ribbon or cord is inserted into the casing and drawn up to fit the inside of the hat.
 Chapeau |
 Chapeau Interior |
Tinting and Glazing Directions
The straw hat used by Cindy for her doll is:
Round Top #916 from Barbara’s Playhouse, size 10″-11″
Any other good quality straw hat could be used.
Seal the hat with a coat of Satin Finish Waterbase Polyurethane Varnish. Let varnish dry thoroughly. (Note: Accent and Country Colors both make a Satin Finish Waterbase Polyurethane Varnish which can be found at most craft stores.)
Painting a section at a time, cover hat with a coat of acrylic paint in the color of choice. Rub off paint with a cloth so that the straw shows through. Leave enough color to stay in cracks and crevices. Continue in this manner until entire hat has been tinted. Let paint dry thoroughly. Glaze entire hat with another coat of Satin Finish Waterbase Polyurethane Varnish. Let dry thoroughly.
This produces a very nice colored finish on an otherwise ordinary straw hat.
