THE DRESSING GOWN:
 
The term dressing gown conjures up a recurring image in my mind, which we searched for in vain to illustrate this text. So, for the time being it remains elusive. The image is of a cultured gentleman (perhaps a writer, painter or musician) from the late 19th or early 20th century, posing in his library dressed in a loose-fitting gown of vaguely oriental inspiration. The slightly heavy, rather sumptuous fabric stands in counterpoint to the severely masculine cut of the gown itself. Maybe it represents a touch of femininity in a man’s world, which can only be expressed in the privacy of his own home, far from the public eye. Another reason might be to ward off the cold in the draughty old house of my imagination. Our version of the dressing gown takes some of its inspiration from the kimono, both in the way it is made and, more especially, in the extravagantly large armholes.  This was a bid to provide maximum ease of movement to contrast with the daily constraints of outdoor clothing. The use of “upholstery fabric” to make these dressing gowns reflects their purpose as loungewear, although they can perfectly well be worn outdoors too - indeed it is warmly encouraged.