This summer, I finally finished my 18th c. banyan. I love it so much that I often swan around the house in it in the evenings. And now that winter here in everything but name, I’ve finally photographed it, too.

The fabric is cotton from Anuprerna on the outside, and Indian block print cotton on the inside. Outside and inside are relative, since it’s reversible.

Period portraiture typically shows men wearing these robes with a shirt, neck stock, waistcoat, breeches, stockings, and shoes underneath. I only have stockings and a shirt, so that would have been a lot of work just to have a historically accurate presentation. (Photo: Wiki).Then, one night this winter I fashioned a fantastic turban for a Jane Austen book club event at the library that I went to in period costume. I had time for earrings AND blush (borrowed from a teen daughter). Having time for these extras is unusual for me, and I felt beautiful.

When I got home, I took off most of my Regency layers and threw on my banyan, and finally got photos of this lovely garment. It was the blush that made me feel like I could do it.It’s shown here with a linen shift and a hand hemmed cotton neckerchief with a polyester scarf ($4 from Puresilks) fashioned into a turban (the cotton underneath keeps the slippery polyester in place. It’s straight pinned in place at the back). It’s tied with a hand hemmed silk sash. I got the silk for the sash from a vintage sari scraps lot I found on Etsy.

I’m wearing pearl earrings purchased for a future Girl with the Pearl Earring costume… which I could probably swing using the banyan since it’s the right color! We’ll see. I had found the perfect scarf for that costume and then it got lost in the mail and I’ve never found anything comparable.

BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT. Let’s talk about how I made the banyan.

I started with the RH 816 pattern. The Reconstructing History is a one-size pattern for men. I measured from my shoulder to the floor to figure out how much length to take off of the pattern, and ended up additionally removing about 2 inches of ease from the sleeves so it wouldn’t be too baggy.

I cut it out in one piece using the instructions from Burnley and Trowbridge. I then cut the neck using the Garsault method to create a shawl collar.

I machine sewed the whole thing together, and did the hems by hand.

It may be reversible, but I do have a favorite side – the golden brown is a shot cotton woven from lime green and red. It’s incredible, vibrant and neutral all at once. It’s also a lot less busy than the other side.

This is one of my favorite historical makes because it moves so seamlessly (see what I did there?) between modern wear and costuming. Worn with a black shirt and leggings, I feel like a movie star, and in a shift and turban, like a goddess.