I have to say that Tessa Arlen has been an author that I have enjoyed in different ways over the years. I started reading her earlier books years ago which were mostly historical mysteries. Later on I discovered her new heroines and historical fiction series as well and later on a standalone historical fiction novel. Some times, some authors are better at writing mysteries while others thrieve with general historical fiction. Arlen is wonderful at all of them! I have loved many of her books for different reasons as they are always well written and researched.

This book was a no brainer! First I featured an excerpt for a tour of the book, but I knew this would be one that I would absolutely read, sadly the tour timeline didn’t line up with my own reading calendar so I had to just do a feature for the tour but immediately started reading the book as soon as I read the excerpt! It sounded so good and plus—that COVER! I am so in love with the cover! It’s stunning and a wonderful historical fiction read.

One of the reasons that I was so drawn to this book (besides the author and cover) was the time period. I love Edwardian era books so much and often they are few and far between with authors favoring either the Victorian era or WWI. The Edwardian era is such a weird time period with authors often just lightly touching on it and then moving on into WWI, but with Arlen I knew that I would get a well researched and well written accounting of my favorite historical period! And I was not disappointed!

Summary
A sumptuous novel based on the fascinating true story of Belle Epoque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, a woman determined to shatter the boundaries of the fashion world and support herself and her young daughter with her magnificent designs.

Lucy Duff Gordon knows she is talented. She sees color, light, fabric, and texture in ways few other people do. But is the world ready for her? A world dominated by men who would try to control her and use her art for their own gain?

After being deserted by her wealthy husband, Lucy is desperate to survive. She turns to her one true talent to make a living. As a little girl, the dresses she made for her dolls were the envy of her group of playmates. Now, she uses her courageous innovations in Belle Époque fashion to support her own little girl. Lucile knows it is an uphill battle, and a single woman is not supposed to succeed on her own, but she refuses to give up. She will claim her place in the fashion world; failure simply is not an option.

Then, on a frigid night in 1912, Lucy’s life changes once more, when she becomes one of 706 people to survive the sinking of the Titanic. She could never have imagined the effects the disaster would have on her career, her marriage to her second husband, and her legacy. But no matter what life throws at her, Lucile will live on as a trailblazing and fearless fashion icon, never letting go of what she worked so hard to earn. This is her story. (Summary from Goodreads)

Review
Before I read this book I had no idea who Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon was. Essentially I was a blank slate when it came to the main character of this novel and I found that the more I read her as a character, the more I wanted to know about her. I often found myself distracted from the book and down a Wikipedia rabit hole looking for more info about this interesting main character. That’s not to say that book was ‘boring’ just because I was distracted—on the contrary I was so interested in the main character that I wanted to know all the things about her! You cannot help but fall in love with Lucy. Her husband leaves her with a young daughter to raise and ultimately she is divorced from her first husband—practically unheard of in that time!She was also one of the survivors of the Titanic and the whole time I was thinking ‘I need to know everything about this woman!”. She instantly captured me heart and imagination. I felt positively transported by this book thanks to her character, not to mention the historical details!

Arlen knows her history. But with this book she really highlights the fashion of the time period in addition to capturing the details of the time period. I love fashion and Edwardian era fashion was elegant and for women, complex. I can’t imagine wearing a dress that was so hard to get on that I needed a lady’s maid to help me! But then again I wear mostly gym clothes so there’s that! At any rate, I couldn’t help but be interested in the dresses and the designes of the time and I loved how Arlen let the fashion industry take the lead in some ways throughout the novel.

This book is full of history and intereting characters and plot. But it doesn’t read like a history book. It isn’t full of boring and cold facts but rather it’s full of vibrant and interesting details and a thrilling story of perseverance, emotion, and charm. The prose is elegant and as you are reading you feel like you are reading something just as elegant and polished as one of Lucy’s designs. I absolutely loved this book and cannot tell you how much I recommend it. I knew it was going to be great but it ended up not just being great but exceptional! I adored my time with the characters and story and was sorry to see it end. Historical fiction fans, this is the book you have been waiting for this summer! Add this one to your TBR immediately!

Book Info and Rating
Paperback, 352 pages

Published July 5th 2022 by Berkley Books

ISBN 0593436857 (ISBN13: 9780593436851)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 5 stars

Genre: historical fiction

This is the fascinating story of Lady Lucy Duff Gordon. When she is deserted by her wealthy husband, Lucy Sutherland is forced to find a way to support herself, as well as her five-year-old daughter and aging mother.

The problem: how could a woman of a certain class support herself without resorting to a trade, which was frowned upon by high society? The solution: Lucy designed an exquisite gown for herself. Then her sister had a house party and invited her most influential friends. Soon the ladies were exclaiming over Lucy’s dress and she was arranging to make them dresses as a favor, and for a price!

Lucy conducted business in her own household and eventually had to move to a larger house in a wealthy section of London. Ladies from Britain and the United States came for tea, and to order her fashions. Soon Lucy’s creations gained fame and she branched out to the US.

Lucy was influential in changing dress styles as women moved into a new era. She designed lighter gowns that required less undergarments (like whalebone corsets). She designed dresses a woman could put on and take off without aid from a lady’s maid. She even designed a line of lingerie, which was almost scandalous at the time!

Along the way she married Sir Cosmos Duff Gordon. He was greatly supportive of her work and even booked a stateroom on the Titanic to travel with Lucy in style!

I loved reading this story and the dramatic Titanic connection was a bonus!

The story is told from two viewpoints, that of Lucy and her assistant. The chapters are full of descriptions of beautiful gowns as well as what was going on in Lucy’s exciting life.

My sincere thanks to @berkleypub and @letstalkbookspromo for my digital arc. My thoughts are my own.

I am so happy to be taking part in this wonderful story about a woman who refuses to submits to society’s social rules for single woman and instead becomes a fashion designer. I have always enjoyed Ms. Arlen’s writing, though I have read mostly her light mysteries. This story was true historical fiction and I loved the character of Lucy and was so surprised to realize that this book is based on a real person.

A Dress of Violet Taffeta by Tessa Arlen is a story about a fashion icon. Lucy Duff Gordon started a fashion empire during a time when women didn't even have the right to vote. Follow her life from a scandalous divorcee to running three fashions houses across the globe.

Lucy has to make earnings to support herself, her daughter, Esme, and her maid, Celia. With the help of her sister, Elinor, Lucy has a plan to escape her ill-behaved husband.

The plan is to introduce Lucy to all of Elinor's wealthy friends. They will be the first to buy Lucy's dresses. From there, a legend.

As ladies fall in love with Lucy's fashions, her business takes off. A charming man sets the scene. There's a trip on Titanic.

I enjoyed reading this novel. It's a nice layout in the evolution of fashion. This novel is light-heated, which is for summer.

This incredible recounting of a real woman’s life was astonishing and amazing—I loved it!
The fashion, the drama, the main character’s involvement in the Titanic sinking—it was all incredibly entertaining to read about, and just goes to prove that truth is stranger than fiction.
Can’t recommend this book enough to fashion fans, or lovers of early 20th century history,
4/5 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy. All opinions are my own.

Bringing you another historical fiction! There is something about seamstresses in a book that always gets me. My grandmother was a seamstress and I think there is really something special about creating something and the love and work that goes into a piece.
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I loved the History in this one mixed in with fashion. Lucy is left penniless after a divorce, with her mother and her five year old daughter. She turns to fashion in a world dominated by men. When the Titanic sinks in the 1912, she becomes a survivor and soon a sought after woman.
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This book is beautifully written and if historical fiction is your vibe definitely check this out.
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks and @dg_reads @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks #Netgalley @BerkleyPub #AustenProsePR @AustenProse for an e ARC of #ADressOfVioletTaffeta by Tessa Arlen upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Lady Duff Gordon, Lucy, is forced to support herself and her young daughter after being abandoned by her alcoholic husband. Interested in fashion and dress design from a young age (making dresses for her dolls), Lucy strikes out to be a couture fashion designer, a field few women had tried. Facing stiff competition from men, Lucy starts with a lovely piece of violet taffeta and builds her couture brand (Lucile Ltd) dress by dress. She persists through all the obstacles thrown at her, wins a messy public divorce, and survives the sinking of the Titanic.

From designing doll dresses as a child to fashion couture icon…

I enjoy stories about real people and Lucy is a fascinating “self-made” woman and fashion icon. Some readers may find her less than likable but I think she needed to be persistent, tenacious, and ruthless in order to make it in the highly competitive world of fashion couture. One trait I especially admire is her loyalty to family and employees.

I enjoy reading about women who are innovative and creative. Lucy has a special eye for color, texture, and lines. She has a vision for slimmer gowns whose fabric flows and creates a line of undergarments that were quite risque (at the time) to complement her designs.

The ending of the story is dramatic as we learn how Lucy and her husband survive the sinking of the Titanic and about the consequences of that night.

Themes: Thoughtful themes include successes and setbacks, a second chance at love, survival, believing in yourself and your talents/gifts, taking risks, grit, loyalty, persistence, and determination.

I think readers who are interested in dress design will enjoy reading about the history of fashion and couture and the independent, forward-thinking woman who influenced fashion trends.

Do you ever decide to go into a book mostly blind? I think I read the blurbs about A Dress of Violet Taffeta, but never the full synopsis. So, I went into it not really knowing what might happen. So that was an adventure!

Much of this book is more character than plot based, which at times was a little slow, but I enjoyed those bits for the most part. I think if you’re into fashion, all of the rich detail about the dresses and fabrics and designs would really be fun for you.

My favorite part of A Dress of Violet Taffeta was Lucy’s love life. Cosmo seems so sweet and I was really rooting for them, so their love made me so happy. I did love that Lucy was so independent in a society where women just weren’t, but I was still happy when she found love and happiness with Cosmo.

This story didn’t really follow a traditional story arc. It was mostly just Lucy floating along, building her fashion brand and multiple clothing stores with some love on the side. That is, until she and Cosmo get on the dang Titanic. Remember how I said I didn’t read the synopsis? Yep, so I was totally surprised by the Titanic. Obviously you can predict much of what’s going to happen when the story gets to the Titanic, but it definitely injected some action into the story arc.

Overall, this book was slow-moving at times and jumped over a lot of years, but if you’re into character-driven historical fiction and you like fashion, I can see you just loving this book. For me, it was pretty good! I did love the author’s notes at the end with the pictures of Lucy and her gowns – they really brought the story alive for me. I’m giving it a solid 3.5 stars, but like I said, if you love character-driven historical fiction and fashion, this is straight up your alley! The writing was great and learning about Lucy was fascinating at times.

This is a lovely story about a woman who overcame a scandalous situation as well as a tragedy of epic proportions and succeeded. While the book provided a wonderful account of the life of designer Lucy Wallace, aka Lady Duff Gordon, it lacked for a driving force to propel the read. Although Gordon was not guaranteed success it seemed like she cultivated it with ease. Yes she got divorced, struggled financially, started a business from the ground up, got deathly ill and had to rely on others to keep her business afloat. Those setbacks were not truly highlighted as momentous events, they just happened. Arlen's prose was beautiful to read and was the key factor in moving the story along. It was truly inspiring to read about how Lucy was ahead of her time in design and fashion and how she revolutionized the industry with her ingenious idea of fashion shows. This was a designer that had no place to go but up.
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

This was such a fascinating story! I had never heard of Lucile Wallace or her designs but I love Edwardian stories especially with the Titanic and I was eager to learn more about her and to look up her life and designs online.

I really loved the relationships of the women, this book jumps from Lucy’s POV to her assistant Celia’s. You are able to see the up and downstairs look into the overwhelming process of making clothes! I have a new appreciation for seeing pictures of old gowns because its the product of hundreds of hours, blood, sweat and tears.
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Sometimes Lucy drove me crazy by being too much in her head thinking of fashion but I suppose that’s how it would’ve been. She had a difficult time balancing work and family life which is still true today for anyone working. I liked that she was flawed and doing her best, just like the rest of us. She was scrappy and found a way to support her daughter, enjoy what she was doing and didn’t need a man after James’ poor treatment of her.
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This is a great story about courage, turn of the century, women’s fiction. I never realized how much Lucy changed the fashion industry. The writing was so descriptive, I wish I could touch all the fabrics! But its so delicate that I probably shouldn’t touch it 😉
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Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, and Austenprose PR for the gifted copy of ‘A Dress of Violet Taffeta’. These are my own thoughts and opinions.
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Content: closed door, Titanic sinking ie mild fear, mention of deaths

This book is so good! It is rich in historical detail, intriguing, gripping, and so much more. Whenever I picked up "A Dress of Violet Taffeta", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

I have previously read Tessa Arlen's novel "In Royal Service to the Queen", and thought it was phenomenal! As soon as I heard about this book, I just knew I needed to read it. Ms. Arlen's writing style is intricate, full of depth, and she seamlessly weaves history and fiction to create a book that is simply impossible to put down!

This novel tells the story of Lucy Sutherland. From her personal life to her professional life, this book explores so very much. I do not want to say too much about the plot due to spoilers, but, I will simply say, this book is a must-read. As the reader, I learned so much about Lucy, Celia, fashion, the Titanic, and the life and times of the eras in general too.

If you enjoy historical fiction novels, I highly recommend this novel. It kept me turning the pages into the early hours of the morning chapter after chapter to see what would happen next, and I look forward to reading what Ms. Arlen writes next.

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group, Austenprose PR, Tessa Arlen, and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel, and to Berkley Publishing Group and Austenprose PR for the finished copy as well, it is incredible. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A Dress of Violet Taffeta gives us a story of a strong determined woman who decides to take control of her life after being deserted by her husband. Instead of allowing men to run her life, she made a plan to become a fashion designer and eventually became a fashion icon.

Lucy, or Lady Duff Gordon, is such an inspiring woman! I loved reading her story from start to finish. I was captivated by the descriptions of the gowns she designed and the fabrics she used. As a designer myself, I really connected with her, especially in the little moments where she found inspiration in the world around her, making mental notes on colors that would work well together. I simply admired Lucy’s tenacity to push back on societal norms. No longer caring to be seen as a divorcee, not needing the support of a man, and being brave enough to enter an industry that was dominated by men.

I also appreciated seeing the dual perspectives, not only do we get to see Lucy’s point of view, but we also see the point of view of her scullery maid who later becomes her business partner, Celia. I really enjoyed seeing Celia’s perspective, so we got to see both sides of the business. Celia often encouraging Lucy to be more assertive with her business. And we also see Celia’s confidence grow becoming more self-assured of herself and eager to see Lucy’s fashion business grow.

I highly recommend this to those that enjoy historical fiction, have a love for fashion, and seeing strong leading women!

Read This If Enjoy:
•Historical Fiction
•Fashion
•The Titanic
•Downton Abbey

Thoughts:
I was so excited to read this one, because I love historical fiction. I also love watching period dramas, so I thought this would be perfect for me. I thought this was such a cool and interesting concept for a book. But it took me far too long to get invested into the story (about half-way). The story felt a little all over the place to me because it kept jumping around. We were introduced to characters and storylines that I thought would lead somewhere, and then never did. Granted I know the story is about Lucy and her fashion brand, but after a point we never got more about her family (her sister, mother, & daughter) when they had significant parts in the beginning. I did still like this one, I love a strong independent female lead.

What I didn’t like:
•Storylines/characters that went nowhere
•Slow start

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is an enjoyable historical fiction novel based a true fashion icon. This is my favorite genre and I LOVE fashion - this was the perfect mashing together two things I enjoy. The book started rather slow, but picked up midway especially when discussions of the titanic were brought forward.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the advance reader copy.

Fascinating, rich, and insightful!

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is an enchanting, beautifully written interpretation that sweeps you away to England between 1893 and 1912 and into the life of Lucy Christiana Sutherland from her disastrous first marriage and subsequent divorce to James Stuart Wallace, her rise and fame as an international fashion designer, her courtship and second marriage to Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon, and her survival of one of the most famous, tragic accidents of the twentieth century, the sinking of the Titanic.

The prose is eloquent and expressive.  The characters are hardworking, innovative, and independent. And the plot is an absorbing tale of life, love, friendship, family, determination, passion, courage, survival, and the ins and outs of dressmaking in the early 1900s. 

Overall, A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a vivid, immersive, intriguing novel by Arlen that does an exceptional job of highlighting her impressive knowledge and considerable research into this renowned iconic figure whose ingenuity, life, and hard work had a tremendous impact on the world of fashion.

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is beautifully written. It chronicles the life of Lady Duff Gordon. She was a very strong woman who paved the way for women in business during the Gilded Age.

The story begins after Lucy's (Lady Duff Gordon) husband left her for a dancer. He took all of the money and she was left to care for their young daughter. Her life of leisure was at an end. The servants were let go and she was left with one servant, who was not proficient in her duties. Celia became vital in her quest to enter the world of fashion.

I found this book to be fascinating. Lucy and Celia are real people who lived a life that made it possible for women to enter the fashion industry. A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a "rags to riches" story.

The story doesn't end with Lucy's rise in fashion. She also survived the Titanic. If you enjoy reading about strong women and their determination to succeed, you should pick up this novel.

Source: I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Seven years ago I read Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen. Despite my hopes, the book was not a good match for me. However, in that murder mystery I appreciated Arlen’s talents as an author. When reading the premise of her latest work, A Dress of Violet Taffeta, it seemed that I might have an opportunity to try again and have a reasonable hope to offer a positive review. Like many in my generation, I have been fascinated with the story of the doomed Titanic, and the 1997 film is one of my favorite movies. I also highly enjoyed the fashion-based elements of Mimi Matthews’ The Siren of Sussex, which I reviewed in January 2022. While based on historical fact, Taffeta is a somewhat fictionalized period piece set in the world of fashion, culminating with one of the most dramatic disasters of the 20th century.

Although the most dramatic portion of the narrative comes near the end with the events of the Titanic, this tragedy does not dominate the majority of the book. In fact, I had assumed there would be more on this subject and was surprised that it came so late in the story. I was slightly disappointed with this, but the remainder of the content in the novel is still very captivating. Lucy begins her new life as a single mother with very little, and builds this into a virtual empire in the fashion industry. She endures corporate espionage, dire illness, near-eviction and other challenges, most of which were made more difficult because she was a divorced woman. Her determination to hold onto her passion for dressmaking while flourishing in business was quite admirable.

A Dress of Violet Taffeta was a highly enjoyable novel, and was a much better match for this reader. Tessa Arlen has crafted the biographical facts of Lady Lucy Duff Gordon into an inspiring tale of persistence and passion. She was not only a survivor of the Titanic, but weathered challenges both personally and professionally for decades. Lucy was a strong, yet vulnerable character, and Arlen’s depiction of her draws the reader in so that we come to care about her fate. The descriptions of Gordon’s artistic creations of fashion brought much color to the story, showing us that the fashions of “Lucile” were more than just a livelihood for her: they were the fulfilment of her life's purpose.

For conservative readers, I can report that the novel is fairly family-friendly. Colorful language does pop up now and again, and there are mentions of the extramarital goings-on within “polite” society. One romantic couple (planning to soon marry) does sleep together, but there is no graphic bedroom scene. There are also a few mentions of one husband’s cruel behaviors towards his wife during times of intimacy. During the scenes of the sinking of the Titanic, the details regarding the fates of those who perished are heartbreaking.

My main negative quibble for Taffeta is Arlen’s use of dates at the beginning of and interspersed within the chapters of the novel. Although the work is not meant to be as reliable as a textbook, using particular dates such as April 14, 1912 does give an air of specificity to the scenes. There were times when the ages of characters and dates offered did not line up with history and/or Arlen’s timeline. This is an extremely minor issue, and it doesn’t really detract from the quality of the novel overall.

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a highly enjoyable narrative of a woman determined to survive within multiple theaters of life. Lucy Duff Gordon was not only able to pursue her passion for fashion, but she reshaped the industry, created an empire and survived far more than a sinking of an ocean liner. A caring mother, wife, employer and designer, her story has much to recommend it. Tessa Arlen has done a fabulous job in bringing the story of Lucile to the world.

Lucy Wallace is in a pickle. Her husband has been abusive, unfaithful and has finally left her for a dancer. She realizes this is the chance she needs to fulfill her dream of becoming a dress designer. She scandalously divorces her husband in the 1890s and starts her business. Her unique designs catch on with the upper crust and rich Americans. She is able to fulfill her dreams while also supporting her mother and her young daughter, Esme. When Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon starts to court her, will Lucy have a second chance at love?

I enjoyed this novel. I love historical fashion and the descriptions of the dresses and clients were wonderful. Lucy Wallace was a real person and I loved looking her up and seeing what the dresses she designed looked like. I had never heard of her before, and I loved learning her story. The book was told in alternating perspectives between Lucy and her employee, Celia. Celia is a great character too. She comes to Lucy as a teen from the workhouse. Lucy sees something in her and together they are able to build Lucy’s company. I liked the romance between Lucy and Cosmo. I am a fan of second chance romance. I liked that Cosmo loved her for who she was and realized that she was always going to be a designer.

I love Titanic stories and was surprised to discover in this book that Cosmo, Lucy, and Celia were on the Titanic. It was a fascinating part of the story for what happened and the aftereffects. There was a great author’s note on the end that gave details on each of the real-life characters.

Overall, A Dress of Violet Taffeta is an interesting look into turn of the century fashion and an independent woman.

Book Source: A Review Copy from Berkley and Netgalley. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a gifted galley of A DRESS OF VIOLET TAFFETA by Tessa Arlen for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

A DRESS OF VIOLET TAFFETA is based on the real life of Lucy Duff Gordon, a woman who made a big name for herself in the world of fashion and lived a very fascinating life. When she winds up alone and newly single with a daughter to care for, her options are limited. It is a time when women were expected to be taken care of by their husbands. Afraid that her daughter will be taken from her, she must find a way to make ends meet and buck tradition while she’s at it. She puts all her resources into crafting a violet taffeta dress, using her hobby of coming up with fashion designs to catch the eye of those in the market for the very best. Soon she has more work than she can handle and a staff of women earning money of their own.

I did not know much about Lucy before starting this book and I found her story very fascinating. It follows her though out most of her life in her relationships and her career. From being a trendsetter that the fashion houses sought to emulate to her survival on the ill fated voyage on the Titanic, there was a lot for the author to cover. I appreciated that we also learned where Lucy wasn’t the best at her work operating the business and that we got the perspective of her assistant as well.

There were a few places where I felt that the story was perhaps a bit longer than it needed to be as the author had a lot of ground to cover and some of the time jumps felt a little bit sudden. Still, I found this a fantastic read overall. I really enjoyed the audio for this one as well!

A DRESS OF VIOLET TAFFETA came out on Tuesday so it is available now for the historical fiction and fashion fans!

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a gorgeously written and beautifully woven work of historical fiction! A sumptuous treat of elegant prose, evocative descriptions, and compelling emotions.