I love this book that shows so much about the strength of a woman who left her abusive husband and found a way to raise her daughter without the help of a man. A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a true rags-to-riches story. Lucy makes something of herself when she is forced to find a living and does so in style.

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is the perfect book for fans of fashion. Most of the book talks about who Lucy is dressing, what she is dressing them in, and where they are wearing it. There were some powerful names that came to Lucy to dress them. The descriptions of the dresses she makes were so wonderful that I could picture the dresses and I love that she named them based on feelings, people, or the fabric.

The synopsis talks about the Titanic and the book does have Lucy on the ship when it sinks but it was not a main part of the story, and I was really looking forward to that part of the story. That is really my only dislike. I am disappointed that the Titanic did not play a larger part in Lucy’s life and story.

This is an inspirational novel based on the true story of Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, and the design house she created, Lucille Ltd. In 1893, Lucy finds herself divorced from an alcoholic, spendthrift husband, needing to support herself and her five-year-old daughter. Lucy’s one skill is dress design and a natural vision for color and line.
Tessa Arlen’s characters are developed from deep research into Lucy’s background, the history of her designs, her sister Elinor’s support through her influential friend circle, and despite Lucy’s pretentious, overbearing mother. Arlen highlights Lucy’s business acumen in discovering, hiring, and depending on Celia and the ensuing staff required. From the beginning when Lucy designs her first dress of violet taffeta, named “A Dream of Endless Summer,” readers will be enthralled with the “fairy-tale dress” described by Celia as “all light and shadows and as ethereal as gossamer.” Overcoming the fact that only men were designers in haute couture, Lucy was driven to succeed as the first woman known for her original gowns and creative ideas for presenting the first fashion shows. In this “designer’s dream,” Tessa Arlen laces together strands of women’s independence, ingenuity, and trust with the real world of turn of the century couture, presentation to royalty, Warwick Castle, and even the sailing of the Titanic. Readers will want a gossamer ball gown and a glittering gala to attend when the last model dons A Dress of Violet Taffeta.

Review will be posted on 7/6/22

Lucy is a divorced woman in 19th century Britain. This is unheard of, especially amongst her peers. She is in a tough spot, because she has to not only rebuild her life, but also support her young daughter. Lucy turns to dressmaking and designing, which was always something she has excelled in. Thankfully, she has her mother and sister to support in in the times that she needs it the most, but overall, Lucy is carving out an independent life for herself. Along with the help of her maid, Celia, they start designing beautiful dresses with fabrics that are lush and catch the light. Quickly, her dresses become the talk of the town. Before Lucy knows it, she has launched Lucile Ltd, which attracts high end buyers. To top it off, Lucy marries again and becomes Lady Duff Gordon. Obviously, things are better than ever for her. That is until she boards the Titanic, for what she thought was going to be a nice trip between Europe and the United States. Tessa Arlen's historical novel, A Dress of Violet Taffeta, highlights the extraordinary life of Lady Duff Gordon, a woman truly before her time.

Lucy could have given up when her wealthy husband left her for a dancer, (yes, a dancer!), but she didn't. Instead she literally rose from the ashes to create something great. She felt she had no choice as she had to support her daughter, so once she gained her independence, she created a new life for herself along with a career. It's a life filled with color, designs, and gorgeous fabrics. Before she knows it, everyone is vying to have a dress designed by Lucy. Thankfully, she has the help of her seamstress/ maid, Celia, and before she knows it Lucile Ltd. is employing a ton of workers. I really liked Lucy, as I like a good underdog story, and she deserves all the success in her life. I liked how she transformed her life after a setback and now she is a historical fashion icon. Also, I am glad she gave love a second chance and married Cosmo as I really enjoyed their relationship in A Dress of Violet Taffeta. Everyone deserves another chance at love, right?

Each chapter alternated between Lucy's point of view and Celia's which was a nice touch as Celia brought a different perspective. Her support and friendship with Lucy was one of my favorite aspects of the novel. Just like Lucy, she was someone who was destined for so much more than just a house maid.

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a quiet sort of comforting novel until Lucy and company boarded the Titanic that fateful and freezing night in 1912. I don't want to give too much away, but I was worried how things might turn out, especially for Celia.

Arlen described the time period very well and fans of the Gilded Age will especially enjoy A Dress of Violet Taffeta. I also recommend the book to fans of fashion as well as readers who appreciate stories about real-life women who lived extraordinary lives.

So, are you a fan of Tessa Arlen? Is A Dress of Violet Taffeta on your TBR list? Do you enjoy novels about fashion or about real-life women? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

🌟 BLOG TOUR REVIEW 🌟

A Dress of Violet Taffeta
by Tessa Arlen
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Pub Date: Jul 5

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is the stunning histfic story of La Belle Époque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, who was left destitute and alone to care for her aging mother and young daughter after her first husband deserted them.

Trembling with fear at night over how they would survive, Lucy turns to a gift she's had since childhood: Creating colorful, creative fashion designs.

She faces yet another trauma on April 15, 1912, when she and her assistant Celia were among just 706 survivors of the Titanic. How it impacted her second marriage, fashion line, and legacy is deftly described, as are Lucy's gorgeous designs, sold to wealthy women on both sides of the pond.

As a fashionista whose review jam is historical fiction, I fell in love with this book at first sight and was thrilled to receive an ARC.

Perfect for fans of @piper_huguley's By Her Own Design and histfic novels featuring gutsy women who change the world.

Thanks to author @tessa.arlen, @berkleypub, @netgalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#ADressofVioletTaffeta #TessaArlen #BerkleyPub #NetGalley #LucyDuffGordon #LaBelleEpoquefashiondesigner #TitanicSurvivor
#historicalfictionnovel
#womensfiction
#womanwhochangedfashion #womenwhochangehistory
#bookstgramcommunity

This book started out a little slow for me and took up to about the midway point to pick up. The story of her life and the discussion of the Titanic disaster at the end of the book made it an interesting read for me.

There are some very unlikeable characters in this book: Lucy’s mother, ex-husband, brother-in-law, etc. She had to overcome so many hurdles to become a successful business woman.

I did enjoy reading about Lucy, a real character brought to life in the pages of this book. I hadn’t heard her amazing story of her divorce, starting her own fashion business, and surviving the Titanic disaster.

3.75 rounded up

I'm so excited to be a part of the book tour for Tessa Arlen's A Dress of Violet Taffeta--out tomorrow, 7/5!

"A sumptuous novel based on the fascinating true story of La Belle Époque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, who shattered the boundaries of fashion with her magnificently sensual and enchantingly unique designs."

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel--the story of Lucy Duff Gordon is so inspiring and interesting--I was drawn in instantly when I learned she was a survivor of the Titanic! I can't believe I had never heard of her before, but Arlen's novel makes me want to learn more! Arlen's writing is lovely and thorough--her descriptions made everything in the story feel real and she made it so easy for me to imagine it all in my head.

This novel covers a longer time period and sometimes the way it skips forward in time is a little hard to follow, particularly when the time skips forward within a chapter, since the beginning of each chapter starts with a date. However, this wasn't so much of an issue that it affected my liking of the story. What I really appreciate is the author's note at the end with information about the real-life people featured in this story and the changes the author made regarding them.

I definitely recommend for historical fiction fans!

It’s 1893 and Lucy’s marriage has fallen apart. During this period, women in society remained married to their philandering husbands. But Lucy, who has a young daughter, makes the bold move to get a divorce. And even more shocking, she decides to enter a trade and become a dress designer. Her beautiful and colorful dresses are soon coveted by the most important women in London and eventually the United States. Based on the true story of Belle Epoque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, A Dress of Violet Taffeta tells the story of a woman’s strength and determination to succeed when it seemed virtually impossible.

Author Tessa Arlen has created a sumptuous, engaging story that will sweep you back into this period. Her well-researched novel gives an interesting behind-the-scenes peak at the lives of London’s elite, including its royalty. I had never heard of Lady Duff Gordon so it was especially nice to learn about a woman who was able to beat the odds. Especially since she was one of the survivors of the Titanic disaster in 1912.

4.25 stars.

I am a romance reader, I go out of my reading range quite rarely, yet this book’s cover and blurb caught my eyes, so I told myself why not try a biographical historical fiction, the subject a successful woman in the early XXth century.

The story opens on the aftermath of the event that upended the heroine’s life, the end of her marriage, leading to her need to provide for herself and her daughter.
As a rewriting of the life of Lady Duff Gordon, it offers a linear progress of her rising with glimpses of her private life.
This is this part I would have liked to be more explored.
I loved reading about this or that real character, the creative process of her collections, after googling a bit of the protagonists named along the path, I discovered talent was a sisterhood thing as her sister too was successful with her writings.

As for Celia, inspired to the author by two women who were important in Lady Duff Gordon’s success story, as a fictional character I would have liked for her to reach her own arc instead of being a faire-valoir or sidekick for her employer. She is two more eyes to explore Lucy’s life with its ups and downs but her own existence stays in the shadows, only relying her boss turned friend’s achievements, with no real moment for herself.
The romance between Lucy and her second husband was very underdeveloped to my taste, sadly not much explored, but the romance reader I am is quite happy with the author’s choice for her selected end of the narrative. In some way I got my happy ending.

In all, it is an interesting foray in the fashion world at the turn of the XXth century with the rising of women and the battles they won to get more rights.
4 stars

On a special note, I would have loved to see some pictures of Lady Lucy’s creations.
And I wonder about the accuracy of the gown shown on the cover, from the back it looks more regency than Belle Epoque.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 kisses, behind closed doors love scenes.

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

I am a huge historical fiction fan and I am always on the lookout for books outside of my favorite time period of WWII. So imagine my excitement when I was selected to read and review A Dress of Violet Taffeta by Tessa Arlen. All opinions are my own.

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a well-written, slow, character-driven novel (many of my favorite books are) that primarily takes place in London at the turn of the 20th century. I enjoyed learning a bit about Lucy Duff Gordon and her early influence on the world of haute couture fashion. She was truly a woman before her time who dressed everyone from English aristocrats to wealthy Americans to theater troupes and bohemians. Not only did she design, but she is also credited with training the first professional models (mannequins) AND hosting the first runway fashion show! Eventually, she opened salons in NYC, Paris, and Chicago, becoming the first fashion house with branches in three countries. I truly admire how she was able to pick herself up after her first husband abandoned her and make a new life for herself and her daughter.

My only real complaint is that I often felt like we were being told what happened to the characters rather than being shown and becoming a part of their story. I wish we had been shown the struggles Lucy must have had to overcome in building her business as well as how society must have perceived her. Again, all these things were implied but not shown.

Regardless, I enjoyed this story and definitely recommend it, especially if you are a fan of the time period or fashion. The author's descriptions of the dresses are wonderful…I’m now off to look them up online so I can see them for myself.

Thank you to for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

This story is based off the real life of Lucy Lady Duff Gordon. In the late 1890s, Lucy finds herself with her five year old daughter, divorced from an alcoholic husband who took everything they had and worries how they would survive. Lucy took it upon herself to do the one thing she was good at and hope it paid off: make fashionable dresses. The story follows her rise in fame, her loyalty to her family and employees, the second chance at love she never had, her successes and setbacks, and of course the Titanic.

I must say this was a slow burn for me but with good world building. I liked Lucy, Celia, and Cosmo. It was interesting to me that her mother who was all about appearances, had two daughters that were not of the norm. One created dresses, ran her own business that she turned into an empire; the other wrote smutty romance novels. Both did what they had to do based off their horrid husbands choices in order to survive. The last 20% of this book was fast paced and broke me. The Titanic chapters were amazing and heartbreaking. You could vividly imagine it happening, hear the screams in the water. Oh it hurt to read. I liked the strength of the main character and her grit portrayed in this story.

This novel was a captivating story about the life of Lady Lucy Duff Gordon and her rise to the top of the fashion design world. Set during the turn of the 20th century, this story follows Lucy's rise to fame as a gifted designer amid the changes and challenges of a new age.

One of the highlights of this book were the descriptions of the dresses that Lucy designs. Clearly, Lucy has a talent for design. I love how she creates her dresses and names them as well. The way the author describes everything is beautiful from the fabric to the color, the details on the dresses to the way they move in the light. Everything is intricate and beautiful. I love the moments when Lucy sees a color combination she wants to use in a dress like in a sunrise, the ocean, or a room. The details about how dresses are designed and then created is fascinating and intricate. I loved learning about that process and how passionate Lucy was about her work.

Seeing Lucy Duff Gordon's rise in popularity against the backdrop of the early 1900's was fascinating. I haven't read many books set in this time period and I was surprised by how much modernization and changed occurred during this time. Electric lights and central heat become more standardized for the upper classes. Women wear less intense corsets. Dress styles change. Women could file for divorce. Travel across the ocean is faster than ever. The aristocracy and people with new money are changing. And America is gaining momentum as a world power. I was intrigued by how similar some aspects of life during this time were to our current time. And also how the old ways were being held onto. The class system was changing but wealthy people still led changes in fashion and life. I was surprised how some of her clients paid so late for their dresses! And how the American and British clients were so different. Most interesting were the scenes on the Titanic and their experiences surviving that horrific disaster. I was shocked to read about the inquiry and the ways the Duff Gordon's names were drug through the mud. It was sobering to think about how ill prepared for an emergency the Titanic was and how few life boats were on the ship. A horrible disaster that really changed their lives at the end of the book.

The characters are well developed and I especially enjoyed Lucy's rags to riches story. She is so strong and determined throughout the book especially as she begins her business with Celia. Lucy treats people with respect and kindness. I appreciated how she trains up Celia and changes her life. And how her many employees respect her and continue to work for her for many years. A beautiful tribute to the kind of person Lady Duff Gordon was. I loved that so much of her story and personality were based on the author's research on Lady Duff Gordon's life and Lucile's history. That adds a special dimension to the story. Lucy is so strong and I was impressed how she builds a successful business after she gets out of a bad marriage. Her rise to fame and wealth was impressive. I also love her romance with Cosmo Duff Gordon. Their friendship turns to love in a natural, beautiful way. The scenes in France and Venice leading to their marriage are lovely and enchanting. Their love story is beautiful.

This fascinating historical novel blended fashion design seamlessly within the changing world of the early 20th century. I enjoyed the journey Lucy Duff Gordon goes on through the novel from her first dress of violet taffeta to a fashion empire with stores in London, New York and Paris. Her history and her determination were fascinating to experience. A great historical read!

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a historical novel based on the life of designer Lucy Duff Gordon who was a famous British fashion designer in the early 1900s.

I hadn't heard of her before reading this but she is a pretty fascinating woman! After divorcing her first husband in 1895 Lucy started working as a dressmaker to support herself and her daughter. She went against tradition to become one of the most sought after designers in the early 1900s and also survived the sinking of the Titanic.

This book was interesting to read and it also gave glimpses into the young woman Celia who started out as a maid but she became Lucy's trusted confidant. I liked that the book showed more snapshots in time vs every year.

If you're into fashion history I recommend reading this. It's beautifully detailed about the styles and changes in fashion from the 1890s to 1910s.

Lucy had no idea when her husband ran off with a dancer, leaving, their daughter Esme, and their maid Celia penniless, that she would later create the first global fashion house. Instead, she just started sewing, designing beautiful clothes for women in society. Her divorce in 189o3 might have been a scandal but that was nothing compared to the scandal that ensued when she, along with her second husband Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon survived the sinking of the Titanic. This episode, which might be familiar to some, saw the couple charged with having paid to get off the sinking ship first and to have paid to have the lifeboat move as fast as possible to the rescue ships, leaving other survivors behind. This shadow hung over both their lives. More interesting, though, at least to me, was the way Lucy grew her fashion empire, with innovative ideas. Arlen brings her but equally importantly, Celia to life. Because the chapters alternate between the two of them the reader gets a well rounded picture of both. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Terrific historical fiction.

This is a story of the grit and determination of a woman who takes what some would consider her lowest point and turns it into a fashion empire! And I love that it’s based on real events.
When Lucy’s cheating husband leaves her, Lucy decides she’s not going to sit around and pine for him. She lets all the house staff go because she can’t afford them on her own, with the exception of the scullery maid, Celia, who she can pay a little and train to help with her daughter, as well as work around the house. Lucy figures out how to make dresses for herself to save money and then realizes that she can sell them and support herself and her daughter and some staff. Celia turns into a great helper and soon they are creating dresses for the high society ladies who can’t get enough of setting trends. Lucy’s sister is going through her own family drama, and writes novels in order to support herself and their mother is none too pleased that her daughters aren’t sitting around trying to find new husbands. Soon Lucy is opening stores arising the world and she meets Cosmo, who turned out to be a great partner, advisor and lover and husband. All is well until they decide to voyage by ship and I’ll let you figure out what happens from there.
Fascinating and educational. I enjoyed this trip back in time.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I found myself enthralled with this book and this woman who took a chance and became successful. The descriptions of her dresses were gorgeous. It was definitely a change in the times. She was in a position where she had to make a choice and that choice, with the support of her sister, led her to be the biggest designer in the world at that time. This was a story that showed the resilience of a woman who was faced with unsurmountable odds that looked it in the face and did what she had to do. Another perspective in this book was Cecelia who had a similar upward projection.

The story is very raw and vulnerable. It is the very essence of what it means to be human. Lucille became what she had only previously dreamed. She did it for herself, for her mother, and for her daughter. She carved out success in a time that could have frowned on her and shunned her. Instead she interacted with the upper crust and gave them high fashion and beauty and then they wanted more.

I liked the way the story was from the perspective of these two women, each from different classes, but somehow they were able to work together to create an empire. This is a story of women lifting each other up and it is beautiful.

For content - there were allusions to intimacy and reference to the nude form that are not usually in books that I read and for those that might not wish to read this content.

I received an early copy through the publisher and netgalley and this is my honest review.

When Lucy is abandoned by her husband, she must find a way to support herself, her young daughter, and her mother. Going against what is expected of a woman of her class, Lucy opens her own fashion business. Though she starts off with a small number of clients – mostly friends of hers and her sister’s – Lucy’s business quickly grows to encompass most of the elite women of London society and beyond. Over the years, Lucy and her right-hand-woman Celia move through the ups and downs of running a fashion business in the 1890s and early 1900s. A second marriage, scandalous romance novels, and surviving the sinking of the Titanic all add to this fascinating account of a real woman who changed fashion for a generation.

Going into A Dress of Violet Taffeta, I knew nothing about Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, but I was quickly enthralled by her story. When we meet Lucy, she is on the precipice of divorce and nearly out of money… but she has an idea of how to make her own way: She’ll design and sell her own clothing. It’s 1893, and women (especially of a certain class) were often looked down on if they were divorced or began working a trade. But Lucy bravely did both, with the support of her sister and in spite of their mother’s horror at such a prospect. This sets the tone for the novel: a woman forging new paths for herself and other women, not letting old-fashioned ideas hold her back.

Alongside Lucy, her servant Celia quickly rises up to become her most trusted confidante and the general manager of the business. Between Lucy and Celia, A Dress of Violet Taffeta presents a dual perspective, each character bringing her own strengths, duties, and opinions on where to take Lucile. And as the novel spans 20 years, their different experiences over the decades provide extra nuance.

Instead of giving a comprehensive account of Lucile’s rise from 1893 to 1912, the novel shows readers snapshots of where the characters are over the years. Some events get more attention, and some years are skipped over entirely, but it does paint a broad picture of the many changes that arose over time. Early on it is about how to make a dress, attract customers, and earn enough to stay in business. Later, we see growing pains and workaholism, then an insurgence of new ideas – both in the kinds of garments made and in the way they’re presented. Even as the novel ends, there is a sense of more opportunities and hurdles to come.

One of my favorite aspects of A Dress of Violet Taffeta is just how forward-thinking Lucy and her sister Elinor both are. Lucy isn’t afraid to buck tradition, and that extends to how women dress. It’s fascinating to learn of her role in changing women’s undergarments and devising fashion shows. Her sister also had impact: Elinor wrote romance novels that were risqué for the time; she also coined the term “it girl.” Wow! Both sisters pushed beyond the confines many women had faced, and it’s inspiring to see them in action here.

Celia, in particular, offers another valuable perspective to the novel: views on working class people and the extra barriers in their path. This novel shines a light on the horrible conditions many working class people existed in at the time. Celia’s own background, a young woman who works for Lucile, the Titanic crew who’d go without pay – all three are examples of how different life was (and still is) between the upper and lower classes.

And of course, we have to mention the fashion. I’m far from a fashion expert, but I enjoyed learning about different materials, lines, colors, and so much more that goes into designing the perfect garment. Lucy’s creativity, passion, and hard work are inspiring to behold. That she has such a strong support system – her sister, daughter, husband, mother, and friends – gives her the tools and drive to succeed.

A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a fascinating and impactful novel about a real woman who led an incredible life. From starting a business from nothing to achieving international renown to surviving the infamous Titanic sinking, Lucy Duff-Gordon was stunning in her time and the perfect subject for a novel. This is a beautiful book, and I will certainly take the time to learn more about Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon now that I’ve gotten this glimpse into her life.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Prior to picking up A Dress of Violet Taffeta, I primarily knew Sir Cosmo and Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon from their brief name-drop in Titanic and the bad reputation Sir Cosmo incurred in the aftermath of the Titanic’s sinking, due to alleged cowardice. Both facts gave me a very specific, mostly negative image in my mind of who they were. However, while this book is a fictionalized portrait of Lucy Duff Gordon, it peels back the layers to introduce her as an enterprising and even sympathetic woman in her own right.
Lucy’s story is a fascinating one from even prior to meeting Sir Cosmo, given the book begins with the dissolution of her first marriage to a philanderer and spendthrift who posed a threat to her potential success in dressmaking, as well as hurt her personally through his infidelity and desertion. In a world still clinging to tradition, even as society around them modernized, I love how she put the needs of herself, her daughter, and her business first, as opposed to worrying about what the public might think and exposing herself to further harm. She persevered, despite the many obstacles in her way, and developed a highly successful fashion empire.
Lucy’s perspective is also complemented by that of her employee and eventual business partner Celia. She has very humble origins, having grown up in poverty. I like how her character complements Lucy’s, especially in Celia’s observations about Lucy that we don’t get from Lucy about herself. It’s also a fabulous way to remark on the class differences during the portion they’re on the Titanic with nuance.
While the events the women went through are engaging and page-turning, I did find the writing style felt a bit…detached? While I felt sympathy for them at their low points and appreciated what they were able to accomplish, it definitely felt at times like I was reading about them in a biographical account, whereas a truly good narrative can sweep you away and make you feel like you’re experiencing the story in real time. I can’t mark it down too much for this, as I did still enjoy it overall, however.
This is a solid read, and one I’d recommend to anyone who likes historical fiction about notable women from history.

4.5 Important Stars
It is not usual to have a single person change the way women move forward in how they carry themselves and dress. However, Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon was that woman and it was due to her vision of fashion and bravery to do what was right for her and her daughter, that women moved away from the restrictions of the corset and into a more free-moving garment.

Historical Fiction, Fashion and The Titanic? Say no more! I knew instantly that this book was for me and I’d enjoy it. And I was right!

I majored in Fashion Design and a big part of my studies was learning about historical fashions so I was delighted when I started this book and realized how intricately detailed the fashion process and designs were conveyed. The author paints a very detailed picture that just makes everything come alive in the story. I could just imagine the beautiful colors and designs!

I absolutely loved reading about Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon. Talk about a remarkable woman! Her story is very inspiring and I enjoyed getting to learn about her and her anything but ordinary life. If you want to read about a powerhouse woman check out this book when it’s released next week on July 5th!

Thank you Berkeley Publishing Group for the advanced copy and Tessa Arlen for shedding some light on this amazing woman!

This was a fascinating look at someone from history who I had never heard of before! I quite enjoyed this book. An excellent read that I would definitely recommend!

I received a copy of the book from the publisher and blog tour company.