Book Review: A Dress of Violet Taffeta by Tessa Arlen

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.

Lucy Duff Gordon knows she is talented. She sees color, light, and texture in ways few people can begin to imagine. But is the male dominated world of haute couture, who would use her art for their own gain, ready for her?

When she is deserted by her wealthy husband, Lucy is left penniless with an aging mother and her five-year-old daughter to support. Desperate to survive, Lucy 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 creative designs and her remarkable eye for color to take her place in the fashion world—failure 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 fashion label Lucile, her marriage to her second husband, and her legacy. But no matter what life throws at her, Lucy will live on as a trailblazing and innovative fashion icon, never letting go of what she worked so hard to earn. 

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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. 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.

              Lady Lucy Duff Gordon

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 my conservative readership, 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.  

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About the Author

Tessa Arlen is the author of the critically acclaimed Lady Montfort mystery series—Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman was a finalist for the 2016 Agatha Award Best First Novel. She is also the author of Poppy Redfern: A Woman of World War II mystery series. And the author of the historical fictions; In Royal Service to the Queen and available July 5, 2022 A Dress of Violet Taffeta.

Tessa lives in the Southwest with her family and two corgis where she gardens in summer and writes in winter.

 

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