This gown is beautiful and breathtaking, no doubt, and becomes even more so as Christine travels down to the Phantom's Lair. Two versions were made for the movie, just so you're aware. The mirror scene used the simpler version, while the Lair version has a bit more sparkle and glamour (as ALW wanted).
Dress Breakdown
There are, infact, two versions of this dress. The first, Christine's "cleaner" version, is worn in her dressing room. As she transcends down into the Phantom's layer, her dressing gown gains more sparkle and detail as well. Joel Schumacher wanted her outfit to match the situation, I guess.
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The Dressing gown itself does mirror how most dressing gowns appeared in the Victorian Era, except with the neccessary modern twists that the costume designers and director put into the costume.
Both versions of the dressing gown are sewed with french seams, so there are no frayed edges apparent.
The dressing gown is floor length, of course. There has been some debat about how it is tied, though. If you look at the picture below, you can see that the left side crosses over the right side.
From personal experience, it would be rather difficult to just tie off the right flap to the right side without the left flap beneath falling out of its place. I have never been able to detect any sign of the ties on this dressing gown in any of the photos, but you can see Emmy tying it off in the movie. I have suggested that the left flap beneath ties the right side of the dressing gown, so that the left flap does not move from its position which you can see in the pictures. And vice-versa. It is almost how the ties are on a Karate Uniform.
If you look at the picture below, you can see that there is an extended section of fabric gathered in the middle back. This is the part of the dressing gown which gives it its long, elegant train. The extra fabric was probably built into the pattern, cut out, gathered, and then sewed to the seam in the center back.
The sleeves are simple bell sleeves, but the inside seam is gathered about a few inches up her wrist. You can see this very clearly in This picture (proivded by Katherine!
The edge of the sleeves are trimmed with wide scallopped lace, very visible in this picture (proivided by Katherine and the photo below.
Now onto explaining the main difference between the dressing room and lair versions!
Dressing Room and Lair Versions Comparison
The dressing room version fabric is, believe it or not, slightly different than the lair version. Here, the dressing gown is made of a relatively simple, uncrushed fabric, which is suspected to be silk chiffon.
The necline is trimmed with wide scallopped edge lace, with small pink roses every few inches.
In the lair version, the fabric changes to a crinkled silk chiffon. The trim on the neckline also has some alterations. Instead of the simpe wide scalloped trim, the lair version also uses wide trim with a tiny scalloped edge, but it is gathered at certain intervals and sewn onto the neckline where there the clusters of sequins are. In the liar version, groups of sequins, instead of rosebuds, are used, and there are sequins sewn at random intervals over the neckline trim and the sleeves. Look at the pictures below for comparison: (Second photo has been photofixed)
Take a look at this mystery lace in the picture below on the left side (right side of her dressing gown) of this picture of the lair version. Perhaps there is a another layer of lace beneath the top layer we don't know about. Cropped image has been photofixed.
Corset and Chemise
The corset has (so far as we know) six gores, three on each side, two bust gores and one hip gore on each side. The gores are a vital part of the corset which help to create the "hourglass" shape. I believe the corset has atleast twelve panels. Four on each side in the front, and atleast two in the back. Although the pictures from the ebay auction show the corset put on backwards, you can barely makeup any seams, sadly enough. More basic info, this corset does not close with a regular busk, but instead, large hooks and eyes. (Small one's will not get you anywhere, I tried using them for my corest, and it didn't work at all. You really do need to invest in the stronger, larger, more heavy duty hooks and eyes.) There are about eight to ten white hooks and eyes in the closure.
There has been some speculation that the rose pattern on the corset is an overlay. If you look closely at this picture where the zigzag topstiching is, you can see that the pattern continues without being disrupted. I could be wrong on that though. The sequins are most likely glued to the overlay instead of the base fabric.
Evidence of this "overlay" is very obvious in the ebay photos:
Details: The seams of the corset are decorated with zigzag topstiching. Look closely at this picture again, at the top of the corset and you'll notice it is edged with a very fine netting or tulle.
Chemise: The chemise isn't exactly your typical victorian style chemise. A bit risque for the victorian era - ;). It is instead, made of a fine netting or tulle with a decorated pattern on the neckline and sleeves. In the ebay pictures, the chemise is tied with a pink ribbon around the middle. I have yet to discover what that ribbon is for, though.
Petticoat/Skirt
This was put up on the third ebay auction as a "Peach Satin Petticoat." It looks more like the dressing gown petticoat, though.
The petticoat has two known layers, the "peach satin" as mentioned in the ebay auction, and the alecon lace overlay. The petticoat is slit down the side (or in front, it seems to move when she wakes up after Music of the Night). In the fourth picture, if you look carefully at the petticoat where it parts by her knee, you can see the two layers. The hem of the lace petticoat is finished off with a wide scalloped edge.
Screencaps proivded by Katherine
Most of the images below are hi-res, so they may take a bit to load, but trust me, they're well worth it!
Costumers Guide has a few pictures submitted by midnightstar88 of the Bloomingdale's window in Christmas of 2004.
Ebay Auction:
Promo/Other Images:
