This is an idea for a costume I have. It's kind of unfinished, so it needs some explanation.

It is two dresses. There is an under dress, which is the bold black lines. This can be made out of two colors of heavy brocade or maybe velvet fabric. The center pane should be a different color than the rest. This dress is sleeveless. It has lace trim along the bust and hem. It has a full skirt and a small train.

The over dress (pencil) is a sheer silk layer, which will mostly blend in with the majority of the under dress, but lend a nice depth to the over-all effect. The over dress will go all the way down to the bottom of the under dress, and mimic the shape (plus sleeves, of course).

The skirt is full and the sleeve are very long. I have half an idea that there will be some kind of built-in buttons on the sleeves so you can get them out of the way when you need to use your hands for stuff like eating. The belt is a separate piece that goes over the top of both.

I'm not sure what any of these colors are going to be. But I like the idea of the panel down the front being deep red, with the rest being ivory, perhaps.

Or maybe a green/gold combo. Or even lilac/silver. Not sure.

Any suggestions?