Last-minute panic

It's always right before I cut into my fabric, a.k.a. the point of no return, that I get all panicky about my ideas.

The idea was to use a Renoir painting as inspiration, but since my fabric is only vaguely like the painting, I've already left the 'reproduce perfectly' idea behind.  Plus I can't find any other documentation for a dress like the one in the painting.

The painting's dress fabric really looks like a sheer cotton print, lawn or some such thing.  My fabric is a sheer cotton print.  The painting has a fitted bodice with lapels and a collar. This is a style that I've only seen in heavier fabrics, more tailored styles.  There's also a weird belt/sash, and the bodice has no discernible bottom.  It's obvious the artist cared not for preserving accurate fashion for posterity.*

Now I don't know whether to try to find a fashion plate to reproduce so I can at least feel like I am being somewhat accurate, or keep going with my not-quite-like-the-painting idea and have no idea if it's actually historically accurate or not.  Obviously I am not an accuracy purist, but it's nice to at least be kind of on the right track.  And I'm running out of time, so I better decide now.

 

* Please remind me not to try to reproduce an Impressionist painting again, no matter how pretty it is.