Early 20th Century Fashion

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Time for the third and final costume history post. Today we're dealing with early 20th century fashion, a period when dresses became narrower and the new columnar silhouette was introduced. The narrow waist given by the S-shaped corset was accentuated by a sash or belt and necklines were supported by very high boned collars. The blouses were full in front and the skirts brushed the floor and most of the times had a train.

This period is my favourite in terms of fashion because I think the dresses looked so sophisticated and elegant, the materials were so luxurious while being so light and exquisite in the same time and the silhouettes were simply amazing. Just look at the pictures and you'll understand what I'm talking about :)

I would like to start with my two favourite dresses, one for the afternoon and one for the evening. I've never seen something so beautiful in terms of dresses. I'm fascinated by them (by each and every one of them)!

French afternoon dress (1900-1903) by Jacques Doucet made of silk, linen and rhinestones

Description: "The House of Doucet was known for its luxurious offerings, which were worn and coveted by royalty, members of the elite society in both Europe and America, and actresses of the stage.This is an elegant afternoon dress that would be suitable for afternoon events, such as the races and other promenade activities. The dress is an excellent example of Doucet's penchant for lingerie-like garments, which is represented by the delicate ruffles and rose printed chiffon. The color combination of blues accented with turquoise is a favorite of the designer."

 Evening dress(1902) by House of Worth made of silk, rhinestones and metal

Official description: "This is a very beautiful example of a Belle Époque dress emphasizing the aesthetic for pastel colors and light materials. The cutout work of the chiné applied to the lace is an outstanding feature which adds liveliness to the flowers, as if they were growing. Chiné is expensive to make as the pattern is printed on the warp before the weft is woven in, thus producing the blurred effect, reminiscent of a Claude Monet (1840-1926) painting."

Evening dress (1914) by Callot Soeurs made of silk, metal and rhinestones

Description: "This gown from 1914 exemplifies the fashion aesthetic of the time, in which multiple layers and textures of fabric were intended to give the appearance of an unstructured and spontaneous design. The use of the selvedge edge at the front of the dress, for example, was an intentional technique used by couturiers of the period to express the idea that fabric was wrapped and draped with minimal tailoring."

American ball gown (1910) by Mrs. Osborn Company made of silk

Met's description: "The over-the-top expression of opulence seen in this ball gown worn by a prominent member of the Astor family is a testament to the degree of ostentation required at certain events in order to stand out from the crowd. The dense sequin and bead embroidery on the gown would have created a beautiful shimmering effect."

French evening dress (1909-11) made of silk and rhinestones

Description: "This dress is a tour de force of beadwork embroidery, indicative of French couture craftsmanship. The juxtaposition of three-dimensional and trompe l'oeil tassels is stylish and witty, and highlights the level of planning and care taken in the design of couture garments."

American dress (1902-1903) made of silk

French ball gown (1900-1903) made of silk

Ball gown (1900-1905) by House of Worth made of silk, cotton and metallic thread

 American evening dress (1911-13) made of silk

 American ball gown (1908) made of cotton, linen and silk 

 Afternoon dress (1908-10) made of cotton and silk

Description: "Irish crochet lace was very popular in the Belle Époque not only for trim but also for full garments such as this one. Its three-dimensionality gives a particularly interesting textural effect. This example employs not only three-dimensional floral motifs but actual pendant flowers that move with the wearer."

Evening dresses (1911-15) by Jeanne Hallée made of silk and glass

Evening dress (1908-10) by Mrs. Dunstan made of silk and pearls

Description: "This dress is of particular interest, as it bears the label of a New York dressmaker, Mrs. Dunstan. However, the complex construction and the variety of fabrics used are very consistent with French-made garments and could possibly attribute this dress to the famous French couturier Jacques Doucet. A rarity, this dress is in mint condition and marks the period of transition when mainstream fashion was moving from the monobosom shape to the more upright empire line."

Afternoon dress (1906-08) by House of Paquin, made of silk

The End

I really hope you enjoyed these few posts as much as I enjoyed writing them! Now tell me...which one was your favourite? :)

Take care x



19th Century Fashion

Hello ladies,

Time for part two of my costume history themed posts! The 19th century brought a change in women's silhouette which, from 1840 onward, was dominated by a restrictive corset and layers of crinoline petticoats. In the 1860s, the shape of the crinoline changed into that of the rear bustle and only in the 1890s the skirt returned to a relatively slender shape. However, in spite of the elegance, beautiful decorations and luxurious materials, the dresses where rather uncomfortable due to the restrictive corset which refused to step out of the limelight :P

I'd better let the pictures speak for themselves along with the descriptions from the Met Museum. Enjoy!

 I will once again start with my favourite three dresses (I adore the colours, the shapes and the patterns of the first three dresses, but that doesn't mean that the rest are not equally amazing).

Evening dress by R.H. White & Company (1885) made of silk and feathers

The Met's official description of 19th century fashions: "The bustle silhouette, although primarily associated with the second half of the 19th century, originated in earlier fashions as a simple bump at the back of the dress.The full-blown bustle silhouette had its first Victorian appearance in the late 1860s, which started as fullness in skirts moving to the back of the dress. This fullness was drawn up in ties for walking that created a fashionable puff. This trendsetting puff expanded and was then built up with supports from a variety of different things such as horsehair, metal hoops and down. Accessories were petite and allowed for the focus on the large elaborate gowns. Around 1874, the style altered and the skirts began to hug the thighs in the front while the bustle at the back was reduced to a natural flow from the waist to the train. This period was marked by darker colours, asymmetrical drapery, oversize accessories and elongated forms created by full-length coats. Near the beginning of the 1880s the trends altered once again to include the bustle, this time it would reach its maximum potential with some skirts having the appearance of a full shelf at the back. The dense textiles preferred were covered in trimming, beadwork, puffs and bows to visually elevate them further. The feminine silhouette continued like this through 1889 before the skirts began to reduce and make way for the S-curve silhouette."

 Dinner dress (1880-1882)

 Dress from 1885 made of silk, rhinestones and metal

American silk dress (1880-1885)

French dress by Mme. Martin Decalf (1882-1883) made of silk

 Evening Dress by House of Worth (1887-1889) made of silk

 American silk dress (1878-1880)

 Evening dress by House of Worth (1887) made of silk and metal

Description: "This is truly an attention getting gown with fantastical themes. The fantasy here is depicted in the bodice which imitates a peasant's cotton blouse and is played against the traditional 18th century and neoclassical motifs in the skirt embroidery."

Ball gown by House of Worth (1898) made of silk, rhinestones and metal

Description: "This gown is made from a very special fabric which was woven à la disposition to fit the shape and dimensions of the skirt so that the butterflies flutter upward from the hem and, being graduated in size, seem to disappear in the distance."



Evening dress by Duval and Eagan (1889) made of silk

French dress (1867-1869) made of silk and cloth

Silk French dress (1865)

Ball gowns by House of Worth (1887) made of silk and metallic thread

That's a wrap with 19th century fashion. Do you have any favourites from the dresses above?

Next post will be about early 20th century fashion (my favourite). I saved the best for last :)

Talk to you soon x

18th Century Fashion

A few days ago I was browsing the web page of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I came across their gorgeous section of costume history. I've spent literally hours looking through pages with countless costumes dating from different historical periods. I was amazed by the beautiful materials and gorgeous embroideries of the dresses. I even made different scenarios in my head of countesses and duchesses sweeping the floors of their magnificent mansions with their beautiful and elegant attire. So silly, I know, but I must confess that I've never seen such fantastic creations in my life, and while I'm sure that they were not the most comfortable clothes to wear, they looked simply stunning.

Therefore, I decided to share with you a selection of costumes dating from the 18th, 19th and early 20th century. I'm sure you will understand why I'm so mesmerised after you are going to see them :)

So, today's post is all about 18th century fashion (I have a ginormous number of pictures and this is why I've decided to split them into three posts). Enjoy!

Robe à la Français (1760–70), made of silk and cotton

The description provided by the Met: "Women with coquettish airs were imposing in robes à la française and robes à l'anglaise throughout the period between 1720 and 1780. The robe à la française was derived from the loose negligee sacque dress of the earlier part of the century, which was pleated from the shoulders at the front at the back. The wide skirts, which were often open at the front to expose a highly decorated underskirt, were supported by panniers created from padding and hoops of different materials such as cane, baleen or metal. The robes à la française are renowned for the beauty of their textiles, the cut of the back employing box pleats and skirt decorations, known as robings, which showed endless imagination and variety."

Robe à la Française (1765) made of silk

French dress  (1775), made of silk.

These three dresses are my favourite ones...just look at those patterns and colours. Stunning!

Robes à la Française (1770), made of silk

 

Robe à la Française (1770) made of silk

Robe à la Française(1750–75), made of silk

French Dress (1750–75) made of cotton

Robe à l'Anglaise (1770–75), made of silk and metal

      Description:  "The robe à l'anglaise developed with a fitted back after the style of dress worn in England.They are renowned for the beauty of their textiles and the meticulous fit of their bodice back."

Robes à la Polonaise (1780), made of silk

Robes à la Polonaise (1780-85) made of silk de chine with hand-painted multicolored floral sprays

Description: "The polonaise gown first came into fashion in the 1770s. It was a style of gown with a close-fitting bodice and the back of the skirt gathered up into three separate puffed sections to reveal the petticoat below. The method of suspending the fabric varied. Most often the dress had rows of little rings sewn inside the skirt through which a cord ran from hem to waist. Alternatively, ribbon ties would be used, with the ribbons forming decorative bows. However, in some instances the skirt was held in place by simple cords sewn to the inner waist of the dress and looped over buttons attached to the outside waistline."

That's it for part one. I really hope you liked the dresses and this type of posts :) Stay tuned for the next post about 19th century dresses.

Kisses x