The very early years of the century saw a vogue for light and frothy dresses, and was accompanied by hairstyles that were loose and flowing about the shoulders, often in waves. The look was one of slight undress compared to the fitted tailoring and corsetry of the Victorian age, worn especially for evening wear and for entertaining at home.
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Crisp-looking blue and white dresses such as this were popular for boating and seaside wear. It is decorated with lace, frills and pin-tucks, to give a soft and feminine appearance. The bodice is ruched and draped to createa low, puffed chest shape that was very fashionable in the 1900s, especially around 1905.
Crisp-looking blue and white dresses such as this were popular for boating and seaside wear. It is decorated with lace, frills and pin-tucks, to give a soft and feminine appearance. The bodice is ruched and draped to create a low, puffed chest shape that was very fashionable in the 1900s, especially around 1905.
The ensemble was worn by Viscountess Brackley, née Miss Violet Lambton, who became the Countess of Ellesmere (1880-1976). She married Viscount Ellesmere in the autumn of 1905 in St Margaret's Church, Westminster, London. This society wedding was recorded in The Queen, The Lady's Newspaper on 4 November 1905: 'the bride travelled in a blue cloth costume trimmed with Irish lace and braid and a hat to match'. This report was accompanied by a sketch showing the wedding-gown, travelling costume and bridesmaids' dresses.
Cravats and foulards were popular at the time on blouses as well as dresses. They were inspired by earlier masculine styles in neckwear. In August 1912 The Queen magazine described 'the prettiest style of Robespierre collar, finishing with a Latin Quartier cravat of blue and white birds-eye spot silk'.
Around 1910, leading fashion houses such as Worth created evening dresses with a straight silhouette. Their impact depended on the juxtaposition of colours and a variety of luxurious and richly decorated fabrics. On this garment, vivid velvet pile is set against light-reflecting beadwork, and the triple-tiered matt net overskirt covers the sheen of the trained satin skirt. The pillar-like look exemplified by this dress replaced the exaggerated curves of the early 1900s. It also shows how designers broke the strong vertical emphasis by creating overskirts with horizontal lines. The bodice, however, is still boned (nine bones).
It shows a man in evening dress, with tails and a top hat. It is a simple and effective image of a tall and elegant man smoking. The only splash of colour is his yellow glove. Despite the simplicity of the image, it communicates glamour.
This fashion study shows two models at a garden table, sporting wide brimmed summer hats over fashionable bobbed hair. Their dresses featured dropped waists and a straight silhouette, typical of the decade, when busts were flattened and curves disguised.
Evening dressCallot SoeursAbout 1922ParisPrinted silk voile, embroidered with sequins and beads, and trimmed with laceMuseum no. T.74-1974Given by Lady Victoria Wemyss
Superb materials and top-quality workmanship combine to create this stunning evening dress. Light-reflecting beads and sequins had long been popular decoration for evening fabrics, but in the 1920s the fashion reached its peak. The embroidery follows the lines of the printed floral design to enhance the pattern and catch the light. This dress was designed by the fashion house Callot Soeurs. Four sisters, Marie, Marthe, Regina and Joséphine, had opened a lace shop in 1888. The eldest, Marie (Madame Gerber), developed the couture side of the business at 9 avenue Matignon, Paris, where it continued until the mid 1930s. The sisters worked with exquisite and unusual materials, including Chinese silks and rubberised gabardine. Callot Soeurs was also known for its use of lace and decorated sheer fabrics.
This below-the-knee day dress made of printed silk chiffon is slightly gathered at a normal waistline on an elastic band. The skirt has a minutely pleated yoke that runs across the hips. There are two sets of fine pleats on the front of the skirt, which flares out slightly towards the knees. The printed pattern of waved bands of massed flower-heads is carefully disposed in all pieces of the dress. On the bodice, sleeves and skirt yoke the bands run diagonally, while on the skirt's bias-cut gores they run horizontally. The minute pin-tucks on the bodice, sleeves and skirt are hand sewn. This design is typical of the years following 1929, when flowing summer dresses in gossamer fabrics with floral prints were popular. Such delicate silks are extremely difficult to handle and sew, demanding a great deal of skill and patience.
This sleeveless dress has a low square neckline, which was popular in the the mid 1920s. Its straight bodice is embroidered with a design that reveals the influence of Egyptian patterns. Jean Patou (1880-1936) was born in Normandy, France, the son of a tanner. His uncle owned a fur business, which Patou joined. In 1914 he opened a small dressmaking business, Maison Parry, in Paris and sold his entire opening collection to an American buyer. His career was interrupted by the First World War of 1914-1918, but in 1919 he reopened his salon, this time under his own name. His collections continued to be a great success. Along with 'Coco' Chanel he was considered a leading exponent of the androgynous 'garçon' look, creating smart, tubular, well-tailored clothes. Throughout the 1920s he also consistently championed the shorter length of skirt that did much to stimulate the demand for stockings. His long-waisted evening dresses with their emphasis on luxurious design and rich decoration were worn by famous actresses, such as Louise Brooks, Constance Bennett and Mary Pickford. Patou died in 1936, and his brother-in-law, Raymond Barbàs, took over the business. In 1963 the artistic direction of the company was taken over by Michael Goma.
Throughout the 1920s Jeanne Lanvin (1867-1946) excelled in the creation of ultra-feminine dresses with fitted bodices and long, full skirts, known as robes de style, of which this evening dress is an example. The black fine silk taffeta dress with boat neckline, and small, capped half-sleeves fastens with poppers down the left side. A pair of immense fern-like fronds are machine-embroidered in furry cream chenille on the skirt, and the cream colour is echoed in floating bands caught in silk georgette bows at the right sleeve and left waist.
The drop-waist androgyny of the previous decade gave way to a slinky femininity in the 1930s. Parisian couturiers introduced the bias-cut into their designs, which caused the fabric to skim over the body's curves. Long, simple and clinging evening gowns, made of satin were popular. Often the dresses had low scooping backs. During the day, wool suits with shoulder pads, and fluted knee-length skirts were worn. Fox fur stoles and collars were popular, as were small hats embellished with decorative feather or floral details, worn at an angle. Hair was set short and close to the head, often with gentle 'finger waves' at the hairline. Sports and beach-wear influenced fashionable dress, and the sun-tan was coveted for the first time.
This 1936 evening dress is by Elsa Schiaparelli, who was known for her shock tactics and love of surrealism. Here, Schiaparelli has taken the intimate padding over the breasts which would normally be concealed, and used it to decorate the outside of a severe brown crepe dress. Crepe was very fashionable for both day and evening dresses during this decade.
We usually associate Chanel's name with her practical classic suits, which first appeared in about 1917. She also created extravagant evening wear such as this sequinned dress and cape. The combination of glistening black sequins and scarlet satin panels is very dramatic. The rows of overlapping 'fish-scale' sequins emphasise the supple, falling lines of the outfit. The short, semi-circular cape has a scarlet satin lining.
Evening dressGabrielle 'Coco' Chanel (1883-1971)About 1932ParisMachine and hand sewn blue tulle and sequinsMuseum no. T.339-1960Given by Loelia, Duchess of Westminster
During the first half of the 1930s, evening dresses were designed to wrap women in luxurious, body-hugging sheaths, replacing the short, flat square gowns of the 1920s. Evening gowns were mostly sleeveless, often displaying a bare back or a low neckline and inevitably touching the floor. White or pastel colours, fashionable in the 1920s and early 1930s, soon gave way to stronger, more acidic colours.
Couturier clothing like this was custom-made for each individual client, and was out of most women's reach. However, couture influenced the silhouette and style of more affordable fashions, and dressmakers everywhere followed its lead. The prevalent 1930s style was the bias cut. Bias cutting (where fabric is cut diagonally to the grain of the fabric), created garments that skimmed over the body's curves. The 1930s silhouette is therefore slinky and close-fitting and the line was simple and uncluttered, with few trimmings or accessories. Simple dresses were teamed with short capes, boleros or jacket, and sequins were a favourite way of adding glamour to an outfit.
This straight-cut jacket is similar to the one worn by the Duchess of Windsor (Mrs Wallis Simpson) in her engagement photographs taken by Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980). She wore it over a long white crêpe dress with a sequin sash matching the jacket (American Vogue magazine, 1 June 1937, pages 52-57, British Vogue, 9 June 1937, pages 54-56). Beaton's photographs of Mrs Simpson in her Mainbocher ensemble were particularly successful. Its stark, simple lines suited her elegant, uncluttered style. 2ff7e9595c
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