Jacques Fath | c. 1957
Jacques Fath opened his Parisian couture house in 1937. He quickly became known both for his softly sculpted garments and a talent for self promotion. This dress is likely to have been designed by Fath’s wife and muse Geneviève, who upon Fath’s death in 1954, oversaw the house until it closed in 1957.
While the dress’s surface is a soft, delicate lace, in contrast the underpinnings are highly structured: its petticoat features a boned bodice and a crinoline skirt. The pale violet colour and two-tiered skirt suggest a romantic view of women’s fashion.
ornamentedbeing:
How about one sneak peek?
“Electric Light” Charles Fredrick Worth, 1883 The Museum of the City of New York
I wanted to share the background information from the website!
‘Fancy dress costume, “Electric Light”
Background
In addition to its elaborate non-theatrical designs, Maison Worth excelled in the production of opera and theater costumes, as well as fancy dress. New York’s late-19th century grand balls were ostentatious events, the most fantastic being the masquerade balls held by the city’s upwardly mobile nouveaux riches. The event hosted by William K. Vanderbilt, on March 26, 1883, marked the completion of his $3 million limestone chateau on Fifth Avenue and was a Gilded Age spectacle. It presented “The Wealth and the Grace of New York in Varied and Brilliant Array,” according to “The New York Herald.” Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt II dazzled onlookers in Worth’s masterpiece the “Electric Light.”’
Mourning Ensemble | c. 1870
Black mourning dress reached its peak during the reign of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) of the United Kingdom in the second half of the 19th century. Queen Victoria wore mourning from the death of her husband, Prince Albert (1819-1861), until her own death. With these standards in place, it was considered a social requisite to don black from anywhere between three months to two and a half years while grieving for a loved one or monarch. The stringent social custom existed for all classes and was available at all price points. Those who could not afford the change of dress often altered and dyed their regular garments black. The amount of black to be worn was dictated by several different phases of mourning; full mourning ensembles were solid black while half mourning allowed the wearer to add a small amount of white or purple. Mourning clothing tended to follow the fashionable silhouette of the period, much like this exquisitely finished full mourning dress. This dress shows typical high style 1870s touches such as asymmetry, the bustle back and decorative hem details. The refined details are worked in black crinkled crepe, a common textile used for mourning attire, which indicates that the owner may have had the garment produced for a special occasion.
oldrags:
Evening dress and matching stole, ca 1923
Bust is 102cm/40in, about a size 18 UK/14 US.
Click to go to the absentee bidding page. This Kerry Taylor auction will end October 16th at 10:30 AM GMT (5:30 AM EST). You will need to register to bid ahead of time.
theniftyfifties:
Photo by Karen Radkai for Harper’s Bazaar, 1952.
Lady Mary’s wedding ensemble did not disappoint.
I used to have themed posts (colors, eras, materials, etc.) I kind of liked that. What would you like to see?
http://defunctfashion.tumblr.com/ask
