It’s hard to believe that we’re moving towards the Fall, especially here in the American Southwest but it’s true and one can see it in the shifting of the sun. Although colors were not formally assigned to a season as it common today in the fashion world (this was before Pantone, after all 😉), darker colors did tend to be associated with the colder months of the year. Below is one interesting dress that uses plum as its base color and to us, it’s the quintessential Fall dress (although we wouldn’t say no to wearing it other times of the year). 😎
Plum has always been one of our favorite colors and especially in the Fall. Recently, we came across this wonderful circa 1883-1889 day dress in the collection of the Goldstein Museum of Design:
Day Dress, c. 1883 – 1889; Goldstein Museum of Design (1963.007.002a-b)
Three-quarter frontal view.
Rear View
Three-quarter rear view.
Style-wise, this is a classic 1880s day dress with three-quarter sleeves and distinct over/underskirts. There doesn’t appear to be much of a bustle effect (but this is probably due to the museum’s staging). What’s striking about this dress is its use of a solid dark plum color underskirt combined with a silk brocade overskirt and bodice. Also, the trim on the bodice is fairly minimal while we see extensive ruching and layers of pleating for the underskirt. Here’s a close-up of the silk brocade fashion fabric on the bodice back; the pattern is suggestive of chinoiserie:
Close-up of bodice back.
And here’s part of the underskirt with its extensive ruching:
Close-up of overskirt.
Here’s a close-up of the bodice front which utilizes a jacketed/under-vest effect with facing lapels. It’s interesting but attempt but it strikes us as a bit disorganized- it’s attempting to meld typical design elements of the period but in a clumsy manner. Also, the fringe appears to be an afterthought and does little to add to the overall design effect. C’est la vie….
Close-up of front bodice.
On the other hand, the middle back is neatly done and the train appears tidy in comparison with the bodice front:
Close-up of rear.
Plum and its shades and tints have always been favorites with us and are always a source of inspiration for many of our designs. When combined with utilizing fabrics with varying degrees of luster, patterns, and textures, the results are phenomenal and offer a high degree of individuality. Let it inspire you as it’s inspired us. 😎
