We’ve been hitting Edwardian style pretty heavy lately and we’re not stopping…today’s feature is another circa 1906-1907 walking suit design from AH Metzner of New York:
Walking Suit, c. 1906-1907; Antiquedress.com website
This walking suit consists of a skirt and coat constructed of a dark green wool trimmed with geometrical green-blue tape and soutache patterns on both the coat and skirt. Also, the coat is trimmed with a dark bottle-green silk velvet on the neck, front shoulders and cuffs. Also of note is the inset faux vest that’s reminiscent of an 18th Century waistcoat. Below is a close-up view of the coat back with its design:
And now for some close-ups of the coat front:
And here’s some more detail of the underlying faux vest:
The above pictures are illustrate the detailed geometrical trim patterns which utilize a number of materials and techniques to include soutache work, embroidery, and various passementerie. Here’s a close-up of the cuff detail with the bottle green silk velvet and embroidered insets:
And here’s the skirt and waist:
The waist is constructed from a green silk satin with a v-neck with a embroidered lace inset. The waist sleeves are composed of horizontal layers of the fashion fabric ending with cuffs trimmed with white lace and embroidered passementerie. The above picture also gives a good view of the skirt and its decorative trim. One can also see a dark silk sash at the waist that finishes the look.
The above side profile pictures illustrate the layered horizontal sleeve patterns.
And here’s some detail of the waist cuff:
OK, we’ve thrown a barrage of pictures at you so let’s try to make some sense of it…first, this is an amazing suit ensemble that leaves no stone unturned when it comes to decorative effects and this extends to the waist and skirt, exclusive of the coat. It’s clear that this outfit was meant to be worn either with or without the coat and as such, it’s perfect for a variety of social occasions, both indoor and outdoor. In terms of silhouette, this was meant for wear with the S-bend corset and and the style is characteristic of walking suits of the first decade of the 20th Century.