Fashion Plates…

August 1, 2015June 30, 2020 / Adam Lid / Leave a comment

Fashion plates are often criticized as fashion history documentation because their representations of period fashions that bear no relation to what those particular period fashions ACTUALLY looked like. At best, they’re fantastical distortions of reality, representing an ideal that could never be attained (of course, the same argument can be made about today’s fashions as depicted in the fashion press).

However, nothing could be further from the truth. The reality was that fashion plates, both colored and black and white, played a practical role in the transmission of fashion information during the 19th and early 20th Centuries; fashion photography would not come into its own until the 1910s. While the study of fashion plates as an art form in itself has become popular today, this was not what they were intended to be. Rather, it was a blueprint for individuals to be able to replicate a given design.

However, at the same time, fashion plates did present ideal views of their subject garments with their unnatural poses and the models were perfect physical representations. But never the less, fashion plates were first and foremost meant to be a practical means of transmitting fashion information. Ultimately, the fashion plate was a practical tool and used as such.

More specifically, the fashion plate was deliberately constructed to impart information to the viewer and specifically to enable the viewer to be able to make a garment based on the plate- in short, “how to do it” blueprints and as such they were often used as supplements to accompanying sewing patterns and were typically printed in magazines. Magazines such as The Delineator, Godey’s Lady’s Book, Harper’s Bazar, and Peterson’s Magazine were only a few of the many magazines that were available to the home sewer and professional dressmaker.

Fashion Plate from Peterson’s Magazine, June 1872.

Above is a fairly typical fashion plate- it looks like a simple illustration of a group of dresses. Well, yes and no- the poses are somewhat stilted with the emphasis on showing as much of the dress as possible. Notice how the decorative treatments are given the best angle possible and especially on the train. This was deliberately done in order for the viewer to see the entire design in order to replicate it.

But it was not only fashion plates. Patterns and more detailed information were also supplied:

Evening Polonaise Pattern from Peterson’s Magazine, May 1872.

Fashion plates simply illustrated what was possible and were meant as a source of inspiration, not necessary something to be followed line-for-line. But more importantly, fashion plates showed the progression of styles through the late 19th Century and just by glancing at them, one can readily see differences and especially in the silhouette as it evolved from the 1870s through the 1890s. Here are some some examples from the 1870s and 1880s:

Godey’s Lady’s Book, November 1872

The Englishwomen’s Domestic Magazine, June 1876

The Englishwomen’s Domestic Magazine, July 1877

La Mode Illustree, 1878

Fashion Plate, 1881 from the Revue de La Mode.

Revue de La Mode, 1881.

Revue de La Mode, 1885

C. 1886

Peterson’s Magazine, April 1889

As we move into the 1890s, still more shifts in the what was considered to be the ideal silhouette can be seen:

Journal Des Demoiselles, January 1892

Journal Des Demoiselles, August 1893

Journal Des Demoiselles, August 1894

The Delineator, December 1898

The Delineator, December 1898

What is interesting about this progression of plates is that by the 1890s, it’s all about the front of the dress. While there are frontal views in earlier plates and rear views in later plates, it is still obvious that the emphasis had shifted which is consistent with the movement away from the bustle. The 1880s provide some interesting ground in that the views seem to almost split 50-50, at least based on a very unscientific examination of fashion plates from various sources, both online and in books.

The above is only a small sample of the fashion illustration that was characteristic of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries but it does show that even then, the dissemination of fashion information was being done on a large-scale industrial basis, pushed along by technical advances in the printing trades. Moreover, with the rise of mass-circulation fashion magazines such as Godey’s, Petersons, and Harper’s Bazar, fashion’s reach extended to almost the entire world and most notably in America. The “pretty” and “fantastical” fashion plate served a very specific and practical role that today is easily overlooked. In the end, fashion plates were an art form in terms of their ability to impart information rather than existing as representations of fashion.

Emile Pingat, Part 2

July 28, 2015August 1, 2016 / Adam Lid / Leave a comment

Today we continue our examination of the work of Emile Pingat with a few more examples of his designs:

Emile Pingat, Dinner Dress, c. 1883 – 1885; Smith College Historic Clothing Collection (1989.1.3ab)

The above dinner dress is definitely out of the mid-1880s and here one can see that the bodice has retreated above the hips. However, there is not much of a train and the bustle is relative restrained. The blue silk fabrics are rich and deep-hued while at the same time, the white accents along the base of the bodice, rear tails, and skirt hem provide a stark contrast that serves to lighten the dress’ appearance.

Pingat, Promenade Dress, 1888; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.7758a, b)

Left Side Profile- Unfortunately, the photography does not do justice to the dress.

The above promenade dress is striking in that Pingat drew inspiration from the late 17th and early 18th Centuries by creating the bodice as a Justaucorps, with a faux waistcoat set underneath (at least it appears to be a faux waistcoat from the photos). For comparison, below is an example of a Justaucorps worn by Peter the Great, circa 1727 – 1730: 1727-1730 French Coat and waistcoat worn by Tsar Peter II at the Moscow Kremlin Museums -

Finally, we come to what must be thepièce de résistance or close to it:

Pingat, Evening Jacket, 1893; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.139)

Rear View

The details of this jacket are almost unsurpassed and combine embroidery and feathers to create its effect. Below are some pictures of the jacket being worn with a dress:

In examining the above coat, one can see elements of the 18th Century waistcoat style mixed in with elements found in a 16th Century Schaube coat.

The examples shown above and in the previous post reveal the range of Pingat and clearly demonstrate that his designs were easily the equal to Worth’s. In some regards, it could be argued that Pingat’s were superior in that Pingat was far more disciplined in that every element, whether fabric, trim, or color, were used to created an integrated whole. All the elements of Pingat’s designs had a specific purpose rather than simply being added on willy-nilly. Pingat’s legacy has been greatly underappreciated but I hope that this situation will be reversed in the near future.

And For Some More Japonisme…

July 28, 2015May 21, 2020 / Adam Lid / 2 Comments

In a previous post, we discussed the rise of Japonisme in the West during the late 19th Century and especially in France and Great Britain. The opening of Japan to the West excited people’s curiosity and this was especially true of artists such as Monet, Tissot, and Whistler. Japonisme’s influence was also reflected in theater; Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (1904) and Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado (1885) are probably the most well-known of this genre.

One of the most basic cultural imports was the kimono and it was readily adapted for use, at least in a theatrical or “dress up” context:

Viennese actress, c. 1907.

It’s not clear just what exactly the context of the above picture is but it appears that it was some sort of amateur theatrical production. Japanese themes were also a “go-to” for ideas for wear at fancy dress balls:

“Springtime in Japan” from What to Wear to Fancy Dress Balls by Ardern Holt, 1896.

Naturally Japonisme found its way into fashion and as mentioned on my prior post, it was reflected in use of traditional Japanese fabrics and especially kimono fabric. Below is on example from 1896 that reflects Jean-Philippe Worth’s interpretation of Japanese style elements:

Afternoon Dress, Worth, 1896; Museum of the City of New York (49.125.1A-B)

Rear View

This dress was worn by Mrs. Henry A. Tailer, at the marriage of her daughter, January 16, 1896. The skirt and bodice are made from a lavender silk brocade with a decorative pattern depicting a stylized “kousa” or Japanese flowering dogwood. The bodice had the appearance of a jacket and it is boned and fitted with curved tails on the rear. A faux shirtwaist is built into the bodice, forming a vestee. The skirt is flat in front and flows to the rear with a minimal bustle that is reminiscent of the later 1880s style. The most striking feature is the blending of the design motif across the seams and this is especially evident on the rear of the bodice. The design is also enhanced by the curves of the skirt and it displays the design to its fullest.

Close-Up of the back of the bodice and skirt.

Side Profile

Close-Up of the decorative design and the seaming on the back of the bodice.

Worth commissioned his silk fabrics from various silk weavers located in Lyon and the above silk is no exception. The decorative motif of the above silk fabric depicts a stylized “kousa” or Japanese flowering dogwood which is distinguished by its petal-like pointed bracts, and bamboo canes.

However, as we move into the 20th Century, designers were not content to simply incorporate Japanese style elements into Western designs but rather, they adapted Japanese clothing designs themselves, mainly with the kimono. Below is one example of this from Callot Soers:

Evening Dress, Callot Soeurs, 1908; Kyoto Costume Institute

The above evening dress from Callot Soeurs has been adapted from a basic kimono style and it incorporates both Japanese and Chinese decorative elements (Chinoiserie was also big at this time).

Bellow is another example, this time from Paul Poiret, 1913:

Poiret, Evening Dress, 1913; Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (P81.8.1)

Detail of beading.

The above evening dress incorporates both Japanese and Middle Eastern style elements in that it starts with his signature lampshade tunic with a kimono-like top combined with harem pants. This outfit has been called the “Sorbet Gown” on account of its lampshade tunic decorated with pearl embroidery in sherbet colors of pistachio, pink, and mauve.

The kimono style was especially reflected with evening coats or mantles. Here is one that was made by Worth in 1909:

Evening Mantle, Jean-Philippe Worth, 1909; Victoria and Albert Museum (T.207-1970)

Rear View

Rear Close-Up

Front Close-Up

This evening mantle is made of purple silk and is embroidered with flowers in shades of pink, blue, white and green. It has a dark blue velvet band on the front and at both wrists. The mantle is gathered at the front and at the back where a flower made of purple silk is applied.

By the end of the Teens, we can see Japonisme, along with other Oriental style elements such as Chinoiserie becoming taken up and became more completely integrated into Western fashion as a whole, a process that perhaps took some 50 or 60 years to achieve. In looking at the broad scope of fashion history, cross-cultural influences in fashion are an age-old concept. However, where it might have taken decades for a style to become integrated with the host culture’s fashions, the process was happening at an increasingly faster rate.

Compared to previous centuries, the process of cultural fusion rapidly accelerated during the 20th Century to the point where change is measured in days and weeks rather than months and years as had been the case earlier. Japonisme provides an interesting case study of this process of cultural fusion between East and West and it is a process that has yet to completely play out.

Emile Pingat, Part 1

July 27, 2015August 1, 2016 / Adam Lid / 5 Comments

In this post we will take a look at Emile Pingat, a designer who was well known in the mid to late Nineteenth Centuries but who is relatively unknown today. Active at the same as the Charles Frederick Worth, Emile Pingat (1820 – 1901) was considered to be Worth’s equal in the Paris Fashion world. Unfortunately, not a lot is known about Pingat except that he was active between 1860 and 1896 and often referred to in the press along with Worth.

It is said that Pingat’s speciality was outwear such as coats and mantels but judging from his body of work that is still extant, it would appear that he was also equally as talented when it came to dresses and gowns and was Worth’s equal. Below are some examples starting with outerwear:

Emile Pingat, Cape, c. 1895; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.485)

View of the cape flattened.

The Label

The above cape utilizes black beadwork embroidery mounted on a series of alternating flat and pleated wool panels. The cape is immaculately tailored and the peach color harmonizes with the black embroidery and trim.

Below is another example:

Emile Pingat, Mantle, c. 1885; Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) Museum; (2007.905.1)

Side View

Rear View

The above is a mantle from circa 1885. The front is shorter than the front in order to accommodate the bustle. Also, throughout the mantle, one can see highly complex patterns of beaded embroidery and trim. The fashion fabric itself is fairly restrained and from both of the above examples, the fabric is simply a background for the elaborate embroidery and beadwork.

Now we turn to some other types of garments:

Emile Pingat, Dinner Dress, 1878; Chicago History Museum (1976.270.1a-b)

Side Profile

Rear View

Sleeve Detail

Hem Detail.

The above dinner dress was purchased by Mrs. Augustus Newland Eddy (nee Abby Louise Spencer) when she was in Paris with her father in 1878. Mrs. Eddy married Augustus Newland Eddy in Chicago in 1872 and she later died on January 2, 1909 in Chicago. Below is a portrait of her wearing the dress which she referred to as her “party dress”:

Mrs. Augustus Newland Eddy with husband and child, c. 1878.

Mrs. Augustus Newland Eddy

To Be Continued…

And Now For Something Different…

July 25, 2015July 24, 2015 / Adam Lid / Leave a comment

One of the basic characteristics of fashion through the ages is that fashion elements or styles can and will cross cultural, social, and national boundaries. Fashion crossover varies by era with some styles having more of an impact than others and is largely dependent on the degree of cultural contact between the two groups in question.

For the 19th Century, there are the well-known examples of the introduction of the Paisley shawl, or more properly Kashmir shawl, and the trend of Japonisme.

Here’s a good example depicting the Paisley shawl; William Holman Hunt, “A Lady in an Interior,” c.1850 Maas Gallery, London

James McNeill Whistler, La Princesse du pays de la porcelaine

For the 19th Century, it would have seemed that cross-cultural fashion influences were a one-way street with the West incorporating style elements from other cultures. However, in reality this was not always the case. Viewing it the other way, other cultures often adopted Western dress in an effort to assimilate or otherwise accommodate themselves to the West’s influence, an influence achieved by a combination of imperial expansion and cultural penetration.

The question of cross-cultural fashion influences are closely linked to the West’s imperial expansion during the 19th Century, an expansion that too many dimensions ranging from outright military action to economic, social, and cultural conquest and this “conquest” often took indirect and subtle forms. For the United States, expansion meant conflict with the indigenous tribes of Native Americans in the West. By the late 19th Century, this conflict had largely resulted in most of the tribes being placed on reservations of varying size and location.

For the Shoshone of the Pacific Northwest, the situation was no different and by 1900, the various bands making up the Shoshone were living on a number of reservations scattered throughout California, Nevada, and Idaho. Below are two pictures that were taken of Chief Tindoor or Tendoy of the Lemhi Shoshone sometime in the 1890s by Benedicte Wrensted:

Native_Americans_from_Southeastern_Idaho,_-Lemhi._Chief._Tindoor-_-_NARA_-_519297.tif (1)

Toopompey “Black Hair” (aka John) Tendoy (1865 – 1929) and wife Nena Bear.

The above two pictures are interesting in that it’s the wife, Nena Bear, who is wearing a Western clothes. Judging from her outfit, this would appear to have been taken during the mid to late 1890s and at least sometime after 1895 (Benedicte Wrensted established her photo studio in 1895). Judging from her expression, it appears that she was having more fun with the photo session than her husband was. Also, these two pictures are in contrast to the usual sorts of period portraits of Native Americans where the subjects are stiff and formal (and understandably so).

Below is a more typical portrait:

Photographed about 1895-1896. Billy George (Boise Valley; b. 1854) and wife, Weetowsie (b. 1861), with their children, Willie (on lap; b. 1893 d. 1971) and Harold (right; b. 1891 d. 1969).

These pictures are very striking in that it demonstrates cultural cross-over in terms of fashion while at the same raising many questions in regard to the interaction of cultures. At the same time, they also represent an interesting variation on the conventions of photography of the time. In the end, all we can say is that we just liked the pictures. 🙂

Afterword:

While the 19th Century is a fascinating era for us in terms of fashion and design, we also want to note that its history has not been the most exemplary when it came to the West’s (Europe and the United States) interaction with the rest of the world. There are many elements that people today find repellant and they struggle with just how to deal with them. We believe that past history can not, nor should not, be suppressed by the imposition of our own values but rather we should acknowledge them in the hopes that we can improve the human condition for everyone.

Lily Absinthe

Gowns & Corsetry

Costume History

Fashion Plates…

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Emile Pingat, Part 2

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And For Some More Japonisme…

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Emile Pingat, Part 1

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And Now For Something Different…

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