Victorian (to 1901)

Photoshop? Yeah, They Had It…Sort Of…

/ Adam Lid / Leave a comment

Manipulating photos to create a more favorable image has been around as long as photography itself. Commonly referred to today as “Photoshopping,” images were manipulated so as to modify the human figure to more closely resemble the “ideal” body type of the era. In the case of 19th Century images, there was a heavy emphasis on a narrow waist and especially during the 1890s. Below is one interesting example of “photoshopping” with this interesting portrait of the Archduchess Maria Christina Henriette Desideria Felicitas Raineria of Austria who became Queen of Spain in 1879.1We were unable to find a specific date when this picture was taken but supposedly it was around 1891, which seems consistent with the style.

Fairly standard as far as portraits of the period go but take a closer look above the hips…

One can just barely make out where the sides were airbrushed in so as to accentuate the waist. The outlines of the original shape can still be seen but with the editing, the already wasp-waist is further accentuated. We’ve come across quite a few examples looking at period pictures and it just goes to show that when it comes to fashion, nothing is really new. 🙂

And For Some More Mauve…

/ Karin McKechnie-Lid / Leave a comment

Pleating takes time, but it’s the understitching to the foundation skirt that takes even longer!  🙂

 

 


Mauve Monday…Why Not?

/ Karin McKechnie-Lid / Leave a comment

And because it’s Monday… 🙂

 


More On The Ensemble Dress

/ Adam Lid / Leave a comment

Here’s another ensemble dress from Maison Worth, also from circa 1893. Style-wise, it’s similar to the example that we presented in yesterday’s post but perhaps a little more restrained. Here are a few views:

Worth 1893 Day Reception Afternoon Dress

Worth, Ensemble Dress, c. 1893; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.620a–e)

To us, this bodice reads visiting/afternoon dress, more of a formal day-oriented garment. Below, the bodice reads more of a reception dress or possibly evening dress- although that’s probably stretching things a bit.

Worth 1893 Day Reception Afternoon Dress

The Alternate Bodice

Once again, we see a jacket style for the day bodice with a filler of tulle. The skirt and jacket bodice are a pea-green silk brocade with black lace trim and accents. The night bodice with its light cinnamon colored silk velvet provides a pleasant contrast to the pea green. Compared to yesterday’s example, this dress is a bit more restrained but it’s still a nice design. The silk brocade fabric is interesting and we only wish that there were some close-up pictures of the fabric detail. It’s evident that both the dress and the one in yesterday’s post used identical or fairly similar pattern pieces. Finally, here’s an interesting part of the ensemble- matching shoes:

Worth 1893 Shoes

Matching shoes to outfit.

Stay tuned for more posts on this subject. 🙂

 

The Ensemble Dress

/ Adam Lid / 3 Comments

Ensemble Evening Reception Dress Worth 1893

One interesting aspect of Charles Worth’s designs was what was called the “Ensemble Dress.” This was a dress that had two bodices, typically one for day wear and one for evening wear so one could have a nice semi-formal dress for calling on friends, going into town, or attending some sort of day function. At the same time, with a change in bodices, one would have also be properly dressed for an evening function. Below is just one circa 1893 example from Worth:

Ensemble Evening Reception Dress Worth 1893

Worth, Evening Ensemble Dress, c. 1893; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.622a–c)

First, we have a day bodice that’s designed like a jacket; no doubt some wort of a waist was worn underneath even though it would have been covered by the lace strips running down the front. And then we have a night bodice that’s perhaps a little more formal:

Ensemble Evening Reception Dress Worth 1893

The Alternate Bodice

And here’s a rear view of the dress with the day bodice:

Ensemble Evening Reception Dress Worth 1893

Rear View

In terms of silhouette, this is characteristic for the early 1890s with it’s fairly restrained train arrangement- most likely a small bustle pad was worn but not much else. The fact there’s small train points to it being more of a formal dress (with day and night configurations). The fabric is a silver colored silk satin with a gold leaf pattern decoration woven in broken texture that services to provide a contrast both in texture and color. The red silk velvet lapels and sleeve trim on the day bodice and the red bodice front on the night bodice. The effect is exquisite with either bodice. Below is a close-up of the fabric.

Ensemble Evening Reception Dress Worth 1893

Detail of fabric- too bad it’s not in color.

In 1890s fashion, the skirt and bodice have a minimum of trim and Worth lets the contrasting fabrics, both in color and in texture, speak for themselves. Just one of many exquisite examples from Maison Worth.