There are some issues that no restoration can cure. Today, this lady gets photographed for the last time, the silk satin of the skirt is shattering and I want to preserve as much of the embroidery and beadwork as possible.
Adam’s Atelier
And Something New From Maison Pingat…
We don’t normally associate Emile Pingat with more casual designs such as tea gowns and morning dresses but that’s not always the case. Recently, we came across this interesting 1890s era example that was on an auction website: 🙂
Pingat, Tea Gown, c. 1890s; Whitaker Auctions
This dress is constructed from cream-colored wool trimmed with ivory lace at the sleeve cuffs and neck. The dress is also trimmed in a floral pattern constructed from soutache cord appliques mounted on linen running along the hem, neck, and dress front.
This dress has a silhouette that approximates the quintessential 1890s x-silhouette yet the lines are more loose and free-flowing, aided by the princess line style. This dress reads “tea gown” although it would also work for a house or morning dress; in any event, this was probably a bit too casual for going outside of the house and was intended for wear at home. As we’ve commented on other tea gowns, Pingat has taken what was meant to be a simple style and upgraded into more of a couture gown. Here’s some close-up views:
This close-up view from the rear shows the princess line seamwork although there are waist lines on the side pieces- whether these are simply stitch lines or actual seams is hard to determine from the picture but either way, the dress reads princess line. The sleeves are elbow length and have moderate poufs on the sleeve caps- based on the sleeve caps, we’d be willing to estimate that this was garment was made something in the 1893-1894 time frame but this is just an estimate on our part.1Unfortunately, like most auction website listings, the dating is very vague and in this case, it just stated that it was “1890s” which is not very helpful.
The above lace collar extends up the neck and is topped off by a row of tiny silk flowers. Also, the pictures above and below show excellent close-up views of the applique decorative design and in many respects it’s reminiscent of trapunto.
The dress was front opening and concealed by this elaborately worked placket consisting of raised appliques worked in a floral pattern designed to mimic a vine with flowers. It’s a very cleaver design solution and keeps the rest of the dress lines clean, unfettered by the need for an opening.
And here we seen Pingat’s label stamped into the petersham, something that was very common for couture houses to do. The petersham was intended as a way to control the dress and keep it firmly attached at the waist. With this tea gown, we see a design is simple and elegant, embodying the oft-quoted idea of “less is more;” it’s definitely that. With dress’s simple, clean lines acting as a canvas for the restrained decorative scheme, and it all harmonizes together nicely.
And For Some Gustave Beer…
Gustave Beer was a successful Parisian couturier who operated during the later 19th and early 20th Centuries. Although not a lot is known about him, it is known that he was born in Germany sometime in 1855 and was residing in Paris by 1876. Originally established in the artificial flower business, he branched out into clothing, first establishing a lingerie shop in in 1886 and later expanding into a complete couture establishment by 1893. Although Beer himself died sometime between 1910 to 1915, Maison Beer continued in operation until 1930 when it merged with Maison Drecoll.1The only book-length study of Gustave Beer is in French by Mathilde Héliot, La maison de couture Beer, 2 tomes, thèse en Sorbonne, 2016. Beer was noted for a middle-of-the road style with an emphasis on “classical elegance” that attracted a conservative clientele. Below are a few examples of Beer’s designs, starting with this circa 1898 ballgown:
Gustave Beer, Ball Gown, c. 1898; Whittaker Auctions
Side Profile
The staging of this dress is not at its best but one can see the classic late 1890s silhouette, especially with the skirt and train. Construction is an ivory-colored silk satin with minimal chiffon trim around the neck and shoulders. The entire dress is decorated with crystals and metallic spangles arranged in a floral motif pattern which is shown to its best advantage on the skirt and bodice. It could be said that the bodice and skirt are just a canvas for the floral design-work. Below are some detail pictures of the design:
Close-uo of bodice.
Close-up of hem.
Close-up of decorative motif.
Label
Next, we have a circa 1905 evening dress:
Gustave Beer, Evening Dress, 1905; The Frick, Pittsburgh (1985.523)
This garment reads as the evening version of a lingerie dress and is constructed from ivory-colored silk chiffon with an ivory-colored silk satin underlayer and is decorated with a gold metallic floral motif both on the bodice and the skirt. The bodice is styled so it resembles the waist/jacket combination that was popular at this time and emphasizes the silhouette created by the S-bend corset. The metallic trim pattern on the skirt is artfully arranged so as to mimic vines climbing up a tree. The front of skirt opens up to reveal a chiffon underskirt, framed by the metallic decorative motif running up the edges of the open overskirt. This dress is definitely in keeping with Beer’s emphasis on classical elegance and it’s too bad that there are no close-up pictures of the metallic decorative design.
To carry the lingerie dress style further, we conclude with this afternoon dress:
Gustave Beer, Afternoon Dress, c. 1900; Drexel University Historic Costume Collection
This dress is constructed black lace and chiffon over a green-colored silk velvet underlayer and represents a highly refined take on the lingerie dress idea. What’s interesting here is that the lace panels are not only arranged in circular rows, but the middle ones criss-cross as they move about the dress. On the bodice, we also see the lace panels shaped so that they form a large eye. The arrangement of the lace panels definitely sets this dress apart from many of its peers. We hope you’ve enjoyed this little excursion through the dress designs of Maison Beer and we hope to be able to have more to show in the future.
Some More 1890s Style…
Saturated colors and jewel tones have always been a favorite with us but they’re something that we have to use somewhat judiciously here in Southern California. Here’s an interesting circa 1894-1895 day dress that definitely embodies the idea of saturated jewel tones, enhanced by the use of silk velvet:
Visiting Dress, c. 1894-1895; August Auctions
The bodice is designed to mimic an open jacket with an inset waist, a style that was very popular during the 1890s and would be carried forward into the early 1900s.
With it’s narrow waist, multi-gored skirt, and gigot sleeves, this has the silhouette characteristic of mid-1890s dress styles. The lines are clean and there’s a minimum of trim except for ivory-colored lace on the bodice front and sleeve cuffs. What is striking about this design is that it combines jewel tone wine/burgundy-colored velvet sleeves and bodice front with a lighter jewel tone wine-colored silk taffeta (at least that’s what it looks like from the picture). Further enhancing the bodice is the use of tapered velvet stripes on the bodice back. The overall effect is rich but not overwhelming. Here’s some close-ups:
Details of the rear upper bodice. Note the use of guipure lace trim.
Upper bodice front trimmed in guipure lace and net.
Here’s an excellent close-up of the silk velvet juxtaposed to the silk taffeta. Overall, this is an interesting dress in that it nicely combines a number of style elements that neatly define mid-1890s style in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Something New…
Renaissance Revival style of bodice in our collection, circa 1880, with a hand smocked center front inset, silk covered tasseled wrist lacing cords and a surprise scarlet lining for the rear tails with heavy lead weights. She’s a beauty, should we lift a pattern? 🙂
Interior view- the seam finishing is a fascinating study in itself.
