Cape

Pingat-1880s Style

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Today we take a look at one of Pingat’s earlier works, in this case an evening cloak/coat from the later part of the 1880s (circa 1885-1889). Compared to previous examples we’ve posted from the 1890s, this cloak takes a completely different silhouette characteristic of late 1880s style. Here are a few views:

Pingat, Evening Cloak, c. 1885-1889; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.484)

This cloak is constructed from an floral-patterned ivory silk jacquard combined with a peach velvet with dark peach/gold appliques that creates a two-tone effect. In terms of silhouette, this cloak is somewhat of a hybrid in that it combines the upper body and sleeve styles characteristic of mantles with a long coat style on the bottom. The cloak shape closely follows the classic late 1880s dress style, allowing ample room for the bustled train.

One can get a fairly good view of the peach-colored fashion fabric that’s on the front , back, and lower sleeves. It appears to be a close-napped velvet but of course, this is speculation given the lack of any specific details on the museum website or a close physical examination. 😉

Three-Quarter Back View

Close-up of back detail.

From this close-up of the back, one can get a good look at the contrasting silk brocade floral fabric versus the deeper peach velvet fabric and it’s applique decorative design. Cloaks and mantles provided a large canvas for the designer to utilize all manner of decorative effects and Pingat was definitely one to use this to maximum extent; this particular example not only sees a combination of different design styles but does so in a harmonious way. Victorian Era outerwear has always been a source of fascination for us in that it combines the practical and utilitarian with the artistic and while each designer had their own take on this, Pingat’s was especially unique. We’ll be hunting for more interesting examples to post here so stay tuned. 🙂


And For A Little Pingat…

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This is probably one of the most extraordinary things that’s occurred since we started this blog back in 2013 and it’s all because of a post we did on Emile Pingat, a Parisian couturier who operated at about the same time as Charles Worth.

We have been blessed by an early portrait of Emile Pingat that was kindly sent to us by one of our readers, M. Jacques Noel, who is a descendant of M. Pingat. M. Noel gave us permission to post the picture here and we are very grateful, anything pertaining to one of the foremost couturiers during the late 19th Century.

Emile Pingat

An early portrait of Emile Pingat; Courtesy of Jacques Noel, jacnoel21@gmail.com

Pingat was famous for the sheer luxury of his designs, utilizing the best fabrics to create styles that, in our opinion, surpass those of Worth. Although we have discussed M. Pingat in prior posts, here’s just a sample of his work:

From day dresses…

Pingat1 1885

Reception Dress, Emile Pingat, c. 1885; Shelburne Museum (2010-75)

Pingat1 1885

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

To outerwear…

Pingat 1

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

Pingat Opera Cape1

Opera Cape, Emile Pingat, c. 1882; Metropolitan Museum of Art (C.I.60.42.13)

To something more formal…

Pingat7

Pingat4

The above is just a small sampling of Pingat’s work and we salute him.  🙂


Today’s Fashion Feature

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Today we travel back to 1896 for today’s fashion, a combination of cape and evening gown or reception dress.

Here’s a rough translation of the illustration’s description:

Silk brocade skirt with large knots; bodice neckline covered with silk muslin embroidered with pearls and sown with precious stones.

The first thing that catches the eye is the dress, and more specifically, the belt with its ornate front piece. The centerpiece of this dress is clearly the Swiss Waist or corselet belt1The terms “Swiss Waist,” Swiss Belt,” and “Corselet” were often used interchangeably. and essentially was a fitted belt/sash. The dress is constructed from a yellow silk brocade with a floral pattern with large repeats. The illustration only hints at the design and it’s unknown if there was a fabric with this specific pattern. The bodice neckline is covered in an embroidered silk muslin with jewels and pearls. Depending on the number and quality of the jewels and pearls, this part of the dress could cost substantially more than the rest of the dress. 🙂 Here’s are some examples of how elaborate the Swiss Waist or corselet style could get:

John Singer Sargent, Mrs. Wilton Phipps, 1884; Private Collection

Swiss Belt; from The Cutters’ Practical Guide to the Cutting of Ladies’ Garments by WDF Vincent.

And for an extant dress:

Day Dress, 1896-1899; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.833a, b)

And some closer views of the corselet:

59.40.3a-b_detail 0002

In terms of silhouette, this appears to be either a ball or evening gown, or possibly a reception dress, characteristic of the mid 1890s and the cape would make the perfect garment for wear over gigot sleeves. Unfortunately, there’s no commentary on the cape itself but it’s probable that it was constructed from a lavender/light purple silk velvet decorated in what appears to be some sort of floral trim. Color-wise the combination of yellow and lavender/purple are complementary and make for an aesthetically pleasing combination that fits in for almost any social occasion.

1896 Cape Style…

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Today’s look at 1890s fashion is this amazing cape that was featured in an 1896 issue of the French fashion publication Le Mode Pratique:

Here’s a somewhat loose translation of the description:

Visiting collar for young woman or middle-aged lady in velvet adorned with pearl heavy lace embroidery <guipure>1Guipure was a heavy lace consisting of embroidered motifs joined together by large connecting stitches.. Rain of pearls at the bottom of the sides front stole; satin ribbon bows, overhanging feathers at the neckline.

The above cape is a fascinating combination of the practical and the decorative. The front is essentially an elaborate tabard trimmed in lace. At the bottom, the lace has pearls worked into it (as best as we can make out from the description) and reads pure luxury. The side pieces forming the actual cape are a bit more practical, relatively speaking, with more subdued trim. The overall fabric is a green silk velvet with decorative silk satin ribbons. This is an interesting example of just how elaborate 1890s capes could be. We would have loved to have seen this in person. 🙂