Costume

Paul Poiret – Designs From The War Years

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Label Poiret

For Paul Poiret, the war years were a professional void. Recalled to military service in 1914, Poiret spend most of the war serving in a number of positions centered around the provision of uniforms. for the French Army. To read his autobiography, it’s evident that the war years were both financially and professionally unsatisfying. However, Poiret was able to keep his hand somewhat by creating designs that were to be licensed for production in the United States. Below is just one design that appeared in the March 1916 issue of The Women’s Home Companion:

Poiret Dress Design March 1916

And here’s some more details:

Suitable for sorts of afternoon and informal evening occasions, this costume designed by the couturier Paul Poiret can be made at home from a Woman’s Home Companion pattern. The price of the pattern is $1.50; its number 2990 and it is cut in 36, 38, and 40-inch bust measures. It may be ordered from the Pattern Department, Woman’s Home Companion, 381 Fourth Avenue, New York City.

The illustrator has done an excellent job of presenting this design in the most optimal manner, portraying a simple, one-piece unstructured garment with a relatively short skirt and pleated hem. With it’s simple lines reminiscent of his earlier Nouveau Directoire and Classical Greek inspired styles, this dress was a reflection of the the changes fashion was undergoing during the second decade of the 20th Century.

Poiret’s signature hobble skirt is gone, replaced by something far more free-flowing and practical. Spurred by the impacts of the war, fashion had evolved to more practical styles and it would seem that Poiret was adapting. Of course, this also could simply have been his effort to keep his name out in the market (and supplement his meager Army pay) by churning out quick and simple designs. It certainly poses some interesting questions in that it’s clear that Poiret was quite capable of designing practical garments in spire of his learning towards the more fantastical.

This is an area that bears further examination and hopefully we’ll be able to unearth further examples to post here.

Maison Rouff- September 1901

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Maison Rouff

When it comes to couture houses of the late 19th/early 20th Centuries, Maison Rouff was one of the more obscure and in many ways is an enigma. Today, except for the occasional reference (at least in English), Maison Rouff has pretty much been lost to history except for the fact that Jeanne Paquin got her start there before venturing out on her own in 1891. Complicating matters is that it’s often confused with the designer Maggy Rouff who was originally born Marguerite de Wagner in 1896 and ultimately bought Maison Rouff in 1929 and subsequently adopted the pseudonym of “Maggy Rouff.”

Maison Rouff Card 1910.

From what little information we do have, Maison Rouff was founded in 1884 by a one L. Rouff. Originally located in Vienna, the house at some point moved to Paris (Interestingly enough, Maison Rouff is noted as having participated in the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago). Unfortunately, it’s going to take some real digging into non-internet sources to find out the total story but in the meantime, below are a few images of some styles for Fall 1901 that were featured in the September 1901 issue of Les Modes:

First we start with a visiting dress:

Les Modes Sept 1901 Maison Rouff

Afternoon dress:

Les Modes Sept 1901 Maison Rouff

And here’s two images of a dinner dress (it appears to be the same dress from two different angles):

Pages from Les_Modes___Sept 1901_Plate3

Les Modes Sept 1901 Maison Rouff

In all the above styles, the s-bend corset definitely creates the foundation and in all instances, the skirts have a train. Naturally, the train on in the dinner dress depicted above is the most elaborate of all and it’s quite impressive, enhanced by two very large ribbons extending down from a bow. Otherwise, the styles are fairly typical of the early 1900s. The history of Maison Rouff certainly bears more study and we hope that in future posts that we’ll have more to reveal.

Getting Ready For Bath…

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Image result for mary curzon dresses

With our upcoming trip to Bath, England, we’ve been doing a little research on what to see et al. Naturally, museums are at the top of our list and in particular, the Fashion Museum Bath.  One of the more interesting items in their collection is an evening dress that was originally made by Worth in 1902 – 1903 for Lady Mary Curzon, who was the Vicereine of India at the time. As the wife of the Viceroy of India, Lady Curzon was in a high profile position that required her to look her best at all times and this dress was just one of a large wardrobe that she had:

Ball Gown Evening Dress Worth c. 1902 Lady Mary Curzon

Worth, Evening Dress, c. 1902; Fashion Museum Bath

We’re looking forward to seeing this, along with the rest of the collection, when we visit Bath in April. 🙂

Trending For October 1897…The Return Of The Bustle?

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Normally, one does not associate the bustle with 1890s style but we recently came across this item from the October 10, 1897 edition of the Los Angeles Herald that claims that the bustle will be making a return:

We have heard rumors of this event for a very long time, but that it would really come, no one had the grace to acknowledge until the present time. l am free to admit, however, that I think the bustle in its present form is bound to be popular, for it is far from being the monstrosity of a few years ago. Neat and graceful, it is just large enough to round up the hips and give a stylish set to the skirt and. prevent its sagging.

The modern idea is to use the bustle in the only sensible way- that is, to suit the individual, and not have one shape and style for everybody. Thus they are being made in great variety, both long and short, and some much fuller than others, and if we will only select one for ourselves which is suited to our particular figure, I think it will really be acceptable. The style most in vogue is moderately long and has hip extensions, which suit the woman who is tall and not too full of outline. But, as I say, there are shapes to suit everybody and no rule can be said to govern this important matter. Each must choose her own style. But a pad of some sort is essential In order to be fashionable.

WHAT? The bustle returning…just what exactly is the author talking about? Well, to begin, it’s definitely not the previous styles, either the 1880s style bustle or its 1870s predecessor, which the author terms “a monstrosity.” What exactly did the author have in mind? Well, probably something more along these lines like this bustle pad:

Bustle c. 1895 - 1905

Bustle, c. 1895 – 1905; Metropolitan Museum of Art (C.I.44.48.8)

Bustle c. 1895 - 1905

Going a bit later, we have this example from 1907:

Bustle Pad 1907

Bustle Pad, 1907; FIDM Museum (2004.5.9)

 

Bustle Pad 1907

Bustle Pad 1907

The Label- This specimen appears to have never been used.

Bustle pads came in an assortment of sizes and types as detailed in this page out of the 1902 edition of the Sears and Roebuck Catalog:

Sears Catalog No. 111 1902 Edition

It’s interesting how ideas change- from the cage-like bustles/tornures of the 1870s and 80s to the fairly minimal padded versions of the 1890s and early 1900s. But either way, the goal was achieving a ideal fashion silhouette that could only be accomplished through the use of body modification. While the specific methods have changed, body modification is still sought after today. 🙂