The Ornamented Being
Ornamented: -verb: Adorn; beautify. Be·ing: -noun: Fulfillment of possibilities; essential completeness.
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c. Late 1870s
Met
There were some similarities present in the extant gown and the fashion plate which I found pleasing so I posted them together.
Gorgeous details on both the dresses. Le Salon de la Mode 1886
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I am so TICKLED over finding this! I was going through fashion plates trying to find inspiration for a new ball gown for an upcoming Victorian Ball when I came across this fashion plate and realized I have seen the exact gown in red!
Met. c.1842 compared to October fashions, 1837 France, Journal des Dames et des Modes
(Source: metmuseum.org)
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These are from different museums but I thought they went together beautifully!
Gown MFA: Reception or dinner dress French (Paris), about 1883 Designed by Charles Frederick Worth, English (active in France), about 1825–1895 For House of Worth, Paris, France Dimensions Center Back (bodice): 69.8 cm (27 1/2 in.) Center Back (skirt): 177.5 cm (69 7/8 in.) Medium or Technique Silk damask, satin, and plain weave (taffeta), trimmed with glass beads and metallic yarn gimp, with silk fringe and machine-made lace
Heels: Slippers, Evening J. Ferry Date: 1885–95 Culture: French Medium: silk Dimensions: 5 x 8 1/2 in. (12.7 x 21.6 cm)
(Source: metmuseum.org)
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c.1870
Met
Obviously they are different periods on the dresses but there were some similarities present so I put them together.
Gorgeous details on both the dresses. Le Salon de la Mode 1886
I’ve developed an opinion when it comes to fashion. It’s a bit romanticized but it feels relevant. There is a thought that when darkness falls only then are we able to unlock the shackles imposed upon us by society and as the sun clears the horizon those same chains are then locked in place again.
(Source: metmuseum.org)
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Evening dress, ca. 1884–86
American or European
SilkGift of Mrs. J. Randall Creel, 1963 (C.I.63.23.3a,b)
The Met says: After a period of literal descent down the back of the body, the bustle achieved its greatest extension by 1885. It was almost perpendicular to the back and heavily draped and trimmed. The 1880s versions were as padded and heavily embellished as a drawing-room hassock of the period. It was a popular conceit that these bustles could support an entire tea service. To sustain the greater weight of the 1880s gowns, light and flexible infrastructures were created with flexible materials—wire, cane, whalebone—held together by canvas tapes or inserted into quilted channels. The torso above the projection of the bustle was further articulated into an hourglass shape, so much so that it appeared to be encased in a piece of armor.
NOT ON VIEW Last Updated Novemb -
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Emile Pingat (1820–1901), Paris, Skirt and polonaise, 1885. Velvet, beads, silk, glass. Collection of Shelburne Museum. 2010-75
“Emile Pingat has taken a page from the 18th century, adapting a classical men’s court ensemble and feminizing it. Instead of breeches that match the coat, there is a long velvet skirt finished with a ruffle. The apparent waistcoat is not a separate garment but instead is constructed as two decorative panels set into the coat. Pingat has updated the style and beauty of aristocratic men’s clothing by adding the small pointed zigzag motif in the embroidery. This one-of-a-kind colonial revival style dress would have been worn to a ball or masquerade with appropriate accessories that could have included a wig, fan, and shoes.
(Source: collection.shelburnemuseum.org)
