Help. Obsessed. There may have been a Pinterest board created and it may be strictly properly sourced and maybe just updated with a gown that is included in one of the few Lafayette photos to have lots of close views. Such bliss.
I know a lot of people have been inspired by RedThreaded’s Worth gown, but there may be some weird web archiving glitch so here it is for anyone not yet seen! Cynthia’s gown next to the originals!
Garment entirely created by Cynthia Settje of red threaded.
Date:1898–1900 Culture:French Medium:silk Credit Line:Gift of Miss Eva Drexel Dahlgren, 1976 Accession Number:1976.258.1a, b
Date:1898–1900 Culture:French Medium:(a, b) silk Credit Line:Gift of Mrs. C. Phillip Miller, 1957 Accession Number:C.I.57.17.8a–d
So while looking for themes and understanding my favourite gowns in context the velvet and satin gowns came up over and over again. So I shall add to this blog post as more pop up, and I wrestle with WP layouts.
First one that I adore:
Sitter: Lillie Langtry (stage name) Lady De Bathe, née Emilie Charlotte Le Breton (1853-1929).
LANGTRY, MRS
Neg. No: 2194
Neg. Size: 15″X12″
Neg. Date: 10-11-1899
I think this may be my favourite of all the gowns Worth produced like this. Though that may be because it’s Lily Langtry!
Yes, I often combine my interest in theatre, costume, and stage so of course I have a lovely file archive of Mrs Langrty.
I think my other favourites would have to be these
Date:1899 Culture:French Medium:silk Credit Line:Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Edith Gardiner, 1926 Accession Number:2009.300.2981a, b
Date:1898–1900 Culture:French Medium:silk, cotton Credit Line:Gift of Miss Eva Drexel Dahlgren, 1976 Accession Number:1976.258.4a, b
Date:1898–1900 Culture:French Medium:silk, glass Credit Line:Gift of Miss Eva Drexel Dahlgren, 1976 Accession Number:1976.258.5a–c
These next three fascinate me, the high neck of two and the delicate butterflies of the third.
Palais Galliera Worth, Tea gown, 1895 © Photograph rights reserved / Mairie de Paris
Date:1896 Culture:French Medium:silk, pearl Credit Line:Gift of Miss Agnes Miles Carpenter, 1941 Accession Number:C.I.41.14.1
Date:1898 Culture:French Medium:silk, Credit Line:Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Paul Pennoyer, 1965 Accession Number:2009.300.1324a, b
This first one has horizontal bust darts! As well as curved bust seams and a waist seam to get that beautiful shaping of the velvet.
Date:1889 Culture:French Medium:silk Credit Line:Gift of Mrs. James G. Flockhart, 1968 Accession Number:C.I.68.53.11a, b
Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum
And finally we have the gowns for those slightly more conservative. Which is nice- obviously the gowns caught the eye of many and they wanted a part of what made these gowns so special. No less care, just a slightly less start style!
REFERENCE46.258.2A-BTECHNICAL DETAILS Black voided velvet with branching floral and foliate motif Label: Worth / Paris; 66271 (handwritten)
Date:1898–1900 Culture:French Medium:silk, cotton Credit Line:Gift of Miss Eva Drexel Dahlgren, 1976 Accession Number:1976.258.3a, b
WORTH EVENING DRESS with COURT TRAIN WORN by FORMER FIRST LADY HARRIET LANE at the COURT of ST. JAMES, c. 1898.
But all this has been part of my life tidying that has been happening- organising books, papers, digital files. So this has meant reorganising my patterns and WIP and thus my recent flurry of posts.
I’ll be trying to get all my Mina posts from before the website changeover, but that may be a bit difficult!
