Elegant Historical Dresses

A collection of vintage gowns from the 19th and early 20th century featuring intricate lace, ruffles, and luxurious fabrics, showcasing the grandeur of classic fashion.

Negligée ca. 1902 American This negligee with petticoat is a good example of Belle Époque luxury dressing wear and fine American lingerie. The visual interest is heightened by the intricate piecing of the lace and dotted swiss bands that is done in the ruffles on the bodice, sleeves and hem ruffle. Great care has been taken in its construction, noted in the decorative seaming, which emphasizes the number of pieces of dotted swiss used to assemble the garment. Overall, the ensemble has elegant lines that would befit a woman of high social standing.. Negligée 159445

Negligée ca. 1902 American This negligee with petticoat is a good example of Belle Époque luxury dressing wear and fine American lingerie. The visual interest is heightened by the intricate piecing of the lace and dotted swiss bands that is done in the ruffles on the bodice, sleeves and hem ruffle. Great care has been taken in its construction, noted in the decorative seaming, which emphasizes the number of pieces of dotted swiss used to assemble the garment. Overall, the ensemble has elegant lines that would befit a woman of high social standing.. Negligée 159445

Tea gown ca. 1880 House of Worth French. Tea gown 106515

Dinner dress. Culture: French. Designer: Mon. Vignon (French). Date: 1875-78.Uncannily like the dresses in the wonderfully presumptuous portraits of John Singer Sargent and Thomas Eakins of the same time, this 1870s evening dress extracts the full glitz and glamour of eighteenth-century fashion for a new epoch. Ornament crowds out other ornament; the configuration of the open robe is renewed; its silhouette is bold and begins to connect the eighteenth century with its Belle Époque revival. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Morning dress 1880s American. Morning dress 86754

Dress 1875-81 probably American. Dress. probably American. 1875-81. silk, ostrich feathers

Dress 1881 American. Dress 102284

Girl's Dress. England, circa 1848. Costumes; principal attire (entire body). Silk plain weave (taffeta)

Robe à l'Anglaise 1750-75 French. Robe à l'Anglaise 86925

Ensemble. Culture: American. Date: ca. 1836. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress ca. 1860 American or European. Dress 81175

Overjapon with pli watteau of cream -colored side, embroidered in yellow with slender, widely measured flower and leaf vines., Anonymous, 1740 - 1745 France (possibly)Great Britain (possibly) silk. linen (material) embroidering France (possibly)Great Britain (possibly) silk. linen (material) embroidering

Dress ca. 1879 Maison Cécile Laisne. Dress 107773

Wedding ensemble 1877 American. Wedding ensemble 116067

Dress. Culture: American. Date: 1865-69. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Woman's Spencer Jacket and Petticoat. France, circa 1815. Costumes; principal attire (entire body). Jacket: cotton plain weave; skirt: cotton plain weave with linen net and cotton plain-weave appliqués

Robe à la Française. Culture: European. Date: 1730-40.This is an extraordinary example of weaving incorporating silver metallic threads in a very distinctive design. This textile was identified as an identical match to the textile of a gown worn to a Russian Imperial wedding in the in the 1730s. Women with coquettish airs were imposing in robes à la française and robes à l'anglaise throughout the period between 1720 and 1780. The robe à la française was derived from the loose negligee sacque dress of the earlier part of the century, which was pleated from the shoulders at the front at the back. The silhouette, composed of a funnel-shaped bust feeding into wide rectangular skirts, was inspired by Spanish designs of the previous century and allowed for expansive amounts of textiles with delicate Rococo curvilinear decoration. The wide skirts, which were often open at the front to expose a highly decorated underskirt, were supported by panniers created from padding and hoops of differen

Dress ca. 1846 French. Dress 108072

Dress 1810-15 American. Dress. American. 1810-15. cotton

Woman's Dress. Matching alternative bodice and bag of textile fragments to 1952M29.1

Negligée ca. 1900 American or European. Negligée 106402

Dress ca. 1820 American This historical dress served as an inspiration for a 1950's muslins designed for Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., by Charles James (2009.300.2775). The donor, who was a life-long muse and friend of James, often brought him historical fashions to reinterpret. The results were imaginative and unique although it is unclear of the final results were ever worn.Austine Hearst was the third wife of William Randolph Hearst, Jr. (1908-1993), son of William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951), turn of the century newspaper mogul. She spent the war years hosting a radio show and writing a newspaper column about young society, which was picked up for national syndication after the war. She married Hearst in 1948, after a seven year marriage to Igor Cassini (1915-2002), brother of the fashion designer Oleg Cassini (1913-2006). She continued as a columnist until after her children were born in the early 1950s. The Hearsts were invited to parties at the White House, Truman Capote's

Dress 1890s House of Paquin French. Dress 107186

Female dress, 19th century. Museum: Museu Textil i d'Indumentaria, Barcelona.

Woman's Dress and Stomacher (Round Gown)

Dress. Culture: American. Date: 1858-60. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Sack-Back Gown (robe à la française). While this dress may look like a wedding gown to us, it was not at all customary to marry in white in the 18th century. In this period, many Dutch ladies were portrayed garbed in creamy white silk gowns. Notable here is the v shaped pièce, or stomacher, which is as profusely decorated as the rest of the dress.

Dinner ensemble 1874 (a, b) Kingsbury The bustle silhouette, although primarily associated with the second half of the 19th century, originated in earlier fashions as a simple bump at the back of the dress, such as with late 17th-early 18th century mantuas and late 18th- early 19th century Empire dresses. The full-blown bustle silhouette had its first Victorian appearance in the late 1860s, which started as fullness in skirts moving to the back of the dress. This fullness was drawn up in ties for walking that created a fashionable puff. This trendsetting puff expanded and was then built up with supports from a variety of different things such as horsehair, metal hoops and down. Styles of this period were often taken from historical inspiration and covered in various types of trim and lace. Accessories were petite and allowed for the focus on the large elaborate gowns. Around 1874, the style altered and the skirts began to hug the thighs in the front while the bustle at the back was red

Wedding ensemble 1901 Italian The appliqués of this wedding dress exemplify the whip-like curves and scrolls characteristic of the Art Nouveau period. Made in Rome for Mrs. Frederick Dand Sherman in 1901, the design of the dress shows the impact of the Art Nouveau movement throughout Europe by that year. While the white-on-white color palette would have been a conventional choice for a bride just after the turn of the century, the asymmetical trimming would have been a deliberately bold and fashion-conscious choice. The shape of the skirt and cut of the sleeves particularly suits the overall decorative scheme of the dress.. Wedding ensemble 159024

Dress 1796-99 French. Dress 86869

Fashion, France, 20th century. Women's dress in aquamarine chiffon. Label: M.on Bellon Robes et Manteaux, 14 rue Segurane Nice, around 1910.

Doucet, 1900, big canvas with parma reflections, black embroidery with points. White mechanical Valencian bodice, sleeves mounted with small folds. Belt made up of a large black velvet ribbon Palais Galliera, fashion museum in the city of Paris

Woman's Dress (Bodice and Skirt)

Walking dress. Culture: British. Date: ca. 1830. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress 1860s American. Dress 100021

Robe à la Française ca. 1760 French. Robe à la Française 87012

Dinner dress 1841-46 American. Dinner dress 108114

Afternoon dress ca. 1865 American The bustle silhouette, although primarily associated with the second half of the 19th century, originated in earlier fashions as a simple bump at the back of the dress, such as with late 17th-early 18th century mantuas and late 18th- early 19th century Empire dresses. The full-blown bustle silhouette had its first Victorian appearance in the late 1860s, which started as fullness in skirts moving to the back of the dress. This fullness was drawn up in ties for walking that created a fashionable puff. This trendsetting puff expanded and was then built up with supports from a variety of different things such as horsehair, metal hoops and down. Styles of this period were often taken from historical inspiration and covered in various types of trim and lace. Accessories were petite and allowed for the focus on the large elaborate gowns. Around 1874, the style altered and the skirts began to hug the thighs in the front while the bustle at the back was reduced

Dress 1730-50 probably British. Dress. probably British. 1730-50. silk

Dress 1858-60 American. Dress 90868

Wedding dress. Culture: American. Date: 1824.White was not a commonplace color for wedding attire in the early 19th century, which makes this piece a rare example. Until the late 19th century, brides usually wore a colored gown which could then be worn again for other social functions after the wedding. The silhouette and trim identify this dress as an excellent example of high style during the 1820s. A particular feature of this era was the elaborate hem decoration known as 'hem sculpture." Here the trim is a three-dimensional leaf pattern incorporating chiffon which is repeated on the bodice and sleeves. The silhouette, with the raised waist and short sleeve puffs combined with long sleeves, is also characteristic of the period. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress. Culture: probably American. Date: ca. 1857. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress American 1861-1863 View more. Dress. American. 1861-1863. (a) silk, cotton, metal; (b) silk, cotton, metal

Summer set (Paletot and skirt). Beige linen canvas, black downwards. Shooting skirt. 1866. Second Empire. Galliera, fashion museum of the city of Paris. Interlacing ornamentation. Summer set, feminine, tread skirt, female model, paletot, black flowerhouse, second empire, linen, dress

Dress Made of Printed Fabric, anonymous, 1775 - 1785 Overjapon horizing a ladies' costume of printed cotton (Chintz) with a pattern of stripes and bouquets. From the front open with small tow. Road lined with white linen. Wide angular neck. For closely and with two vesting buildings and long slips. Behind bell folds. Half sleeves. Opening and the neck are trimmed with a pleated strip. Along the Rokzoom a lining strip of white linen. Netherlands cotton (textile). linen (material). chintz chintz Overjapon horizing a ladies' costume of printed cotton (Chintz) with a pattern of stripes and bouquets. From the front open with small tow. Road lined with white linen. Wide angular neck. For closely and with two vesting buildings and long slips. Behind bell folds. Half sleeves. Opening and the neck are trimmed with a pleated strip. Along the Rokzoom a lining strip of white linen. Netherlands cotton (textile). linen (material). chintz chintz

Visiting dress ca. 1875 American. Visiting dress 174265

English dress. Gray changing silk taffeta. 1780-1785. Galliera, fashion museum of the city of Paris. 101522-3 Costume, 18th 18th 18th 18th 18th 18th century

Evening dress ca. 1873 M.E. Curran & M.E. Clancy. Evening dress 159454

Ensemble ca. 1830 French Not only is this banyan a good example of man's ornate leisure wear, but it also illustrates how fine dress silks from the previous century were recycled in the nineteenth century. This is evidenced in the style of the two pieces and the creases and piecing in the fabric, indicating it is from a former garment. Men were often depicted in portraits wearing banyans, for it made an illusion to a gentleman's high rank, general intellect, and social status.. Ensemble 157855

Evening dress. Culture: American. Designer: Mme. Olympe (American, born France, 1830). Date: ca. 1865.This is one of two extant dresses bearing a Mme. Olympe label. Olympe Boisse was a French-born New Orleans dressmaker who regularly traveled to Paris to keep abreast of trend-setting French fashions of the time.such as those by Charles Frederick Worth and Emile Pingat. Mme. Olympe, as she was professionally known, initially was an importer of French goods but in time designed and sold her own garments. Her claim to fame is that, considering the date of this dress, she was one of the first, if not the first, American dressmakers to label her gowns, a practice intiated by Worth et Bobergh in the early 1860s. The Worth influence in this dress is readily seen in comparison to the Worth et Bobergh gown 2009.300.1372a-d in its silhouette and cut. The simple styling makes the beauty and femininity of the textile truly shine. The female silhouette of the middle of the 19th century consisted

Petticoat ca. 1780 French. Petticoat 100754

Woman's Dress

Afternoon dress. Culture: French. Designer: Jacques Doucet (French, Paris 1853-1929 Paris). Date: ca. 1903.Jacques Doucet was first, and foremost, a connoisseur of art. Additionally, his passion for the refined and exquisite overflowed into his dealings with fashion, making him one of the finest French couturiers during the Belle Époque. The House of Doucet began as a family business, specializing in women's lingerie and laces, as well as articles of clothing for men. Founded in 1817, the company rose to fame under the hand of Jacques. The house was known for its luxurious offerings, which were worn and coveted by royalty, members of the elite society in both Europe and America, and actresses of the stage.Possibly worn by one of New York's finest, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor Wilson, this afternoon dress is a perfect example of couture during this period. The sheer pink fabric, accented with lace and black and pink ribbon trim, is a dress to be displayed at garden parties and the race

Dress ca. 1842 British. Dress. British. ca. 1842. silk

Body with wide pago rope, button closure with nine knots and high round neck of brown moiré side, trimmed with stitched wide seams and black lace; White cotton lower edge, anonymous, c. 1868 - c. 1872 Netherlands silk. cotton (textile). Netherlands silk. cotton (textile).

Body with very short sleeve, halfway decorated with a stitched edge, and layer of the shoulders of brown moiré side, lined with brown -glossed cotton, anonymous, c. 1868 - c. 1872 Body with very short sleeve, halfway decorated with a stitched edge, and low on the shoulders, of brown moiré side, lined with brown -glossed cotton. silk. Body with very short sleeve, halfway decorated with a stitched edge, and low on the shoulders, of brown moiré side, lined with brown -glossed cotton. silk.

Two-piece Evening Dress, 1868. Taffeta two-piece dress with velvet ribbon and lace trim. The skirt has a train.

Dress ca. 1845 American. Dress 174649

Evening ensemble 1845-50 American The female silhouette of the middle of the 19th century consisted of a fitted corseted bodice and wide full skirts. The conical skirts developed between the 1830s, when the high waist of the Empire silhouette was lowered and the skirts became more bell shaped, to the late 1860s, when the fullness of the skirts were pulled to the back and the bustle developed. The flared skirts of the period gradually increased in size throughout and were supported by a number of methods. Originally support came from multiple layers of petticoats which, due to weight and discomfort, were supplanted by underskirts comprised of graduated hoops made from materials such as baleen, cane and metal. The fashions during this time allowed the textiles to stand out because of the vast surface areas of the skirt and a relatively minimal amount of excess trim.. Evening ensemble 159208

Walking suit ca. 1889 House of Worth French Jean-Philippe Worth began as an assistant to his father, Charles Frederick Worth, in 1875. Gradually he was allowed to create his own designs and when his father died in 1895, he became the lead designer for the house. He was praised for making elaborate artistic gowns with intricate trimmings on unique textiles, much like his father had before him. Although the House of Worth was still favored by royalty and celebrities through the turn of the century, their styles were no longer the forefront of French fashion after 1900. Around 1910 Jean-Philippe limited his design work to important orders and hired his nephew, Jean-Charles Worth, as the new lead designer before leaving the company entirely after World War I.. Walking suit. French. ca. 1889. silk

Horn up; the seventies of the 18th century (1770-00-00-1780-00-00);jackets, flowers (ornament), pleats, flower kicks (oxygen), clothes, women's clothes, ribbon (ornament)

Dress 1888-89 French. Dress 106633

Skirt with side vents of white silk with multi-colored bordered vertical flower garlands, along the bottom edge A pleated strip with silk ribbon and cutter edge .. Skirt manent at a wedding gown of white multi-colored bordered silk with flowers and leaves. Six jobs in DIPE pleats sewn on the waistband, with splits on the hips.

Woman's Gown. England, circa 1827. Costumes; principal attire (entire body). Silk plain weave (aeophane), silk satin, lace trim

Wedding dress with orange blossom, anonymous, c. 1880 - c. 1885 Bridal gown with a tow of white sheet, lace and orange blossom. Tailed body worn over the skirt. Standing collar. Long smooth sleeve. Skirt with deep vertical folds. A back lane set up with a lace lane runs over a large queue de Paris in a long trail. Decoration of orange blossom and lace. Netherlands (possibly) Wool. Lining: Silk. tunic: embroidering Bridal gown with a tow of white sheet, lace and orange blossom. Tailed body worn over the skirt. Standing collar. Long smooth sleeve. Skirt with deep vertical folds. A back lane set up with a lace lane runs over a large queue de Paris in a long trail. Decoration of orange blossom and lace. Netherlands (possibly) Wool. Lining: Silk. tunic: embroidering

Afternoon dress ca. 1872 House of Worth French The bustle silhouette, although primarily associated with the second half of the 19th century, originated in earlier fashions as a simple bump at the back of the dress, such as with late 17th-early 18th century mantuas and late 18th- early 19th century Empire dresses. The full-blown bustle silhouette had its first Victorian appearance in the late 1860s, which started as fullness in skirts moving to the back of the dress. This fullness was drawn up in ties for walking that created a fashionable puff. This trendsetting puff expanded and was then built up with supports from a variety of different things such as horsehair, metal hoops and down. Styles of this period were often taken from historical inspiration and covered in various types of trim and lace. Accessories were petite and allowed for the focus on the large elaborate gowns. Around 1874, the style altered and the skirts began to hug the thighs in the front while the bustle at the bac

Jap of white cotton with a brown drawing in an oval with black dots and a colored flower ornament in diamond shape with dots, consisting of a body and skirt. Jap, consisting of a body (a) and a skirt (b) of white cotton, printed with colored flowers and brown-purple ornaments.

Female dress, 19th century. Museum: Museu Textil i d'Indumentaria, Barcelona.

Visiting dress 1867 French. Visiting dress 107616

Evening ensemble 1890-95 American This is a glittering extravaganza for a formal ball. The neoclassical motifs of the lace are interesting, particularly the laurel wreaths. The way the black lace is applied over the velvet bands to add a different texture and lighting effect, acts as a foil to the glitter of the paillettes.. Evening ensemble 155793

Skirt, part of cream-colored silk, part of cream-colored silk with embroidered pink stripes and multicolor flowers with white cream-colored bows ...

Afternoon dress. Culture: American. Date: ca. 1845.This is a very finely made example of a mid 1840s dress. The significant highlights and very fine dressmaking details are the tightly fitted and shaped sleeves, tucked at the inner elbow for shape and movement, the fine piping that is at the inner sleeve seam, sleeve ends and shoulder seams, and the very fine and even cartridge pleating at the waist. These elements combined with an elongated waist and V-shaped bust create a quintessential style of the period.The female silhouette of the middle of the 19th century consisted of a fitted corseted bodice and wide full skirts. The conical skirts developed between the 1830s, when the high waist of the Empire silhouette was lowered and the skirts became more bell shaped, to the late 1860s, when the fullness of the skirts were pulled to the back and the bustle developed. The flared skirts of the period gradually increased in size throughout and were supported by a number of methods. Original

Dressing gown early 1870s American. Dressing gown 107854

Afternoon dress. Culture: American. Date: 1854. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress. Culture: British. Date: ca. 1856. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Robe à la Française 1760-70 French Women with coquettish airs were imposing in robes à la française and robes à l'anglaise throughout the period between 1720 and 1780. The robe à la française was derived from the loose negligee sacque dress of the earlier part of the century, which was pleated from the shoulders at the front at the back. The silhouette, composed of a funnel-shaped bust feeding into wide rectangular skirts, was inspired by Spanish designs of the previous century and allowed for expansive amounts of textiles with delicate Rococo curvilinear decoration. The wide skirts, which were often open at the front to expose a highly decorated underskirt, were supported by panniers created from padding and hoops of different materials such as cane, baleen or metal. The robes à la française are renowned for the beauty of their textiles, the cut of the back employing box pleats and skirt decorations, known as robings, which showed endless imagination and variety.. Robe à la Française.

Overjapon puts Rok of French dress, Anonymous, c. 1750 Ankle lange, from behind-dragging dress robe, à la française, from gray-blue and yellow striped Lampas, with woven bizarre patterns composed of vases, leaf and floral motifs and geometric figures, partially browned with metal wire, consisting of an overjapon (a) and a skirt (b). Model: (A) Straight Cutting, half -length close -fitting sleeves decorated with a stitch -like decoration and provided with double pago -shaped cuffs, close -fitting body with in 1957 added and consisting of two parts occupied with three bows (l'Echelle), on the back From the neck a loose, symmetrically constructed system of flat folds (pli watteau), front racks smooth and fitted with tapered toppings, flat pleats around the side seams of the skirt and in a deep split. Body and sleeves lined with beige/brown striped cover; Skirt lined with light blue taf side added in 1957, trimmed along the hem with a yellow silk bump. Inside Close closes by means of Drink

Skirt with trail and space for touring of brown moire silk, lined down with a brunette cotton () Edge. .

Pair of Woman's Sleeve Plumpers. England, 1830-1835. Costumes. Linen plain weave with down fill

Dress. "Dress". Purple taffeta, edged with small tone patterns on tone and paperback, in yellow and rust, with a sowing of small leaves. 1802-1803. Galliera, fashion museum of the city of Paris. 102080-2 Haute couture, female mode, female model

Dress 1790s American The fullest merger of old and new is represented in this dress. The form of the surrounding robe is open, and even the neckline could seem to be decades earlier. But the textile design has been subdued, and the lighter taffeta robe is paired with a white petticoat for an effect that resembles neoclassicism emerging from the chrysalis of the ancien régime.. Dress. American. 1790s. silk

Afternoon dress. Culture: American. Date: 1860s. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Evening overdress. Culture: British. Date: 1797-99.This lovely overdress indicates the fine craftsmanship and textiles used at the end of the 18th century to coordinate with the exaggerated fashions of the high waist, large headdresses and skimpy silhouettes. The Empire silhouette is readily identified with its origins in the chiton of ancient Greco-Romans, which was a tubular garment draped from the shoulders and sometimes belted beneath the bust. Several re-interpretations have occurred throughout costume history but none have been as notable as the period bridging the rectangular panierred skirts of the 18th century and the conical hoop skirts of the 19th century. The neoclassic style was adopted in all forms of decoration after the French Revolution and was upheld during the Napoleonic Wars partly due to Napoleon Bonaparte's (1769-1821) alliance with Greco-Roman principles. In fashion, the style began as children's wear made from fine white cotton, but was adopted by women in the f

Robe à la Française ca. 1770 French. Robe à la Française. French. ca. 1770. silk

Robe à la Française. Culture: French. Date: ca. 1780.The striped textile here is indicative of the change in aesthetics around 1765 to a more neoclassical taste, less florid than the silks of the decades prior to them.Women with coquettish airs were imposing in robes à la française and robes à l'anglaise throughout the period between 1720 and 1780. The robe à la française was derived from the loose negligee sacque dress of the earlier part of the century, which was pleated from the shoulders at the front at the back. The silhouette, composed of a funnel-shaped bust feeding into wide rectangular skirts, was inspired by Spanish designs of the previous century and allowed for expansive amounts of textiles with delicate Rococo curvilinear decoration. The wide skirts, which were often open at the front to expose a highly decorated underskirt, were supported by panniers created from padding and hoops of different materials such as cane, baleen or metal. The robes à la française are renowne

Afternoon ensemble 1898-1900 Raudnitz and Co. - Huet and Chéruit French. Afternoon ensemble. French. 1898-1900. silk, fur

Chemise 1876 American. Chemise. American. 1876. cotton

Afternoon dress ca. 1903 Chezar & Pillman This afternoon dress offers an example of an American-made Belle Époque dress created by a New York dressmaker. The Chezar & Pillman label shows the maker styled itself "The Parisian Ladies' Tailor," an indication that this is an American version of the French fashion at the time. The dress is highlighted by several attractive details: the good quality of its embroidery and the inclusion of rhinestone and enamel buttons.. Afternoon dress 159469

Morning dress ca. 1860 American. Morning dress 108186

Ball gown 1898 House of Worth French This gown is made from a very special fabric which was woven à la disposition to fit the shape and dimensions of the skirt so that the butterflies flutter upward from the hem and, being graduated in size, seem to disappear in the distance. Jean-Philippe Worth began as an assistant to his father, Charles Frederick Worth, in 1875. Gradually he was allowed to create his own designs and when his father died in 1895, he became the lead designer for the house. He was praised for making elaborate artistic gowns with intricate trimmings on unique textiles, much like his father had before him. Although the House of Worth was still favored by royalty and celebrities through the turn of the century, their styles were no longer the forefront of French fashion after 1900. Around 1910 Jean-Philippe limited his design work to important orders and hired his nephew, Jean-Charles Worth, as the new lead designer before leaving the company entirely after World War I..

Dress ca. 1799 French With the opening of the Eastern markets, Indian printed cottons found their way into France. At first they were very expensive, and French manufacturers tried to copy them by printing designs with wooden blocks on cotton. The silk and wool industries objected, and numerous edicts forbidding the importation or manufacture of printed textiles were issued. The edicts were universally ignored, and by 1759 all restrictions had been removed. Factories for the production of printed cottons opened in Nantes, Rouen, and Lyons, but the most famous center was at Jouy. Its founder, Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf, developed a system of fast-color dyeing and invented the copperplate printing process. The engraver Jean-Baptiste Huet, the principal designer for the Jouy factory between 1783 and 1811, probably designed the pattern on this toile de Jouy day dress, which has been identified as les bonnes herbes.. Dress 82637

Ensemble 1879 French. Ensemble 107819

Bridesmaid dress. Culture: American. Designer: Herbert Luey (American, Northfield, Massachusetts 1860-1916 Brooklyn). Date: 1880. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Ball gown. Golden yellow silk with printing on chain of large bouquets of pink flowers and pavotes, silk ribbons printed on a chain of floral patterns. Around 1855. Galliera, fashion museum of the city of Paris. BALL GOWN Pink flower, ball gown, second empire, gilded yellow silk, crinoline

Mantua ca. 1708 British The late 1670s saw a new development in the style of women's dress that would have a far-reaching effect throughout the following century. The stiff constricting boned bodice-and-skirt style previously worn by women was now replaced with the mantua, a more loosely draped style of gown. The mantua was thought to display silk designs to their best advantage, as they were draped rather than cut; as such, it is believed the garment was named after Mantua in Italy, where expensive silks were produced. However, it has also been suggested that the name derives from manteau, the French term for a coat.The mantua was a coatlike construction, with sleeves cut in one piece with the back and front. It was pleated at the shoulders and fell to the waist, where it was held in place by a sash. From there it was folded back into a bustle shape and worn over a matching petticoat. As the style evolved, the pleats at the front were reduced in number and the bodice was opened, with

Ceremony dress (overview). Without claw. Purple velvet, embroidered glitter, silk pancake. 1887. Galliera, fashion museum of the city of Paris. Embroidery applications. Ceremony, silk crepe, female, woman, embroidered glitter, purple velvet, dress

Morning dress ca. 1902 American. Morning dress 158995

Dress ca. 1840 French. Dress. French. ca. 1840. silk

Dress. Culture: French. Department Store: Bon Marché (French, founded ca. 1852). Date: 1895.This charming girl's party dress was purchased in Paris by General and Mrs. John B. Woodward in 1895 and given to Elizabeth Haynes. Produced by the prestigious department store Au Bon Marché, it is an example of high end children's ready-to wear produced by the department store. Of added interest, is the observance of the fashion for full sleeves of the period for the young wearer. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress. Culture: American. Date: 1864-65. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress 1882 American. Dress 107008

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