Evening dress ca. 1890-95
From the Rijksmuseum
Dress, 1891
From the exhibition “A Century of Style: Costume and Colour 1800-1899″ at Glasgow Museums
Spencer ca. 1810-14
From the exhibition “A Century of Style: Costume and Colour 1800-1899″ at Glasgow Museums
Evening dress, 1950′s
From the collection of Alexandre Vassiliev
Evening dress ca. 1894-95
From the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln via Kulturelles Erbe Köln
fripperiesandfobs reblogged
Collection’s Highlight: Bright Blue and Gold Dress
Usually seen through black and white photography the 19th century can look rather dull and dreary. Textiles and historic costumes help us see that it was in fact quite a vibrant place, and sometimes those color choices can seem rather surprising to our modern aesthetic. According to Severa in Dressed for the Photographer ; “Brilliant colors, while popular in the sixties for fashionable silk dresses, were not seen in the mixed wollens or in wash dresses for ordinary wear” (Severa, pg. 196). This 1860′s silk dress defiantly falls into the “brilliant colors” catagory.
Bodice, 1868, L: 15.5, Silk. The Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York, Gift of Mrs. Edward Fitch Hall, N0079.1962a.
Skirt, 1868, L: 60 in, Silk. The Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York, Gift of Mrs. Edward Fitch Hall, N0079.1962b.
Source: fenimoreartmuseum.org
Ball gown ca. 1852
From the Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection at the FIDM Museum