THE VINTAGE THIMBLE

Corset 1820–39. American. Cotton & silk. | THE MET

Dress Gabriella Pescucci. 1993.

This incredible dress is a costume for the film ‘The Age of Innocence’ (1993), directed by Martin Scorsese. Age of innocence is set in the Victorian era, during the 1870’s and this costume was worn by Michelle Pfeiffer. (Unfortunately I couldn’t find a decent screen cap of her wearing it.) The costume it’s self was designed by Gabriella Pescucci. She has also designed costumes for The Scarlet Letter (1995), Les Misérables (1998), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999), Van Helsing (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), The Brothers Grimm (2005), Beowulf (2007), Agora (2009) & The Borgias (TV series 2011)(5 episodes, 2011-2012) along with many other movies. [source for dress Here. Sadly it does not name were it found the images.]

Dress An 1890s fancy dress gown, incorporating 1730s ice blue brocaded satin, comprising bodice with deep curved front waist, cut high at the back with short tails, ruffled and gathered blue satin outside sleeves, the front skirt entirely of 18th century brocade, pleated blue satin band to hem, long blue satin train to rear skirt. | KTA

Negligée Ca. 1908. French. Silk. | THE MET

18th Century Woman’s Hairstyles A collection of 18th Century paintings from France & England, depicting some of the hairstyles of the time, among them the tête de mouton (or “sheep’s head”), the pouf & the hérisson (or “hedgehog”).

Interestingly as I was gathering paintings for this reference , I came across this excerpt regarding the elaborate hairstyles that were fashionable during the 1770’s from Marie-Antoinette Mother, Queen Maria Theresa to Marie-Antoinette.

In 1775, Queen Maria Theresa of Austria-Hungary wrote to her daughter Marie-Antoinette -“Likewise I cannot help but touch upon a point that many of the papers repeat to me too often: it is the hairstyle that you wear. They say that from the roots it measures 36 pouces high and with all the feathers and ribbons that hold all of that up! You know that I have always been of the opinion that one should follow fashion moderately, but never carry it to excess. A pretty young queen full of charms has no need of all these follies. Quite the contrary. A simple hairstyle suits her better and is more appropriate for a queen. She must set the tone, and everyone will hurry to follow even your smallest errors…”

Marie-Antoinette responded - “It is true that I am a bit occupied by my hairstyle, and as for the feathers, everyone wears them, and it would look extraordinarily out of place not to” (source: Hosford, Desmond. “The Queen’s Hair: Marie-Antoinette, Politics, and DNA.”).

Men’s Hairstyles Victorian [x] Woman’s Hairstyles Victorian [x] | Edwardian [x] | 1920’s [x] | 1930’s [x] | WW2 [x]

Ladies “Macaroni” jacket and embroidered skirt. Late 18th century. French. Silk.

The jacket of striped two tone silk and satin, with silk fringed fronts and bustle, the cuffs with three blue silk covered buttons, lined with a charming patchwork of silk brocades in the French manner, the associated skirt embroidered with a border of flower-filled urns. | Christies

A Printed Handkerchief Showing The Cab Rates In Hackney London. 18th Century. English. Red to a natural ground, the centre divided in four panels variously illustrating rates for Hackney Coaches, Hackney Chairs, Watermen on the Thames, and of the distances between principle cities of Great Britain, the border of transport-themed vignettes. | Christies

Robe à l’Anglaise 1785–87. French. Silk.

In eighteenth-century dress, the torso was encased by layers of quilted linen and boning that constitute an exaggerated exoskeleton. An inevitable consequence of this redefinition of the torso is an emphasis on the hip and bustline. By mid-century, especially in France, the style was for the bust, veiled by lace or a sheer mull , to emerge above the top line of the bodice. | THE MET

Cape Last third 18th century. American or European. Wool. | THE MET

Dress (robe à l’anglaise) c. 1780. England. Cream silk taffeta; two-layered “compères” front with buttons; matching trim; black lace decoration at front bodice and cuffs; wine-colored ribbon lacing at cuffs; matching petticoat; fichu at neck.

A dress of surprisingly modern taste appeared around the time of French Revolution, during the transition period from the gorgeous Rococo style silk dresses to plain cotton dresses after the Revolution. Simple dresses from that period have. This dress made of light plain silk taffeta has a “compères” style double front bodice. The sole decoration to this dress is black lace trim. When wearing this dress, a thin “fichu” was placed in the large opening at the top of the bodice. | KCI

Portrait of Mathilde de Canisy. 1738, oil on canvas, 118 x 96 cm. Jean-Marc Nattier Paris, 1685 - Paris, 1766 | Musee Jaquemart Andre

Court Gown C. 1770's. Fine white Indian muslin with silver metal embroidery, the robe sack-back with train and scalloped cuffs to the sleeves, matching ruched robings, the cuffs and robings edged in delicate silver thread chain; the matching petticoat of silk to the upper back and tiered at the front bottom; the stomacher to a linen ground and trimmed with wide silver tape. | Christies

Hair Ornament Edo period (1615–1868), 19th century. Japan. Silver and silver gilt. | THE MET

Emperor’s Ceremonial Armour 1736-1795 (Qianlong period). Silk, bronze, gold, metal and cotton.

The Qing rulers, conquerors of all China, took pride in their military heritage. Emperor Qianlong carried out great military reviews, some in the imperial grounds south of Beijing. The emperor inspected his troops regularly. His ceremonial armour was for such events, not for battle. The jacket and apron are padded with cotton instead of protective iron strips. The sleeves are banded in closely sewn strips of gold thread to resemble shining metal. | sources: V&A and The Palace Museum, Beijing.

(top image: Painting of Emperor Qianlong wearing ceremonial armour, 1758.)

Victorian Men’s Hairstyles & Facial Hair A collection of Victorian photographs, depicting some of the hairstyles and facial hair fashion of the time, and a few rather unique hair styles like a man with ringlets.

Woman’s Hairstyles Victorian [x] | Edwardian [x] | 1920’s [x] | 1930’s [x] | WW2 [x]