THE VINTAGE THIMBLE

Evening ensemble 1910. French. Silk & metal. Elegant at-home wear was an essential part of an upper class wardrobe at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The tea gown, a structured and boned one-piece dress, was the first manifestation of a trend toward more comfortable attire for wearing in the presence of one's intimates. This ensemble, while elaborate, is significantly less restricting than a tea gown, yet, by the teens, was considered modest enough to be seen in. | THE MET

Tea gown House of Worth (French, 1858–1956), Designer: Jean-Philippe Worth (French, 1856–1926), Date: 1900–1901 Culture: French. Medium: silk. This is a nice example of the teagown made by the House of Worth. This shows the luxurious lifestyle indicative of prominent women of the time. The teagown could be worn without a corset and was therefore a more comfortable form of dress in which one could greet guests at home. Teagowns were a particular vehicle for historicism and fantasy as evidences here with its deliberate interpretation of the 18th-century robe and petticoat form. | THE MET