The huge gigot sleeves on this vibrant polychrome roller printed cotton child's dress date it squarely in the romantic era, mid 1830's when sleeves were at their fullest. The bodice features dropped shoulders and a widened decollete that was also in fashion during the romantic period.
This quintessential three piece suit would have been a must for many a
collegiate coed. A classic navy blazer is complimented perfectly by the
plaid skirt and the plaid to navy reversible cape. Labeled Peck &
Peck, New York.
This mid 19th century silk bonnet is one of the prettiest, most
colorful that I've seen. It is made from pewter gray silk with pink and
copper overtones and stipes in blue purple and light gray.
From R. H. Stearns & Co., Boston, this canary yellow silk evening
coat dates to circa 1925. This lightweight confection combines yellow
silk charmeuse with a darker golden yellow lining of the same fabric
which is glimpsed at the open front.
This delightful Victorian bonnet dating to the 1880s is made of woven
straw and artfully trimmed with rich brown silk and velvet ribbons,
sprays of ivy and a feather panache. The interior is lined in polished
black cotton with a label that reads, Walker, Tremont Street, Boston.
The back of this wrapper is fitted however there is quite a bit of room
in the front around the waistline leading one to the conclusion that
this wrapper would have been worn as a maternity garment. In excellent
condition, this civil war era wrapper is made of brilliant blue plaid
silk combined with brown, black and red.
Dating between 1905 to 1915 this Edwardian duster or motoring jacket
features a lavishly embroidered collar and cuffs. Closing at the front
of the jacket with four hooks and loops the collar continues down the
front of the jacket to the hemline.
The Door of Hope Mission was founded in 1901 in Shanghai, China by an
American missionary with the goal of keeping young girls off the
streets as well as teaching them sewing and dressmaking skills. The
well known author Pearl Buck helped to teach the Chinese girls
needlework. Dolls began to be made around 1914 with the heads and hands
being carved by professional wood carvers and being finished by girls
living at the mission.
The simplicity of fashions of the early 1800s gave way in the 1820s to
a more exuberant style seen in the emboldened fabrics and surface
decoration. Rouleaux were used for decoration as well as to add body
where needed such as the hemline of a skirt or dress.
A spectacular dress with wonderful detail speaking to the skills of the
dressmaker. Elaborate trims on the longer basque bodice and skirt with
train would indicate the status of the original wearer.
Harold Koda: Poiret (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)
Jonathan Walford: The Seductive Shoe: Four Centuries of Fashion Footwear
18th Century Costume in the National Museums and Galleries of Mersyside
Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900
Dangerous Liasons: Fashion and Furniture in the Eighteenth Century
What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America
From Paris to Providence, Fashion, Art and the Tirocchi Dressmakers' Shop, 1915-1947
Style & Splendor: The Wardrobe of Queen Maud of Norway 1896-1938
