While I have a great passion for contemporary fashion and designers and I enjoy following the runway reports, trend forecasts, couture shows and a few of the blogs related to that field, my first love was, is and will always be historical costumes.
The obsession started early on, on our family's yearly summers spent in England, were we would go to all these stately homes, castles and museums and I would always gaze with wonder, fascination and secret longing at the historical costumes or reproductions not infrequently displayed at these venues. It always made the surroundings more real, more alive to me - I could picture the people living there, moving through the very rooms I was now standing in, a hundred, two hundred years ago - silks rustling, tailcoats swishing.
Fast forward twenty years and I my love for the subject matter is unbroken. It still thrills me to see a perfectly preserved piece of, say, 18th century clothing and to conjure up the story of its one time wearer. For what occasion was the piece made? How was it made and by whom? Was it ever worn? What do we know about the person it was made for? How did it survive the centuries? Well, you get the gist…
For me, clothes have always been an emotional armour - a transforming shell that can hide, correct, elevate, empower, restrain. Even more so in the case of historical fashion since so often these clothes will literally force you to walk, breath or stand differently, which I find in turn affects ones emotional stance as well. I remember when I was at drama school how I couldn't wait for the costumes to come into play during rehearsals and that once they did, I felt like a different person. I guess that is true for a lot of actors (to which guild I no longer belong, alas!) and I suspect costumes and their transforming powers were one of the reasons I wanted to make the stage my profession. In hindsight, I should have realised that this was a sure sign that, really, behind the scenes was where I belonged.
But I digress... My passion for historical fashion has led me to amass a substantial amount of books on the subject and I think the following images from the excellent 100 Dresses by the The Costume Institute/The Metropolitan Museum of Art, will charm even a non-enthusiast.
Court Dress (Robe à la Française), ca. 1750, British
The craftsmanship that went into this mid-18th century court dress is incredible - keep in mind that it is all handmade. It blows my mind every time I see something like this. Court dresses of that period were customarily very wide - this one spans nearly 1.5m - to display the sumptuous fabrics and embroidery that were so often used in these kinds of dresses. I love the combination of light blue and silver thread embroidery - it reminds me of a Fabergé design.
Robe à la Polonaise, ca. 1780, American
The hand-painted Chinese silk of this Polonaise defies belief - the colour seems as fresh and vibrant as if it had been dyed yesterday and not over 200 years ago! A fact I can appreciate even more since starting at Textile School. I love the silhouette of the later decades of the 18th century, when the volume of the skirts began to decrease and the classical shape of the Regency period slowly emerged.
Evening Dress, 1804, French
I adore the simplicity of this neoclassical design - the amazing vertical white on white embroidery really accentuates the column shape of this dress. This whisper-thin cotton fabric is so hard to find in a high quality these days…It would be the making of all my summer dressing!
Ball Gown, 1861, American
Again, the fabric is really what makes this Victorian ball gown stand out to me. The moiré taffeta and brocade are so divine; the design reminds of a delicate porcelain tea cup. Imagine how splendid this dress must have looked in a candle-lit ballroom, swaying through a Viennese Waltz. Beats skimpy neon tube tops and Techno music any day, I'd say!
At-Home Gown, ca. 1876, American
This rather dull brown dress is elevated to sophistication by the gorgeous, detailed embroidery in the style of an 18th century man's waistcoat. Look at those tiny, even stitches and the neat row of buttons - not a thing out of place! Amazing what care has gone into this beautiful piece of clothing - especially if you consider that this dress would only have been worn at home. No tracksuits back then…
Evening Dress, Ca. 1898, French (House of Worth)
The famous House of Worth produced some of the most amazing dresses during the mid- to late 19th century. I have never seen anything like this Art Noveau pattern in black velvet on ivory silk. The way the fabric is woven to match the shape of the dress is incredible. There is something really modern about this design - I could easily see this stunning fabric made into a prêt-a-porter design today.
All images scanned from 100 Dresses.
