Contemporary style:
Harper’s Bazar Ball Toilette, (2.11.1882, cover). Magnolia satin with rosy hints. Tablier is embroidered in silks and beads, terminated at the food by two pleatings of the satin. )
I did find a few more examples of a the tablier style covered in beads. But I need to explain what a tablier is.
It means apron. But it is important to understand what an apron in fashion in the natural form and sencond bustle era looked like. It was plain and pulled back. So it’s basically a plain skirt front as opposed to one covered in drapery or rushing etc.
Wedding dress Place of origin: Paris (made) Date: 19/02/1880 (worn) Artist/Maker: Worth, Charles Frederick, Materials and Techniques: Silk satin, lace and net, lined with silk, imitation of pearls embroidery, velvet Museum number: T.62 to B-1976
5: Wedding dress Date:1881 Culture:American Medium:silk, pearl Credit Line:Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art,Accession Number:2009.300.3847a, b
Wedding Dress c. 1882 – England Material Ivory silk brocade of gold thread with floral pattern; trimmed with silk tulle, Brussels lace, beads, and imitation pearls; 240cm-length train with fifteen tiered flounce. Inventory Number(s) AC2203 79-9-8AB
6:Dress About 1885, 19th century Gift of Miss Estelle Holland M20296.1-2 © McCord Museum Keywords: Dress (85)
2: Medium: Green/brown changéant silk velvet, lace, beads, rhinestones, and gold metallic cord Date: 1889-1890 Country: France Object Number: P91.55.6
Evening dress Date:1888–89 Culture:American Medium:silk Accession Number:C.I.47.65.1a, b
A garment found several years ago on ebay.
Another earlier ebay find
There was some exploration of asymmetry of these overlayers of beaded silk especially when on a delicate fabric.
Name: Wedding Dress Date: 1887 Place: United States Medium: silk, beads, faux pearls
Classification: Women’s Ceremonial Dress Department: Fashion Arts and Textiles No: 1971.320
Maria Feodorovna (1847-1928), Princess, Tsaritsa, Glucksberg family, Romanov family
Maria Feodorovna (1847-1928), Princess, Tsaritsa, Glucksberg family, Romanov family
I adore these oversized pearls on thin silver beaded loops. Some of the other gowns how tassels and loops made from matching pearl beads (see garment immediately to right), but this is quite a statement.
And then we come to the two Sunburst gowns. Worth regularly repeated his designs, with some adjustments based on the new client.
Evening Dress© The Kyoto Costume Institute Evening Dress c. 1894 Designer Charles-Frederick Worth Material Ivory silk satin two-piece dress; gigot sleeves; pale pink silk chiffon decoration at neck and bodice; skirt with sunbeam and cloud asymmetry pattern of pale pink silk tulle insertion and bead embroidery. Inventory Number(s) AC4799 84-9-2AB
Ball gown Design House:House of Worth (French, 1858–1956) Designer:Charles Frederick Worth Date:ca. 1887 Medium:silk, glass, metallic thread Accession Number:49.3.28a, b
This just happens to be a very obvious copy due to the single large stylised motif across the entire skirt. These just stand out a mile away! These do also make use of cut work and so perhaps represent an early start to the later gown with heavy use of cutwork. They certainly show more in character and line to the vertical plant motifs than the layers of net and beads.
And that seems to have lead to experimentation with full skirt length motifs.
Ball gown Design House:House of Worth Designer:Jean-Philippe Worth (French, 1856–1926) Date:1900 Medium:silk, rhinestones Credit Line:Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number:2009.300.1250a, b
Harper;s Bazar, 1894. (3.17.94, cover) Coiffure from Lentheric of Paris. Pale sky blue satin bordered in black fur. Beaded irises cover the side front seams.
(BTW that shape of the wheat sheaf gown is well represented in other garments Worth created especially in velvet or fabric a la disposition.)
And what can we say about this gown that has not already bean said:
THE ‘LILY’ EVENING GOWN, WORTH WORN BY COMTESSE GREFFULHE Worth Gift of the Duc de Gramont Circa 1896 Black silk velvet, white silk satin (for the partially modern collar), white satin appliqués embroidered with metal cannetilles and gold sequins. GAL1978.20.1
Still no luck tracking down the book so I went looking on Worldcat
So this allowed me to look for a book published between 1970 and 1996 (the year I know I saw it) that is about wedding dresses and probably by a museum. I though Museum of London based on the format I had in my head but well:
Wedding dress : 1740-1970
Author: Madeleine Ginsburg; Victoria and Albert Museum.
Publisher: London : H.M.S.O., 1981.
Edition/Format: Print book : National government publication : English
This sounds like the puppy!!!. And it is still available at the library I know it was from. And I recall the production I was in that caused the book to be at a rehersal:
Trial By Jury! Yes, a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta about a bride and with all her bridesmaids in tow! I then requested a whole lot of other useful book s 🙂