About the Look

This dinner dress was created by English fashion designer Charles Frederick Worth in 1883. Worth, often referred to as the father of haute couture, had a large influence over Parisian fashions in the late 19th century. His ornately decorated gowns were sought after by many women.

This 1883 silk satin evening gown is a rich red color, featuring a deep square neckline that emphasizes the collarbone (Fig. 1). It includes a standing collar that lies flat on the neck, edged with a tulle material that continues around the entirety of the neckline. In the center, an attached rose embellishment is highlighted. The three-quarter length sleeves are trimmed with the same tulle-material used on the neckline, as well as large, silk ribbons (Fig. 2). The bodice is adorned with a row of buttons down the front with a deeply pointed basque waistline, and is decorated with a rose leaf motif consisting of velvet stripes.

The overskirt is draped in an apron style (Fig. 3), and gathered at the back of the gown to create the bustle. The prominent bustle elongates into a train (Fig. 4), decorated with the same rose leaf motif seen on the bodice. The skirt of the gown is arranged in a straight silhouette featuring the rose leaf and velvet striped pattern (Fig. 5), in addition to knife pleating trimming the gown. The train of the dress is also edged with pleats.

The red color of this Worth dinner dress was quite popular during the early 1880s, particularly in evening gowns. The October 1884 edition of Harper’s Bazar, observes that:

“The bright poppy red is seen as well as that of the darkest dahlias.”

Not only was the color favored, but also the silhouette of the 1883 dinner dress was a common sight in fashion plates that year. One of the dress’s most definitive qualities, the apron overskirt was a frequent feature to dresses during this period. The November, 1883 issue of Harper’s Bazar writes:

“The very long apron overskirt, with a single cluster of folds draping it high and far back on each side, is still fashionably worn by young ladies.”

For instance, the style mentioned above is showcased in this 1882 fashion plate (Fig. 6), which also has a comparable apron style overskirt to the original Worth dress. The similarities between the two gowns are uncanny, between the color and the draped decoration. Not to mention, the skirt is designed in a straighter silhouette like that of the Worth dinner dress.

The early 1880s also saw the revival of the bustle, which had begun to lose its popularity in the late 1870s. However, the style resurgence resulted in an altered bustle. As the 1880-1889 decade overview  explains:

“By 1884, the bustle had returned, this time a hard, shelf-like protrusion that projected from the small of the back. This bustle was rigidly structured, as opposed to the soft, draped bustle of the 1870s.”

Bustles evolved into larger, more defined additions to gowns. A prominent bustle is featured in the 1883 dinner dress and can also be seen in figure 7. A similar bustle is attached at the back of the gown, with noticeable ruffled fabric and a short, yet significant, train. While the fashion plate depicts a day gown, rather than an evening gown, as defined by the high neckline, the fashionability of the protruding bustle remains important to the trends of this time period.

Another noteworthy trend that was present in this era was trains following behind the bustle. While the style was short-lived, these long, complex trains added extravagance to dresses. The bustle-train duo displayed in figure 8 can be compared to that of the Worth gown. Once again, the apron style overskirt is portrayed, but this time the drapery elongates into a bustle, and then a train. It is important to also note the floral pattern and standing neckline displayed within the fashion plate.

As bustles got larger and trains became more important, bodices grew longer and more pointed. In How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 20th Century (2017), fashion historian Lydia Edwards highlights that:

“A deeply pointed basque waistline is typical of the 1880s, fitting sveltely over the hips but not extending past them.”

This phenomenon appears in the 1883 dinner dress and is also exhibited in figure 9. While the bodice isn’t nearly as pointed as that of the Worth gown, the evolving trend of the bodice ending below the waist and flowing over the hips remains prevalent. Coupled with this, the 1884 fashion plate includes many features displayed on the original dinner dress such as the square neckline edged with tulle, three-quarter length sleeves, a floral design decorating the skirt, as well as the infamous bustle and train.

Pleated designs were also considered attractive throughout the late 1870s and 1880s. Pleating was commonly seen on skirts and trains (Fig. 10), more specifically as trimming on these features, as can be seen on the original 1883 gown. Considering the various elements of the gown that are repeatedly seen in fashion plates surrounding this era, it is evident that the 1883 Worth gown was quite fashionable for its time.