This 16th-century portrait attributed to Annibale Carracci is valuable for its realistic depiction of a Black sitter, possibly a seamstress, who is dressed in a fine but sensible black day dress with touches of Italian luxury.
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The nineteenth century opened with a fashion landscape that was changing dramatically and rapidly from the styles of a generation earlier. The French Revolution brought fashions that had been emerging since the 1780s to the forefront. Neoclassicism now defined fashion as both men and women took inspiration from classical antiquity. For women, the high-waisted silhouette in lightweight muslin was the dominant style, while fashionable men looked to the tailors of Britain for a new, refined look.
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Women’s bodices elongated in the 1650s coming to a point in the front, but in general evolved only slowly from the fashions of the previous decade; whereas men’s doublets shrunk radically and their breeches expanded, becoming heavily ornamented with ribbon loops. With England under Cromwell’s control, France takes the lead in fashion.
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This young woman dressed in blue silk edged with lace demonstrates fashionable simplicity for the 1770s and may have lived in the bustling port city of Amsterdam.
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Berthe Morisot’s portrait of teenager Marguerite Carré features a light pink ruffled day dress paired with black velvet and lace accessories, embodying the fashionable trends of 1870s Paris.
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Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress symbolizes the political ambitions of the Kennedys and the unsung story of African-American designer Ann Lowe.
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This lush purple velvet dress designed by Elizabeth Keckley for Mary Todd Lincoln features both an evening and day bodice paired with a wide crinoline skirt. The ensemble, worn in 1861-62 while Lincoln was First Lady, reflects fashionable dress trends of the time.
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This 1863 gown, worn by Mary Todd Lincoln, is an exquisite example of fashionable dress from the early 1860s. With its elegant fabric and thoughtful details, it reveals more about the wearer and the creator, Elizabeth Keckley, an accomplished seamstress who is integral to the history of African-American fashion.
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This dramatic motorcycle-inspired bustier from Mugler’s spring 1992 show was fashionable, if not wearable, and has since been celebrated for its fierce theatricality.
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The Fez and the Ottoman Path to Modernity
1869 – Red Silk Dress
katazome (stencil printing)
1905 – André Derain, Lucien Gilbert
Inès Gâches-Sarraute and the Straight-Front Corset