Category: 1880-1889
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1881 – James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Harmony in Pink and Gray: Portrait of Lady Meux
Lady Meux relied on Whistler’s careful hand and international regard when crafting a new image for herself as an elegant woman who belonged to the elite class into which she had recently married.
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1880 – Red corset
This brightly colored corset with steel boning and a front-opening spoon busk was a highly fashionable foundation garment for a woman’s wardrobe in the 1880s.
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Grand Opening of the Museum of Historical Costume in Poznan, Poland
In the fashion world everything has already happened. The inaugural exhibition, “Fashion Repeats Itself. The revival styles in 19th-century ladies fashion,” opening March 29th at the new Museum of Historical Costume in Poznan, Poland explores just that theme.
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1883 – Pierre Auguste Renoir, City Dance (Danse à la ville)
In City Dance, Renoir paints a fashionable Parisienne, waltzing with her dance partner, in a winter ball. Dressed in the latest neoclassically draped evening dress style for young women, the dancer’s simple, draped gown is tasteful and classic in the lack of heavy ornamentation and frills.
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cuirass bodice
A form-fitting, long-waisted, boned bodice worn in the 1870s and 1880s–almost gives the appearance of armor as the name suggests.
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1884-1886 – Mme Grapanche, Red Silk Dinner Dress
A pinnacle of 1880s fashion, this bustled gown’s many intricate style details, full silhouette, and bright red color make it a dress to be admired now and envied then.
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1888 – William Merritt Chase, Lady in Black
William Merritt Chase captures the style and youth of his art student, Mariette Benedict Cotton, in this portrait. She wears a black day dress made in the traditional bustle silhouette of the period with puffed sleeves that were rising in popularity at the time. Chase’s use of light adds depth to the piece, emphasizing folds in the fabric and the glittering of Cotton’s eyes and jewelry.
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1884 – Edgar Degas, The Singer in Green
Although dressed in theatrical costume, Degas’ Singer in Green contains details that were fashionable for women’s evening wear at the time, including an off-the-shoulder neckline, a downward-pointing bodice, a diagonal-striped pattern, and a choker-style necklace. What is less fashionable is its lack of applied florals and the bold color palette, which signals the fact that it is a costume.
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1880 – Mary Cassatt, Lydia Crocheting in the Garden at Marly
Mary Cassatt’s 1880 portrait of Lydia Crocheting in the Garden at Marly features the artist’s ailing sister, Lydia Cassatt, wearing a large white bonnet and a blue day dress accented with a plaid print and white lace–a common dress style of the time.
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1887-1889 – Jean-Philippe Worth, Evening dress
This silk evening dress draped in lace was designed by Jean-Philippe Worth in 1887-89 and was very fashionable for its time due to his design, color, and stylistic choices.
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1881 – Édouard Manet, Spring (Jeanne Demarsy)
Spring (Jeanne Demarsy) by Édouard Manet is a breathtaking, youthful portrait of French actress Jeanne Demarsy, who exemplifies the title Spring in both her soft facial features and her Parisienne-style outfit. As one of the last paintings done by Manet before his death, Spring symbolizes the merging of female beauty and the beauty of nature, coming together as one to be admired in its totality.
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