1859 – Gold silk day dress with floral brocade
While the silhouette of this day dress, its floral brocade, and its use of fringe were fashionable for 1859, its choice of gold silk fabric and naturalistic coloring for the flowers was less so.
Category: garment analysis
1863 – Blue silk dress with black floral embroidery
This 1863 dress has a simple and standard silhouette for the period—buttoned bodice, wide sleeves, full skirt—but is made fashionable by the floral embroidery, sash, and “Mexican blue” color.
1867 – White piqué afternoon dress with black cording
About the Look This 1867 afternoon dress features a full crinolined skirt in white cotton piqué with black cording running asymmetrically down the left side and forming...
1868 – Green silk day dress
This green silk afternoon dress is made fashionable for a woman in 1868 by its vibrant green color, its high neck and bustled skirt silhouette, and its embellishments of bows, trim, and tasseled fringe.
1872 – Mon. Vignon, Silk day dress
The early 1870s were characterized by bustles, square necklines, sleeves that flare at the wrist, jacket-style bodices, the appearance of aprons, asymmetry, and flounces, frills, and ruffles. This ca. 1872 silk day dress designed by Mon. Vignon is the perfect example of a fashionable early 1870s garment.
1953 – Sophie Gimbel, Cocktail Dress
Sophie Gimbel’s black cocktail dress is studded with sequins and rhinestones, which gives the impression that the dress is covered in stars. It reflects the influence of Christian Dior’s “New Look” silhouette and the emergence of cocktail attire in the 1950s.
1973 – Rafael, Denim Leisure Suit
Bill Kaiserman (Rafael) was a retail salesman turned hat maker who influenced that fashion world by introducing the leisure aesthetic to the American fashion market in the early 1970s.
1989 – Nicola Bowery, Ensemble
This ensemble was created by Nicola Bowery out of repurposed Gap denim jacket and Levi’s jeans. During the 1970s and 1980s, Punks and New Romantics would...
2003 – Roberto Cavalli, Spring/Summer RTW embroidered denim ensemble
This Spring/Summer 2003 ensemble references 18th-century menswear, but inflects it with Cavalli’s signature sexiness and characteristic use of both denim and...
2015 – Ralph Lauren, denim three-piece suit
Playing on the tradition of the 1970s leisure suit, American designer Ralph Lauren, presented a three-piece denim suit as a part of his 2015 luxury Purple Label Collection. Hybridizing two classically favored menswear items such as the navy suit and contemporary favorite dark denim, Lauren is able to suggest the marriage of two very distinct garments. The look tiptoes the line between dressy and casual daring the fashion industry and consumers alike to keep evolving beyond the status quo.
Recent Essays
1733-34 – Jean Siméon Chardin, Soap BubblesIn 1730-1739, 18th century, artwork analysis
1910-1919In 1910-1919, 20th century, decade overview
1864In 1860-1869, 19th century, year overview
1859 – Gold silk day dress with floral brocadeIn 1850-1859, 19th century, garment analysis
1769 – Jean Honore Fragonard, A Woman With a DogIn 1760-1769, 18th century, artwork analysis