Category: D

dashiki

19th century, 20th century, Africa, Americas, BIPOC, D, term definition

A loose-fitting pullover tunic traditionally worn in West African cultures that was adopted by African diasporic communities as a symbol of African heritage in the 1960s and then more widely worn as a popular item of “ethnic” fashion.

dentalium cape/dress

19th century, 20th century, Americas, D, term definition

A dentalium cape or dentalium dress is a garment worn by Native American women that is made from the stringing together of dentalium shells in a circular pattern around the neck and across the chest and shoulders.

aniline dyes

19th century, A, D, term definition

Synthetic, chemical dyes for garments first invented in the 19th century.

doublet

1490-1499, 14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, D, term definition

An often snug-fitting jacket that is shaped and fitted to a man’s body–worn mostly in the 15th to 17th centuries.

dagging

14th century, 15th century, 16th century, D, term definition

An extremely popular decorative edging technique created by cutting that reached its height during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

dalmatic tunic

Byzantine, D, T, term definition

A t-shaped tunic with very wide sleeves. Worn by both men and women during the Byzantine empire.

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Throughout the 90s, actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley

Throughout the 90s, actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen rose to be prominent fashion icons for childrenswear. During this time, kids' fashion drew heavy inspiration from popular movie and tv stars. In the beginning of the decade, the twins often dressed in matching or coordinating outfits, which helped to heighten their appeal as many other young girls looked towards them for the latest trends. They wore a lot of the popular casual styles of the decade such as overalls, flannels, and jeans. As they grew older, both girls and their characters began to wear more distinctive outfits. May-Kate preferred pants and “tomboy” styles, while Ashley liked dresses and more feminine styles. These distinctions helped the twins appeal to a wide range of personalities. By the end of the decade they were firmly established as fashion icons. The girls typically wore their characters’ styles off-screen, which made many young girls want to emulate their style. Towards the end of the 90s, they even had a clothing line at Walmart, which demonstrates their influence on fashion trends of the day. Click the link at the bio to learn more about 90s trends!

#fashionhistory #digitalhumanities #20thcenturyfashion

This 1859 ensemble has a gold, two-tiered skirt an

This 1859 ensemble has a gold, two-tiered skirt and pagoda sleeves, both of which are edged in a red, green, and peach floral brocade pattern. It has a round-necked bodice with a frayed v-shaped seam above the bust and frayed edges. The edges of the pagoda sleeves are also frayed, and there are two tiers of the large, round cage crinoline-shaped skirt. The bust-level tier of the bodice, as well as the tiers of the sleeves, have a two-inch-wide green and red floral brocade pattern, while both tiers of the skirt are adorned with a similar pattern. The patterning also creates the illusion of additional tiers on the skirt by depicting what appear to be frayed, scalloped edges. Gold buttons start at the center top of the bodice and extend beneath the bodice tier down the center of the pointed bodice. The silhouette of the pagoda sleeves, high round collar, and two-tier skirt, was one that was often reproduced in fashion plates, suggesting that this was fashionable in its year. Read more at the link in bio!

#FashionHistory #19thCenturyFashion #DigitialHumanities

This ensemble was created by Nicola Bowery, wife o

This ensemble was created by Nicola Bowery, wife of Leigh Bowery, for John Joseph Lyndon to wear to the first Lobe Ball AIDS benefit in 1989, an event characterized by the fantastical fashions worn by many of the guests. Before this ensemble, Bowery had assisted in creating other garments, but nothing specifically recorded. It is made entirely from repurposed garments, including a Gap jacket and blue denim Levis that were embellished with pailettes and beads. Nicola and Leigh were associated with the New Romantics, a movement about gender blurring by confronting gender and sexuality. This allowed for the application of sequins, that were previously associated with womenswear to this masculine denim ensemble. The ensemble has been displayed during The Museum at FIT’s exhibit “Denim: Fashion’s Frontier.” Read more at the link in bio!

#FashionHistory #20thCenturyFashion #DigitialHumanities

Berthe Morisot’s portrait of teenager Marguerite

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. At only 23 years old Morisot made her first appearance at the Paris Salon art exhibition and although the first Impressionist exhibition wasn’t until 1874, Morisot had been experimenting with the style for many years prior. Well-to-do teenager Carré was most likely around sixteen years old when she posed for the painter. Along with her sister Valentine, Marguerite was one of Morisot’s earliest models. ‘The Pink Dress’ was created in Carré’s home, the Villa Fodor, located in an elegant neighborhood west of Paris. For the painting, Carré wears a light pink high-collared dress with riddles along the center front and cuffs. The dress features narrow sleeves that end midway down the sitter's forearm where they then flare out into larger cuffs. Likely, the pink dress is made of silk taffeta or cotton voile. The sitter's dress features the period’s popular elements including a waistline placed slightly above the natural waist. The high neckline and longer sleeves of the dress signify that this is a daytime outfit since low necklines in combination with shorter sleeves were reserved for evening gowns during the nineteenth century. Although it is difficult to identify details on Carré’s pink skirt, we do see the tell-tale edge of an apron front, equally ruffled, and we can assume that her skirt has volume in the back. Carré’s dress is paired with an either satin or velvet black ribbon with a circular gold pendant tied around her neck, on top of the white collar of the dress. The painting, which depicts a young and fashionable upper-class woman, is typical of the work of Morisot. Read more about the work at the link in the bio!

#fashionhistory #digitalhumanities #19thcenturyfashion

Franz-Xaver Winterhalter’s 1855 portrait of Empr

Franz-Xaver Winterhalter’s 1855 portrait of Empress Eugénie surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting shows off the most fashionable styles of the time with their ravishingly elegant dresses and accessories in a Rococo revival countryside setting. Empress Eugénie married Napoleon III in 1853, and she became one of the most popular trendsetters, heavily influencing the wardrobes of French women, deeming what was in and out of style. In addition, she was also an avid patron of the arts, which she used to create a positive image of the Second Empire. She found much inspiration from Marie Antoinette, and was often painted in Rococo revival-style portraits. In this painting she wanted to convey a humble image, letting her ladies-in-waiting wear jewelry, while she wears none herself. She is also shown holding a honeysuckle branch, which was the symbol of her crown worn during the exhibition of the painting. The Empress and her ladies-in-waiting are wearing popular flounced skirts which were expanded through the use of a lighter and more flexible crinoline. This technology allowed for the widest silhouettes of the century. The Empress is wearing a white silk dress overlaid with white tulle. The stripes and loops are created by lilac silk and ribbon trimmings. She is suspected to be wearing a gown designed by couturier Charles Frederick Worth, as he created many dresses for her. All of the women are wearing off-the-shoulder necklines, which was extremely popular for evening wear, and typical of Winterhalter paintings. Because of the low necklines the women wear lace berthas, a popular accessory of the time. Similar design features of the sitters can be found in contemporary fashion plates and surviving dresses, showing the high fashionability of the women, with the Empress dictating the trends. Read more at the link in the bio!

#fashionhistory #digitalhumanities #19thcenturyfashion

1938 proved to be a period of transition from the

1938 proved to be a period of transition from the Great Depression to World War II. To distract themselves from the gloomy state of the world, many people turned to Hollywood stars and other celebrities, who thus made a great impact on fashion trends of the time. Women’s fashion in particular was very exuberant with vibrant colors, ornate hats, and surrealistic accessories. However, the overall silhouette was simple with clean lines and sophisticated styles. More conservative than the previous decade, hemlines fell down below the knees. In addition, restrained structured shoulders evolved into the iconic puff sleeve. This sleeve style became extremely popular in 1932 when actress Joan Crawford wowed the public in her “Letty Lynton” dress designed by Gilbert Adrian. The dress went on to be the most copied garment of the decade. Other fashion icons of the time include Wallis Simpson, wife of Edward VIII, who had a particular “hard chic” style that resonated with many American women. Simpson had a large couture collection, and was known for wearing the most current fashions of the time. 1938 continued the trend for Surrealist fashion accessories, designer Elsa Schiaparelli led the way for this movement, and designed multiple exciting hats that shocked the world. Two of her most popular creations include the iconic shoe hat and the “Inkpot Hat”. Read more about trends from 1938 at the link in the bio!

#fashionhistory #digitalhumanities #20thcenturyfashion

Many of Sargent’s most celebrated portraits capt

Many of Sargent’s most celebrated portraits captured members of high society whose world was rapidly shifting. He met the sitter of this portrait, Lady Helen Vincent, in Venice, a year before painting her in 1904. Lady Helen was described as “one of the beauties of age, and a woman of rare charm and distinction”, as she was a British socialite and wife of financier and diplomat Sir Edgar Vincent. Additionally, she was also a member of “the Souls”, a salon of intellectual figures and was a trained nurse anesthetist, who would treat thousands of patients during WWI. In the portrait, Lady Helen is seen wearing a highly elegant black satin evening gown, consistent with the Edwardian era, as it was common for a woman to have their décolletage and upper arms bare while wearing evening gowns. She is also seen having a cinched, pigeon-breasted torso, which was achieved by new corsetry introduced in 1900. The appearance of forcing the bosom forward and trusting the hips back was known as the ‘kangaroo stance’, or the ‘S’ line. This type of corset was promoted as being more practical, and safer for one’s internal organs, a claim we now know is untrue. Lady Helen’s attire is considered refined in its relative lack of decorative detail for the time, as it was common to have evening wear with lace, ruffles, and bows. She is seen wearing a pearl necklace and ring, gold bracelet, and hairpin, which is consistent with the time period, while her lip color is more bold than what was considered appropriate. The Portrait of Lady Helen is often compared to Sargent’s most controversial work, his portrait of Madame X, though the two were painted two decades apart from each other. Read more at the link in bio!

#FashionHistory #20thCenturyFashion #DigitalHumanities

In honor of the Emmys last night we wanted to high

In honor of the Emmys last night we wanted to highlight some of our favorite fashion-history inspired looks. What was your favorite look from the star-studded night?

Slide 1- Zendaya in Maison Valentino (riff on 1987 red dress worn by Linda Evangelista)
Slide 2- Laura Linney in Christian Siriano (with carrick coat capelets)
Slide 3- Mark Indelicato (extravagant tailcoat)
Slide 4- Sydney Sweeney in Oscar de la Renta (bustle)
Slide 5- Laverne Cox in Jean Paul Gaultier (cone bra)
Slide 6- Lim Se Ryung (ruff)

#fashionhistory #digitalhumanities #emmys

This day dress was designed by French couturier Em

This day dress was designed by French couturier Emile Pingat in the early 1890s. It is composed of black satin-striped silk and intricate black beading, featuring exquisite stripes on the front of a pleated vest-style bodice with a high stand collar. The beading occurs on both the front and back along the contours of the body, stopping at the natural waistline. The sleeves are in the early 1890s style called gigot, or leg-of-mutton style. Its skirt is made in the same black satin-striped silk as the bodice and is constructed to have two panels, two in the front and three in the back. The skirt is gathered at the back and slightly trained for a gentle, sophisticated silhouette. Read more at the link in bio!

#19thCenturyFashion #DigitialHumanities #FashionHistory

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