Two decades after premiering his most scandalous painting, Madame X, John Singer Sargent unveiled a portrait of another woman known for her unworldly beauty and charm – Lady Helen Vincent, Viscountess D’Abernon.
This late 19th-century embroidered tea gown combines design features of several artistic movements of the time, including historicism, Japonisme, and Art Nouveau.
While technology progressed in the first decade of the twentieth century, fashion largely remained the same. Subtle changes in silhouette occurred in womenswear until the tubular shape of the 1910s was beginning to emerge by the end of the decade. Lace and other embellishments were key. Menswear continued to see the suit as the primary style, though the tuxedo became increasingly acceptable as formal wear in the evening. Children continued to be dressed like mini-adults and styles such has the sailor suit continued to be popular options.
This Callot Soeurs evening dress, influenced by Orientalism and the Directoire revival, embodies the latest trends of the time in its cylindrical silhouette and soft, unstructured look.
This green André Courrèges coat is a quintessential example of 1960s mod style, maintaining a delicate balance between the Space Age vibes of its synthetic material and the freedom of its functionality.
Seventies fashion saw bold colors and patterns take center stage. Women’s fashion looked back to the 1940s by day and pumped up the glamour by night. Men had an array of suit types to choose from and favored colorful plaids. Children’s fashion followed adult fashion with bold plaids and bright colors with the distinction between genders lessening throughout the decade.
The year 1938 was a period of transition from the catastrophic Great Depression to World War II. Women’s fashion was exuberant: vibrant colors, Surrealist accessories, ornate hats with minimal embellishments were key trends. However, the overall silhouette was simple, clean, and sophisticated. Hemlines began to fall down below the knees. Restrained, structured shoulders evolved into the iconic puff sleeve. Public figures such as the Duchess of Windsor inspired women in their everyday dress.
Fashion in the 1960s became progressively more casual across all genders and ages. Womenswear followed three broad trends: a continuation of the previous decade’s ladylike elegance, the youthful styles of Mary Quant and the Space Age influence, and the late 1960s “hippie” style. Menswear saw an increasing amount of color and pattern, military influence, and new fashion icons in the form of rock stars. Children’s wear saw less change, but also became more casual and bright in color and pattern.
Vionnet’s exquisite technique and ingenious construction–like that seen in her 1936 carnival dress–popularized her designs internationally throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
Fashion in the 1950s saw a clear gender divide. While men and boy’s fashion moved towards a more casual day-to-day style, women and girl’s fashion prioritized elegance, formality, and perfectly matched accessories. Couture womenswear saw rapid change with new designers such as Cristobal Balenciaga and Hubert de Givenchy disrupting the overtly feminine silhouette popularized by Christian Dior while novel prints and colors marked a playfulness in fashion for both men and women.
1930 was a transitional year. Not yet at the height of glamour reached later in the decade, designers’ 1930 collections moved away from the flapper’s boxy shape in an attempt to define the look of the modern woman who must navigate through the Great Depression.
John Galliano impresses the fashion world at the turn of the century with this champagne-pink, punk rock inspired evening gown. The asymmetrical bias-cut silk, daring slit, and body-hugging boning make the garment sexy, intriguing, and memorable.
1840 – Queen Victoria’s Wedding Dress
1872 – Emile Pingat, Visiting Dress
1904 – John Singer Sargent, Lady Helen Vincent, Viscountess D’Abernon
1878 – James Tissot, Evening
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