Russian and European Court Dresses

[Lisa]

The  older dress 1830's, workshop by IZAMBARD-CHANCEAU

[Lisa]

same dress, by Olga BULBENKOVA

[Lisa]

Here are the original plates from the 1824 ukaz. It's come from a Russian book by SHEPELIOV, Chinovnyï mir Rossii, St Petersburg, 1999
[http://www.ozon.ru/context/book_detail/id/1101781/?partner=bookprice

I hope my english is understandable:
Maiden in waiting to the Empress


Ladies of honnor to the State


Ladies of Honnor to the Grand-duchesses

[Martyn]

Can I ask which book the photos of the court dresses come from (that Lisa and Brian both have)?
These photos show clearly that court dress does display elements of fashionable dress: the example that is shown worn with a criniline is remarkable.  Olga Ks' photo that shows her in that sumptuous parure of emeralds shows us quite clearly that the shape of the bodice is very much au courant with the fashionable shape of that time.  So, far from being fossilised and archaic, Russian court dress was not only incredibly picturesque, it was very versatile in its incorporation of these fashionable elements.

[Lisa]

from KORSHUNOVA (available in Russian, French and English) Costume in Russia: 18th to Early 20th Centuries from the Hermitage Museum  ISBN: 0569085780

and the Russian book, by BESPALOVA Kostium v Rossii

[Teddy]

These dresses are not the Tercentenary dresses. The girls wore them about 1908 (in my opinion for Maria Pavlovna's weding)...
You can see them her with these dresses:

Was this picture taken 4 the wedding of Maria P?

Are there also such pictures of them taken 4 the weddings of Irina A. and Felix, Ioann and Helena of Serbia and 4 the wedding of Tatiana K. and her husband?

[nerdycool]

I'm not sure about the other weddings, but if they attended Irina and Felix's wedding, it would seem odd to wear court dresses when the bride herself didn't wear one.

[Lanie]

I think that picture was taken in 1910 or so, just a formal official photograph.

[Maria_Pavlovna]

I agree with Teddy.. I think it would be for Maria P's weding...

If it was For Maria Pavlovna the younger's wedding,.Alexei would have be four years old..in the pic he looks a little older then four, maybe 6-9?

[matushka]

The girl hair style can help us to date this photo and I agree with Lanie: in 1908 Olga had an other hair style. I saw this photo and other similar in the french journal L Illustration, in an issue of 1911.

[leanora]

Silly question  , but I was just wondering...; In the Imperial court's balls how could the women dance with such heavy costumes? I often read that during the balls, women danced polonaise, mazurka, waltz and many of other lively dances and wore in the same time dresses embroidered with gold and silver, trains, veils, fans, a lot of heavy jewels, tiaras ect...

Do you think it possible to dance with such clothes and jewels? Did they take veils and trains off before dance? I am curious to know, having read nothing on that...

[moonlight_tsarina]

Well, it depends on the occasion. When the Imperial women as well as other women went to occasions with the Russian court gowns, I don't think it was a festivity in which they danced.

[moonlight_tsarina]

I have that picture in one of my albums...it's gorgeous! I wonder why Olga's (to the right) has pink details while Tatiana's has cream details instead.  
The trains are very long as well.

[Lisa]

the details are pink on the both. it's because they are old , worn and faded...

[moonlight_tsarina]

Oh, i think you are right! Has anyone seen the tiaras? They have faded horribly. They are no longer a nice bright pink. Also, the pearls are corroded and falling off. In the kokoshinik thread, it stated that the pearls used were fake. is this true? Why would the Supreme Russian Royalty use faux pearls?
Here is a pic of one of the GD's kokoshiniks.



(Or at least I think that is one of theirs..)