Designs by Worth and Other Haute Coutures Part I

[ashanti01]

Wedding gown circa 1898 




I have to say that this wedding dress is one of my favorites by Worth. Considering the time it was made, it's actually a very simple design but it just screms elegance.

[Eddie_uk]

No the V & A identified it as a Lucile gown.

[Martyn]

Also, Worth had a large team of seamstresses.  For some important clients such as Empress Eugenie, her outfits were usually finished the day after she had ordered them.  According to the book Eugenie: The Empress and Her Empire, Worth's workshop once finished an outfit less than 4 hrs.

Worth was a great designer but he never really created a new style but rather added to the old existing styles.  He was even a greater marketer, able to form strategic relationships with the most powerful and changed the way fashion was sold. 

True.  He did emply a substantial number of people onsite in the Rue de la Paix to finish garments.  Worth also had a lay figure of the Empress which enabled garments to be made without resorting to lengthy fittings, which the Empress would naturally not have time for.

I don't agree that Worth did not create new styles. Although he did not create the crinoline, he was largely responsible for the modifications to it in terms of size and shape and for ultimately doing away with it.  He also introduced the Princess Line dresses of the late 1860's and subsequently the new bustle styles of the early 1870's (his inspiration for which was the draped mantuas of the 1690's), not to mention the shoulder hung court train (a polite reference to the court dress of the First Empire)..........

Off the top of my head, the gown that was finished in four hours was something that the Empress had to have at short notice.  I seem to recall that it was during a State visit to Paris by Alexander II in 1867, during which an assassination attempt was made on his life; the toilette that Worth had created for the Empress to wear to a function that followed on from this was judged to be inappropriate and thus the necessity for creating something that was ( I suspect that it was an evening toilette.....)

[emeraldeyes1969]

Off the top of my head, the gown that was finished in four hours was something that the Empress had to have at short notice.  I seem to recall that it was during a State visit to Paris by Alexander II in 1867, during which an assassination attempt was made on his life; the toilette that Worth had created for the Empress to wear to a function that followed on from this was judged to be inappropriate and thus the necessity for creating something that was ( I suspect that it was an evening toilette.....)

That's off the top of your head?   You're a walking encyclopaedia...

[Martyn]

Off the top of my head, the gown that was finished in four hours was something that the Empress had to have at short notice.  I seem to recall that it was during a State visit to Paris by Alexander II in 1867, during which an assassination attempt was made on his life; the toilette that Worth had created for the Empress to wear to a function that followed on from this was judged to be inappropriate and thus the necessity for creating something that was ( I suspect that it was an evening toilette.....)

That's off the top of your head?   You're a walking encyclopaedia...

A walking cure for insomnia more like!!!! 

I have been interested in Worth for many years and I bought my fist book on him when I was eighteen, twenty-eight years ago.  At the time I was studying history of art and I wanted to do a dissertation on Worth and his impact on fashion as part of my course.  I have read so much about him over the years; I find the story of the 'man-milliner' such a fascinating one.

Do stop me if I get boring about him.........

[grandduchessella]

No the V & A identified it as a Lucile gown.

Yes, that's what I meant. I didn't get it from the V&A site but rather another site which said it was a Worth at the V&A. The dangers of 2nd and 3rd hand info. 

[Martyn]

Point taken. 

I'll just add this and then shut up.  Worth himself was quoted as saying:

'We can finish a costume in twenty-four hours.  French ladies have ordered a dress in the morning and danced in it at night.  I once made a gown for the Empress Eugénie in three hours and a half.'

This was due to the incident that I mentioned earlier.  The attempt on Alexander II's life had been made by a patriotic Pole at a military review , which Napoléon III had laid on the Russian monarch's honour.  Alexander was in Paris at that time for the Universal Exhibition of `1867, along with many other crowned heads of Europe.  Eugénie had been due to dine that evening at the Russian Embassy and Worth had created a sumptuous dinner dress for her to wear, but the Empress decided that she would be obliged to wear something simpler in view of the gravity of the situation. Worth was summoned to the Tuileries and faced with the challenge of creating a new toilette in just three and half hours - something that was simply not possible even for him.  Instead he took a plain court dress from her existing wardrobe, removed its trimmings and covered the skirt with three layers of white tulle with a tracery of silver stitches, creating a very simple but expensive effect.  Eugénie went to the dinner, simply dressed in the hallmark of the French Court in the 1860's - white tulle with silver embroidery, the trademark of Worth's Second Empire success.

[grandduchessella]

Don't worry Martyn--I think EmeraldEyes was only joking in reference to your 'insomnia cure' comment prior. I think she, like us all, find your knowledge not only interesting but the opposite of sleep-inducing!

[Martyn]

Thanks GDElla. 

But perhaps she did have a point.  Worth has been someone whom I have admired for much of my adult life and at times I have felt that in some small way his life and work influenced me to follow my chosen career. 

I sometimes get so immersed that my comment can be a bit boring, so it is good to be told occasionally not to be so dry when discussing a topic........

[grandduchessella]

Well, I don't think you're dry or boring. I really enjoyed that story about Empress Eugenie. You could've just said 'Worth created a lovely gown for Eugenie of white tulle and it was a smashing success'. Instead, there's the story behind the dress and its origins that put the factual description of the dress in a whole different light. You're a poster that actually gives some real detail and context to a story. That's to be commended and encouraged even if it isn't everyone's cup of tea--as no one style of posting ever could be. 

[emeraldeyes1969]

Sometimes it's a pity that we can't see each other's facial expressions and hear the intonations of the words that we would be speaking if actually face to face.  The written word can be so ambiguous.  (mutters to self, "must remember to add smileys to borderline admonishing posts...")

I certainly was just kiddin' around and meant absolutely no offence; Martyn you should really know by now that I am one of your biggest fans.

[Mari]

I think Tampa Bay asked about the cleaning of these Dresses!

If it's likely to be considered a museum piece leave it for the specialist conservators who would certainly prefer to purchase the item as is.
   
However if its yours and you feel it could be cleaned a little they recommend "spot dabbing with white vinegar using a lint free clean white cloth.  Lemon juice also works in a similar manner." This is recommended for under arm stains, rust, and mildew. Hand washing is only recommended for few cases and then de-ionized water with mild detergent..no wringing and no scrubbing...velvets can be problematic, if in doubt do nothing.

Interestingly a good brush down and the above lemon juice I have read is what they also used in Victorian Times.   
information from Vintage Clothes 13 by Pauline Weston Thomas

[Ortino]

I'm sure caring for these clothes was a pain.

A VERY interesting book I purchased on daily life in the Yusupov Palace has a detailed entry about the maintenance of clothing in the 19th/early 20th century:

"[for removing stains from silk]-The soiled spot was smeared with egg yolk, which was rubbed into the fabric, and then washed away with cold water. Small stains were removed with simple turpentine and stains on black silk with bull bile. Removing ink stains was more difficult but also possible: strong vinegar was mixed with warm ashes and rubbed into the stain for as long as possible and then washed off with soapy water.

To remove stains from woolen fabrics, turpentine was rubbed into them with a white rag. Removing stains from velvet was problematic: a few poppy heads were burnt in a clay pot and the ashes were used to make an alkaine solution to wash the stain away.

Stains of tar were removed with butter after leaving it on the fabric for a few hours and then egg yolk mixed with warm water was smeared on the stain. To remove grease stains, turpentine and well water were normally used, and then the stain was rubbed with Venetian soap." (pg. 23).


I find it all utterly fascinating.

[Alixz]

Worth was to fashion what Faberge was to jewelry.

An innovator and a design genius.

Isn't it amazing that they both lived at about the same time and designed for the same women?  A Worth gown with Faberge jewelry.  High fashion indeed!

[TampaBay]

Worth was to fashion what Faberge was to jewelry.

An innovator and a design genius.

Isn't it amazing that they both lived at about the same time and designed for the same women?  A Worth gown with Faberge jewelry.  High fashion indeed!

Does anyone have a picture of a piece of actual Faberge jewelry?  I have seen, Faberge cigarette cases, pictures frames and off course THE Imperial  Eggs but I do not think I have seen a picture of a piece of Faberge jewelry.

TampaBay