1825-1895 Charles Frederick Worth

[DosViolines]

Dress
ca. 1889
Wool, with figured satin panels, edged with silk braid

With its minimal bustle and strong emphasis on the sleeves, this day dress illustrates the smoother silhouette that began to appear in the late 1880s. It is said to have been worn by Cara Leland Huttleston Rogers of New York, later Lady Fairhaven.

The bodice is waist length, panelled with satin and edged with black moiré ribbon. It is trimmed at the back with a made-up bow with long pendant ends. The dress fastens at the shoulder over a boned, green silk bodice lining. The sleeves are long with a high pleated shoulder. Collar and cuffs are faced with gold beaded tulle. The skirt has a slightly draped front, with the back flared and arranged in deep pleats. It is mounted over a green silk petticoat, and boned and taped to a bustle shape at the back. The skirt may have been altered and have lost a side panel.

A machine-woven label 'Worth Paris' has been stitched to the waist tape. Charles Frederick Worth (1825-95) was a celebrated Parisian couture dressmaker. He was born in 1825 in Bourne, Lincolnshire, and started working at the age of 12 in a draper's shop in London. Eight years later he moved to Paris, where he opened his own premises in 1858. He was soon patronised by the Empress Eugenie and her influence was instrumental to his success.

Made-to-measure clothes from Worth, as from the other great Parisian fashion houses, were an important symbol of social and financial advancement.

vam.ac.uk

 

[DosViolines]

Ball gown
ca. 1900
Silk velvet, trimmed with diamante; petticoat, sleeves and neck edgings are modern replacements in the style of Worth

Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895) was a celebrated Parisian couture dressmaker. He was born in Bourne, Lincolnshire, and started working at the age of 12 in a draper's shop in London. Eight years later he moved to Paris, where he opened his own fashion house in 1858. He was soon patronised by the Empress Eugenie and her influence was instrumental to his success. His clothes, admired for their elegance and fine workmanship, became an important symbol of social and financial advancement.

This dress was worn by Princess Nicholas of Greece. Her grandson, the Duke of Kent, gave it to Sir Cecil Beaton, who was then collecting fashionable dress for his 1971 exhibition, Fashion: An Anthology. As with other evening gowns of the period, its original trimmings were very delicate and have been lost. The petticoat and neck edging have been carefully reconstructed from old photographs of Worth designs.

vam.ac.uk

 

[DosViolines]

Evening dress
ca. 1910
Satin, overlaid with silk net embroidered with silver gilt thread and bugle beads; bodice of ruched silk velvet

Around 1910, leading fashion houses such as Worth created evening dresses with a straight silhouette. Their impact depended on the juxtaposition of colours and a variety of luxurious and richly decorated fabrics. On this garment, vivid velvet pile is set against light-reflecting beadwork, and the triple-tiered matt net overskirt covers the sheen of the trained satin skirt. The pillar-like look exemplified by this dress replaced the exaggerated curves of the early 1900s. It also shows how designers broke the strong vertical emphasis by creating overskirts with horizontal lines. The bodice, however, is still boned (nine bones).

Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895) was a celebrated couture dressmaker in Paris. Born in England at Bourne in Lincolnshire, he started working at the age of 12 in a draper’s shop in London. After working for various haberdashers and silk mercers, he left for Paris in 1845. In 1858 he went into partnership with a Swedish businessman, Otto Bobergh, and opened his own house. He was soon patronised by the Empress Eugénie (1826-1920), wife of the French Emperor, Napoleon III, and her influence was instrumental to his success. Obtaining made-to-measure clothes from his house was a symbol of social and financial success. They were appreciated for their beauty, elegance and fine workmanship.

vam.ac.uk

 

[DosViolines]

Evening dress and slip
(Evening dress) 1928-1929
(Evening dress) Hand-sewn tulle, with hand-embroidered iridescent sequins
(Evening dress) Worth (probably designers)

This long evening dress of aquamarine chiffon has a printed floral pattern in shades of lilac, orange and gold. The pattern is inspired by oriental designs and is outlined with iridescent sequins. The dress is straight cut with a low round neck at the front and a deep 'V' at the back. It is sleeveless. Attached at the hips are four shield-shaped panels of golden tulle outlined in golden sequins. A sunburst pattern is embroidered on them in iridescent sequins. Three graduated layers of gathered aquamarine tulle edge and join the panels. They are longer at the back than at the front. Worth probably made the dress, between 1928 and 1929.

Night life became the focus for the exuberance of the years after the First World War. It gave birth to the most glamorous evening fashions of the 20th century. Throughout the 1920s, and in spite of changing fashions, the legacy of the Ballets Russes remained evident in the exoticism and luxury of evening gowns and mantles. This was seen especially in the continuing use of shiny fabrics, embroideries, tassels and sashes. Evening dresses were sleeveless, long and feminine. They were embellished with exotic embroideries, sequins and metallic threads to achieve the maximum effect of brilliance. This dress shows the characteristic flounces of the later period, when volume made a reappearance in fashion.

vam.ac.uk

 

[DosViolines]

Evening dress
ca. 1955
Beaded silk satin, with floral appliqué embroidery
House of Worth (designers)
Great Britain

vam.ac.uk

 

[DosViolines]

c. 1880's/1890's Bottle Green Silk Velvet Beaded Capelet with Black Lace

Guaranteed a true and old WORTH piece. The older Worth pieces command the highest prices. Case in point, the Worth trained Court Reception Gown which recently sold for $90,000 at auction. The label matches the label information listed in the reference book on the subject of Worth, "Opulent Era: Fashions of Worth, Doucet and Pingat" book by Elizabeth Ann Coleman. Similar in design to a drawing of an 1884 Worth Caped Bodice, but this one is even more spectacular with the amazing long looped jet black beading. The delicate black chantilly lace at the sides, actually hidden under the beading, is of exquisite design. Condition is Excellent for age with minor velvet indentations from beads in storage and slight fade of center back.

antiquedress.com

 

[SandraJH]

Here are some more examples of Worth's creations.

These images are all from postcards from the Museum of the City of New York.

Debutante's Ballgown, circa 1888

An Evening dress, circa 1900

A Promenade dress, circa 1872

A Wedding dress from 1878 (worn by Annie Schermerhorn)

A Princesse Dress, circa 1886

 

[SandraJH]

And here a a few more examples from the Kyoto Costume Institute's collection in Kyoto Japan.

Source: Fukai, Akiko, chief ed. Fashion. Italy: Taschen, 2002.

Evening Dress 1894

Ball Gown, 1894

Reception dress, 1883

Bustle detail

Reception dress, 1892

sorry some of the scans get weird on the edges

 

[SomethingElse]

I won't repost the images from the Metropolitan Museum but you can see them here:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wrth/hd_wrth.htm

beverleybirks.com

 

[SomethingElse]

c.1901

c.1893

There are many more examples of his work at http://www.beverleybirks.com

vintagetextile.com . beverleybirks.com

 

[SomethingElse]

spazioinwind.libero.it

 

[wyatt.]

i think it would be funny to be creative director worth because it would be

wyatt h for house of worth
wh for hw

 

[SomethingElse]

^ Rofl!

 

[SomethingElse]

Evening Dress, 1898–1900
White silk satin with black silk voided velvet

metmuseum.org

 

[SandraJH]

^^ I saw that during the Anglo-mania exhibit the MET had....it's just amazing

 

[lotusgreen]

hahahahaha! (oops! laughing at the cartoon)

 

[SomethingElse]

1883 - 1888 Olive green flowers in velvet on a ground of light green-blue silk;BODICE 1(shown in all photographs)-square yoke, front and back of lace heavily beaded with pearls and lined with organdy; additional pearl trim at neck opening; center front opening with seven self-covered buttons from bust to waist; upper edge of bodice proper with horizontal "lapels," faced with red dark red satin; two darts on either side of center front; bodice extends down to form peplum, which is cut up high over hips; side seams; back cut in three pieces on either side of center back; all seams and darts boned; long sleeves of lace trimmed with pearls and lined with organdy; bodice lined with white silk; peplum lined with satin to match ground color of outer fabric; inner waistband with woven label; BODICE 2-day (has been altered); of same fabric as other bodice but without lace trim; round neck with narrow stand collar; eight self-covered buttons from bust to waist; two darts on either side of center front; bodice extends into peplum and cut high over hips; blue and red satin bows and pleated trim at center front bust; side seams; back cut in three pieces on either side of center back; 3/4 length sleeves, trimmed with blue and red satin at opening; bodice and sleeves lined with white silk; peplum faced with blue satin; back peplum weighted; all seams and darts boned; inner waistband missing; SKIRT-very heavy; trained; back opening; skirt of blue satin where visible and tan silk where not visible; hem deeply scalloped with two rows of pleated self-ruffle underneath scallops; drapery of velvet fabric, attached to skirt at waist; cut and shaped for bustle in back; center front of skirt pleated with facing of red satin; drapery faced at back opening with red satin; inner tiebacks; hook-and-eye closure at waist; double dust ruffle, edged with lace on inside of hem.

americanhistory.si.edu

 

[SomethingElse]

c. 1892 Off-white silk satin with woven chrysanthemum pattern; large velvet gigot sleeves; lace decoration on cuffs and collar.

kci.or.jp

 

[SomethingElse]

1894 Yellow silk brocade with tassel pattern; two-piece dress with gigot sleeves; silk taffeta bow at breast; silk chiffon decoration at hem of skirt.

kci.or.jp

 

[SomethingElse]

1895 Brown wool twill; large gigot sleeves; cape; bodice and skirt trimmed with velvet and leather; stand collar and belt of velvet ribbon.

kci.or.jp