Tuesday 12 February 2013

The Art of Dress

 Two weekends ago, Chris and I went to our local museum and art gallery  to see an exhibition called The Art of Dress: 18th Century Frocks and Finery.  The main exhibit in the exhibition was a dress from 1735. However, there was also a collection of beautifully embroidered gentlemen's waistcoats which I was intrigued by.  They were so elegant and colourful and ranged in date from 1740 to 1780. I asked permission to take photos and this was fine as long as I didn't use my flash.  Some of the photos are a little blurry, but they give you the idea.
 The colours of this embroidery have stayed really vibrant.
 More gorgeous embroidery in shades of blue and brown.
 Metallic thread has been used on this one to give added sparkle.
 Even the buttons were sparkly.
 This jacket made of cream silk with gold embroidery and braid dates from 1740.
A pale blue/green waistcoat from around 1780.
More sparkling beads and metallic thread.

 This silver and pink cotton waistcoat with silver metallic thread running through it had an exotic look and the braiding on the front reminded me of military braid.
 A close up of the shiny material.
 Here is the star of the show - a mantua dress from 1735, made from black Spitalfields silk, which is extremely rare. The mantua style originated in the late 17th century as a coat-like garment called a banyan.  The word mantua comes from the french for coat - manteau.  This dress has been conserved and restored by a specialist textile conservator in Stamford.
 The dress would have had hoops or panniers made from cane or linen to support the skirt.  These varied in size as fashions changed, but in the 1740s-1750s, the hoops were as wide as 1.5 metres, which meant ladies had to go through doors sideways!  There was evidence that the skirt had been give an extra panel at the back at some point, and the material used was a blue and white checked material, which would have been hidden beneath the train.
 A chemise, which was a simple tunic made from linen or cotton, would have been worn under the dress and then a corset would have gone over the chemise. 
 The mantua was open at the front and a v shaped separate piece of material, called a stomacher, would have been sewn or pinned in place.
A close up of the very detailed pattern on the silk.  By the 1760s, mantuas were only worn at court and by the 1820s, hoops were no longer required to be worn by the court ladies.

Another lovely example of floral embroidery on a waistcoat.

What really surprised me was how small these waistcoats were - I don't think many men today would be able to fit in them.  Of course, these garments were for people with money and probably only worn for special occasions, which is perhaps why they have survived in such good condition. I really enjoyed this exhibition, which also included shoes and accessories such as fans. It makes me wish that we were still this elegant now...

10 comments:

  1. Oh Ellie, what a beautiful post. Can you imagine how many hours were spent in the working of those gorgeous items? Thank you so much for letting us see them.

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    1. Dear Toffeeapple
      Thank you. You are very welcome and I hope my post gave just a little flavour of the exhibition. I love anything which involves costume or textiles! The workmanship of the garments is quite incredible.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  2. What a beautiful exhibition! I really enjoyed your pictures, thanks.
    Love from Mirjam.

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    1. Dear Mirjam
      Thank you. It was a small exhibition but had some beautiful things to look at and I am very glad that I went to see it.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  3. Ellie, what fabulous photos! So atmospheric and wonderful to think that people nearly three hundred years ago were wearing these! They remind me of Beatrix Potter's The Tailor of Gloucester! Such exquisite embroidery! But yes, the sizes do look small! E x
    PS Sending you a separate email this evening too - something I've been meaning to send you for ages but haven't got round to!

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    1. Dear E
      Thank you. The first thing I thought of when I saw the embroidery was "No more twist" from The Tailor Or Gloucester! I believe Beatrix Potter made studies of waistcoats in the V and A for that book. It was lovely to be able to look at the clothes. I would have loved to have touched the silk and embroidery, but, of course, that wasn't allowed, so I had to restrain myself. The waistcoats looked so small compared to our sizes today - a pre-teen might just fit into them!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  4. You have to marvel at the hours and hours and hours of work that must have gone into the making of these clothes! Thank you so much for sharing these gorgeous things Ellie :)

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    1. Dear Annie
      Thank you and you are welcome. It was lovely to have the opportunity to visit the small, but perfectly formed, exhibition and to be allowed to take photos too.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  5. What amazingly detailed and precise embroidery! Thank you for showing us these treasures. I am also impressed that your other half was willing to visit the exhibition - my hubby would never do something like that.

    Gillian x

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    1. Dear Gillian
      Thank you. The embroidery was beautiful and I was so pleased that I was able to take photos. I am lucky that Chris and I have lots of interests in common, as well as our individual interests too. It makes for lots of harmonious visits.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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