Curatorial Notes: The elongated hourglass silhouette of the 1890s was achieved through the revival of the leg-of-mutton sleeve and the introduction of the gored skirt, in which triangular pieces of cloth created a smooth, graceful A-line. In this example, a wide band of black velvet emphasizes the narrow waist. The House of Rouff was known for impeccably crafted clothing, demonstrated here by the sculptural collar and cuffs, layered and pleated bodice, and interior boning.
Selected Bibliography: - Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: Deux Siècles de Mode Européenne, 1700-1915. Paris: Arts Décoratifs; Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Delmonico Books-Prestel, 2013. - Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Delmonico Books/Prestel, 2010. - Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: Europäische Moden, 1700-1915. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Prestel, 2012. - Edwards, Lydia. How to Read a Dress: a Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 20th Century. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017.
Woman's Dress (Bodice and Skirt), circa 1897
Curatorial Notes:
The elongated hourglass silhouette of the 1890s was achieved through the revival of the leg-of-mutton sleeve and the introduction of the gored skirt, in which triangular pieces of cloth created a smooth, graceful A-line. In this example, a wide band of black velvet emphasizes the narrow waist. The House of Rouff was known for impeccably crafted clothing, demonstrated here by the sculptural collar and cuffs, layered and pleated bodice, and interior boning.
Selected Bibliography:
- Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: Deux Siècles de Mode Européenne, 1700-1915. Paris: Arts Décoratifs; Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Delmonico Books-Prestel, 2013.
- Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Delmonico Books/Prestel, 2010.
- Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: Europäische Moden, 1700-1915. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Prestel, 2012.
- Edwards, Lydia. How to Read a Dress: a Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 20th Century. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017.