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The Mantua
Coat-like construction, with sleeves cut in one piece with the back and front. It was pleated at the shoulders and fell to the waist, where it was held in place by a sash. From there it was folded back into a bustle shape and worn over a matching petticoat. -
Robe à la Française
a gown that was worn over a bodice decorated with a stomacher (a decorative V-or U-shaped garment) and outfitted with hoops or paniers that supported its skirt. The gown was parted in the middle to form a V-shaped opening that allowed contrasting or identical underskirts to show through, thus creating an impression of an abundance of cloth and material. -
Polonaise
Polonaise style referred to the arrangement of the overskirt of a dress into three bunched swags to give the hips the impression of width and to display the petticoat underneath. Derived from a Polish style, the word polonaise means ‘Polish,’ and to wear a dress in this manner was referred to as à la polonaise. -
The Empire Dress
A more embellished form of the simple chemise of the 1800's. empire dress. The weight of fabric and trimming cancels out the body-conscious line of the earlier sheer cotton and linen dresses. Into the 1820s, plain gowns such as these would be accented with more and more applied decoration. -
Charles Frederick Worth
1825-1895
Founder of French Haute Couture -
Evening Dress
This silk and lace evening dress was designed by Jean-Philippe Worth, for the House of Worth, between 1887-1889. The bodice includes a silk waistband to highlight the small waist and a lace-edged box-shaped neckline. The outer layer of the garment includes boning to help define the structure of the body that is being shaped by the corset-like under layer. -
Paul Poiret
1879-1944
Creates neoclassical-style dress -
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel
1883-1971
Little Black Dress -
Lobster Dinner Dress
By Elsa Schiaparelli, he dress is an off-white, A-line evening gown with a sheer coral inset below the bust that creates a slight empire-waist silhouette. The lobster motif is printed on silk organza and was created by Spanish artist Salvador Dalí in the midst of the Surrealist art movement. -
Christian Dior
1905-1957
The New Look -
Greek Style Evening Gown
Madame Grès created dresses in shafts of fabric, the diverse fluting of which served on the body like the entasis of a classical column. Seaming together fabric vertically so as to be continuous from hem to neckline, Grès pleated and tucked the materials into a shaping suitable to the body: the same fabric is buoyant and fluid when release-pleated from the waist down. -
Mary Quant
1930---
The Mini Skirt -
The Wrap Dress
Diane Von Furstenberg transformed the wrap dress by using 1970s fabrics and colors which were generally brighter, bolder, and more synthetic (and stretchy) than the early examples to which the silhouette and design principle are indebted. -
The Cone Bra Corset Dress
By Jean Paul Gautlier, the most provocative detail is obviously the exaggerated cones placed at breast-level on the center front of the dress. The multi-panel design enables the dress to conform more closely to the body, as a corset would. The lower half of the dress hugs the thighs of the wearer, furthering the dress’ tantalizing nature. The velvet textile is ruched, giving the design a dynamic and textured look, but also rendering the boning useless as anything but visual interest. -
Alexander McQueen
1969-2010
Melds fashion, art, and concept -
Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress
Designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, the bodice was inspired by the Victorian tradition of corsetry and featured 58 gazar and organza- covered buttons on the back, which were fastened by rouleau loops. The lace appliqué on the skirt and bodice of the dress was handmade by the Royal School of Needlework. The train was nearly 9 feet long. -
Denim Three-piece suit
Hybridizing two classically favored menswear items such as the navy suit and contemporary favorite dark denim, Ralph Lauren is able to suggest the marriage of two very distinct garments. Part of Lauren’s Purple Label (RLPL) Collection, this slim, but natural, silhouette is contemporary and clean with broad shoulders, high-notch lapels, and sleek flap-waist pockets.