A Brief History of the Robe De C

A Brief History of the Robe De C

When most people think of 1920s fashion, they likely envision a short black dress with rows of sparkly beads and feathers.robe de cérémonie While this is the iconic look of the era (thanks to the movies Chicago and The Great Gatsby), there were many variations of women's clothing during this time.robe de cérémonie One of the most elegant was a dress called a robe de c.

A robe de c was the most formal gown of its day, and it was worn in many countries.robe de cérémonie The dress had a long train that could hang from the shoulders or be held by hand.robe de cérémonie The fabric was often velvet, though lace and brocade were also popular. The neckline was off the shoulder, but the robe de c could be made modest enough for most women to be seen in public without showing any cleavage. The sleeve was either small, with the same fabric as the bodice, or it was longer, and it had lace rows that were stiffly pleated to create fullness. The arrangement of the lace sleeves changed from decade to decade, and a robe de c can be dated from the style of sleeve.

The robe de c was expensive to make, and it took 20 or more yards of fabric, which cost thousands of livres at the time.robe de cérémonie It was the job of the tailleur de corps to make the bodice, the couturier the skirt, and the marchant de mode to provide the trim, which was usually lace or gold embroidery.robe de cérémonie In some cases, the woman who wore a robe de c was required to also wear a robe paree and a mantua in the same season, depending on her rank in the court and the solemnity of the occasion.

Louis XIV was very concerned about women's décolletage and shoulders, and he despised the informal loose robes called mantua that became fashionable at the end of the 17th century.robe de cérémonie He ordered a new off the shoulder, fitted bodice robe de cour to be designed and made mandatory for all women at his court.robe de cérémonie He wanted his women to be as attractive as possible in his presence, and he angrily kicked out two noble ladies from the theatre when they appeared wearing a robe de mantua.

Robes a la polonaise were also very fashionable in the 1770s and early 1780s.robe de cérémonie This style was inspired by Middle Eastern style, and a robe a la polonaise was worn over a petticoat that was usually matched to the gown fabric.robe de cérémonie

The FIDM Museum's robe de c is silk, and it was probably made in the late 18th century or early 19th century.robe de cérémonie It is a beautiful dress, with gold embroidery and black velvet, and it probably belonged to a woman of means. Like many of the robes in our collection, it has no designer label. Possibly it was copied from a magazine or department store, and the maker worked out her own pattern, but it is still a fabulous example of a robe de c.

Tags:robe de fille d'honneur | robe de mariée bustier | robe de mariée civil