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Woman's Reception Gown

PeriodCirca 1875 - 1880

Place MadeParis, France

MediumSilk brocade, corded silk, georgette, silk ribbon, silk fringe, silk lace, steel boning, hooks and eyes

Dimensions80 × 28 in. (203.2 × 71.1 cm)

SignedA woven gold and white satin waist tape sewn to the inside of the bodice reads "WORTH, 7 RUE DE LA PAIX PARIS."

ClassificationsCostume, Women's

Credit LineMuseum Collection

Object number1999.516

DescriptionA woman's reception dress, constructed as one piece. The bodice has a button front in pale gold and ivory brocade with a pattern of overlapping sea scallops. The gown's high neck has an applied ruffled lace and ivory georgette ruching. A large bown of pale blue and ivory silk is sewn to the bodice front. Three-quarter sleeves, with slight fullness at the shoulder peaks, have a lace panel down the sleeve from shoulder to elbow, lined with sheer georgette. An ivory corded silk band encircles the sleeve end, with a deep ruffled cuff of layered brocade, lace, and pleated georgette. A large bow of pale blue and ivory silk is sewn to the left and right elbows. The gown's bodice is boned with eleven steel strips, encased in plain corded silk. The bodice is lined with tan woven striped silk. The skirt front is of corded ivory silk, wrapping around the waist and fastening at the back with a hook and eye closure. The back of the dress closes over the skirt with buttons down the front. The skirt front includes a draped georgette overlay panel. The dress's deep trained skirt is edged with rows of pleated georgette and ivory silk fringe. A pair of blue and ivory silk ribbon bows are sewn to the left and right hips above the skirt train.
Curatorial RemarksCharles Frederick Worth (1825 - 1895) is recognized as the father of modern haute couture. Born in Lincolnshire, Worth apprenticed first with a printer, then in London as a clerk in the department store of Swann & Edgar. In 1846 he moved to Paris and began working as a clerk in the shop of Gagelin-Opigez & Cie, which sold silk fabrics and cashmere shawls. Worth designed simple dresses for the female shop clerks to wear while modeling the shawls to customers. The elegant lines and excellent fit of his dresses proved popular, and he was given permission to open a small department to sell his gowns. Worth struck out on his own in 1858 and quickly became a success. His most illustrious client was the Empress Eugenie of France, but his clientele included society women and actresses on both sides of the Atlantic. Worth himself enjoyed his American clients, saying that they had "faith, figures, and francs." Worth introduced a number of changes in dressmaking and fashion design, including using live models wearing finished gowns as display for clients. His sons Gaston and Jean began working in the business in 1874 and continued running the House of Worth after their father's death in 1895.NotesThis elegant dress is a mystery. Found in the collection in 1999, it included no information regarding its original owner and wearer. What is certain, however, is that the gown was made by the premiere fashion house in the world. The Association has several other gowns and garments from the House of Worth. Although primarily an agriculturally-based economy, Monmouth County also had a number of nationally known politicians, lawyers, and businessmen. The area's close proximity to New York City and Philadelphia provided access to high fashion dressmakers, fabrics, and accessories. During the 1880s and 1890s, it was not uncommon for a well-to-do woman to write directly to the House of Worth, providing her measurements, and eagerly await a completed garment from Paris.

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