Old Rags

Walking dress, 1817-20 UK, the Victoria & Albert Museum

Echoes of military uniform give this walking dress a masculine flourish. The curving satin bands applied to the front of the spencer are reminiscent of the parallel lines of braiding which extended across the breast of many uniforms. Passementerie in the form of crescent-shaped moulds, looped cord and balls covered in floss silk replace the gilt or silver buttons on some regimental coats. The tassels on the collar ends and cuff bands evoke the tassels adorning boots, hats, sashes and cap lines of military accessories. In place of epaulettes, puffed oversleeves composed of linked bows emphasize the shoulder line.

The infusion of military styles into fashionable dress in Britain was largely due to the influence of the Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815). Among other factors, contact with foreign troops had a strong impact on civilian as well as regimental dress, and military ornament was translated into stylish trimmings on women’s hats, bodices, spencers and pelisses. The uniforms worn during this period were some of the most elaborate in the history of military dress, and their bright colours, frogging, braid and tassels fuelled the imagination of fashion for years to come.

Although this walking outfit is not based on any particular uniform, some garments closely followed certain styles. The uniform of the hussars, who were light cavalry, was particularly flamboyant as it was derived from Hungarian national dress. In her memoirs, Elizabeth Grant describes the admiration she received when she ‘walked out like a hussar in a dark cloth pelisse trimmed with fur and braided like the coat of a staff-officer, boots to match, and a fur cap set on one side, and kept on the head by means of a cord with long tassels’.

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photo walking UK empire 1810's 1820's 19th century 1817 1818 1819 1820

Mme de Polignac, 1918

Miss C B Higgins, ca 1908-09

Vogue, October 7th 1897

Fig. 4665.—Charming tea-gown of corncolor Liberty satin over an under slip of palest shell-pink crêpe de chine plissé; set upon a guipure lace yoke in front. Princess back, very open fronts, the skirt having three rings of wide guipure barbs separately inserted. Effect of jacket in front, by falling plaits of satin having a lace barb on the edge. Pink velvet neck band and knotted sash. Shirt sleeves, barb at wrists.

Fig. 4661—Smart walking gown of medium tone beige zibeline cloth. Separate bell skirt, trimmed in three rings, with black glacé silk plaitings, laid in short points, headed by narrow bands of beige astrakhan, upper row simulating an over-skirt. Beige velvet sleeves, having cloth epaulettes trimmed in plaitings and fur, and wrists to match. Beige velvet belt, laid in folds.

Fig. 4660.—House toilette. Gown of fawn color poplin having on the bottom of separate skirt three ruffles of soft Liberty silk to match, each edged with a yellow and a white satin flat piping. Blouse bodice trimmed to match in fine ruffling forming sleeve top drapery. Chemisette, sleeves, bow and belt of fawn and white checker-board velvet.

Fig. 4664—A home-dinner gown for young woman. Skirt and bodice of silvery-gray crêpe de chine plissé. Belt of almond green velvet, rosette in front, diamond buckle in centre. Figaro jacket and draped sleeves of velvet to match. Collar effect, strapped across with gold and silver trimming. Silvergray mousseline de soie, plissé ruffle for entire bordering, with a gold tag fringe laid over. White tulle neck band and bow.

Fig. 4402—Youthful gown for homedinner, built of pink albatross cloth. Skirt separately hung, is trimmed with three rows of white passementerie. Round blouse bodice, with three rows of passementerie laid on crossways. A pink silk yoke, finely tucked, inset. Rows of passementerie, half crossing the arm, are laced with white silk cords. Sleeve tops draped. White silk belt and collar band.

Fig. 4662.—Visiting toilette in a long jacket effect, of palest beige cloth braided over entirely with an otter brown silk cord; attached to bottom of cloth bodice is a silk skirt having three flounces of dark brown plissé velvet. Border of revers, as well as wrist finish in, velvet matching flounces and edged by a beige silk cord. Vest chemisette of flowered uncut velvet in white and beige out lined in silver thread.

Fig. 4663.—Smart gown of brocade and velvet in peacock blue, flowered in many of the same shades, with centres in orange and white. Long skirt untrimmed, having loose plaits descending in front from upper bodice of lighter peacock blue velvet. This bodice is crossed by rows of jet, and has two falls of black chantilly, in part wrought with gold threads. Tucked velvet sleeves draped at the top. Gold ribbon sash and neck band with orange velvet rosette at the left side.

Fig. 4658—A young woman’s walking gown in bottle - green cheviot, its skirt trimmed with cheviot plaitings in three rings, headed by a narrow black gimp in festoons. Round draped bodice, having a pointed Spencer cape of small-checked velvet, in lighter shades of green, trimmed on the edge with the same gimp. Gigot sleeves, velvet wrist finish and sash of the same velvet.

FIg. 4399—Tailor-made street gown in marine-blue ladies’ cloth. Bell skirt, braided around the bottom with black silk braid and separately hung. Round blouse bodice has revers and collar braided to match. Cloth front has red silk touches laid under the braiding and wrists of gigot sleeves the same. Cloth frill at neck, braided and lined with red silk.

Plate from Die Modenwelt (“The Fashion World”), 1st of September 1894

Walking suit, ca 1914

Below:

(Left) Afternoon dress, ca 1917

(Right) Dress, ca 1918

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