Afternoon dress

Design House House of Paquin French
Designer Jeanne Paquin French

Not on view

Acclaimed for the artistry and originality of its head designer, Mme. Jeanne Paquin, the House of Paquin was arugably the pre-eminent house of couture during the Belle Époque. In this costume, the interest and originality is in the bodice, which is both draped and tailored, giving an ambiguity of form between a soft jacket and a tailored blouse. To combine tailoring and draping in the same piece at this early date was prescient, for within ten years women were more active and in need of clothing that would take them from day into evening.

Afternoon dress, House of Paquin (French, 1891–1956), silk, French

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.