Ensemble
This "mock-medieval" dress has a smocked neckline and waistband with unusual smocking on the sleeves. The bodice has a built-in chemise lining without boning that was meant to be worn over a soft silk underdress. Wearing such an "artistic dress" gave women permission to go corsetless. It was a radical concept to suspend the weight of the dress from the shoulder instead of the waist. According to The Woman's World magazine, Constance Wilde was originally involved in the revival of smocking on women's dresses. The cape has a Celtic-inspired pattern, a favored Liberty motif.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ensemble
- Design House: Liberty & Co. (British, founded London, 1875)
- Date: ca. 1905
- Culture: British
- Medium: silk, cotton, metallic thread, china
- Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 1979
- Object Number: 1979.176a–c
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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