Suit

Department Store James McCreary and Co., N.Y. American

1894–96

Not on view

This half-mourning dress of vivid purple accented with boldly arranged black and white trimming, exhibits the full gigot sleeve that defined mid-1890s fashions. The ensemble was purchased from James McCreery & Co., a New York department store that maintained a mourning-goods section that offered textiles as well as made-to-order and ready-made garments. The availability of an expanding range of ready-made goods for women was facilitated by the invention of the sewing machine, increasing standardization of dress patterns, and the rise of department stores that capitalized on these innovations. Fashion magazines often cited well-known retailers of mourning goods, including McCreery, as sources of information on current mourning styles and standards of etiquette.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Exhibition History

Title: Suit
Department Store: James McCreary and Co., N.Y. (American)
Date: 1894–96
Culture: American
Medium: wool, silk, metallic thread
Credit Line: Gift of The New York Historical Society, 1979
Object Number: 1979.346.25a–c
Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

More Artwork

By James McCreary and Co., N.Y.

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Dress, James McCreary and Co., N.Y. American, silk, American — Dress
Manufacturer Textile by James McCreary and Co., N.Y.
1876–78

Powder Horn, Horn (cow), lead, American — Powder Horn
American
18th century

Evening suit, F. Scholte British, wool, silk, American — Evening suit
Designer F. Scholte
Designer H. Harris
1938–65

Man and Two Women (Henderson Ledger Artist B), Frank Henderson Native American, Pencil, colored pencil, and ink on paper, Arapaho — Man and Two Women (Henderson Ledger Artist B)
Frank Henderson
ca. 1882

Suit, House of Chanel French, wool, silk<br/>c) silk<br/>d,e) metal, French — Suit
Couture Line House of Chanel
Design House House of Chanel
Designer Gabrielle Chanel
spring/summer 1963

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.