Living in Los Angeles, we are fortunate to see wonderful exhibits come to our many local museums, including one I just went to – Fashioning Fashion at LACMA. Gorgeous! While everything was pre-WWI, it was still delicious to see the garments up close, the foundations that gave them shape, and the exquisite detail and workmanship in some of the pieces.
c. 1765
Fashioning Fashion – The Exhibit
The guards were letting people take photographs, as long as there was no flash. Fortunately, I brought my camera along. The exhibit was entitled European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915. Very aptly named as it presented details of the garments, both on the surface and underneath. It was a treat to see the up-close details and imagine the hours upon hours it took to create such garments by hand. From rouching to pearling, from padding to boning, the details laid bare for the viewer. Below are just a few of the exquisite pieces on display. The photos do them no justice as my point and click with no flash is rubbish.
c. 1765
c. 1765
c. 1775
c. 1785
c. 1885
I loved this display that showed what went in to getting the shape of the garment on the left.
c. 1830
c. 1900
c. 1885
c. 1885
c. 1820
c. 1830
c. 1855
c. 1865
c. 1885
c. 1885
c. 1825
c. 1825
c. 1845
Among the court dresses presented, this embroidered black beauty from 1845 stood out. Showing the exquisite train that, before modification long ago, was 12 feet long. I recommend the catalog, as it has some exquisite detail shots of the pieces. Seeing these garments in the catalog made me realize how bad the lighting and quality of my camera were. Some were unrecognizable. I hope the images may give you inspiration to find the exquisite details in your life.
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