Closet Histories no. 4.11: 18th Century Hats

As evidenced by my habit of waxing poetically about them, hats are one of my passions! Today I thought we would take a look at a few of the more prominent hat styles of the later half of the 18th century. Firstly a note about caps!

Cap, Mid 18th century, European, Cotton, MET

 The cap was an important part of an 18th century woman's wardrobe. A cap, of fine linen or lace for the upper classes, and of the best linen one could afford for the middling and lower classes, was an essential basic hair covering for propriety. Worn alone, or topped with a hat, the cap had many variations. As I am more interested in hats rather than caps, I have collected a few other fantastic posts about caps from other historic costume enthusiasts:

- A Most Beguiling Accomplishment: Earlier 18th Century Caps
- Isis' Wardrobe: Extant 18th Century Caps
- Isis' Wardrobe: 18th Century Wired Caps
- The Margret Hunter Millinery Shop of Colonial Williamsburg makes wonderful froofy caps!
- Some more excellent cap reproductions here!

Portrait of a lady said to be Mrs Godwin, neé Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) , 1792

I did want to include this one portrait portraying a super ginormous late 18th century cap! Caps became more and more elaborate and larger and larger as the century drew closer to a close. So did hats, but lets not get ahead of ourselves...

To begin, we will take a look at one of the most popular styles of hat in the 18th century, the bergère! The bergère was a rather flat, round, low crowed had, usually made of straw whether covered with silk on top or not. Decorated with a simple ribbon or a profusion of trimmings, the bergère could be worn curved over the hair, tied onto the front at a rather precarious angle, or simply tied over one's cap flat on the head. Lets take a look at a few bergère...

The White Hat, about 1780, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, MFA

 A lovely example of a trimmed bergère! The low crowned (possibly even no crown, aka flat)
hat is covered in white silk, then trimmed with pleated sheer fabric, an ostrich feather and ribbon.

Closet Histories no. 4.10: 18th Century Jewelry

Georgian set of Pink Topaz. From the book “Georgian Jewellery 1714-1830”

 Like the ladies of the previous centuries, and those of the future, 18th century women liked their jewelry! I like their jewelry too, collet necklaces, garnet parures, great sparkling stomacher brooches! After a long break from Closet Histories, lets ease back in by admiring some Georgian jewelry!

Georgian ladies wore necklaces, earrings, and brooches, but also shoe buckles, jeweled buttons, and chatelaines! Not always all at once of course, and sometimes for day jewelry was kept understated or none was worn at all. Ladies could also wear silk ribbons as necklaces when they felt real bling would be too showy, or was too far out of their price range. The first real costume jewelry began in the Georgian era, with "paste" aka glass gems set into less precious metals copying the look of finer jewels.

Georgian jewelry was often made in sets called parures, with matching and interchangeable pieces. Whether made of sparkling amethysts, gold and diamonds, or colorless glass, the charm of Georgian jewelry remains.

Germany, 1730-1760, Marcasites, enamel and silver  V&A

 This silver necklace made up of enameled plaques had the option of changing out the plaques for others, giving the owner versatility. The enamels were probably intimidating turquoise which would have been more expensive.

France, 1760, Opaline and colourless pastes set in silver openwork  V&A

 The V&A says of this piece:

        "This necklace would have fitted closely around the neck like a choker. Very sophisticated imitation jewellery was made in Europe in the 18th century, and it was sold by many of the leading jewellers. Before Australian opals became accessible, the opal was a rare stone. Here its shimmering beauty was achieved by setting a pink foil beneath a milky blue glass."

While royalty may have jewelry made of diamonds, lesser mortals made due with glass!

England, 1760-1780, Silver, garnet  V&A

 Stones, whether precious or mundane, were set with a metal foil back to make them sparkle and shine even more.

France, 1740-1750, Opaline, pastes, faceted, set in silver  V&A

England, 1790-1800, 15kt gold and rock crystal  Ruby Lane

 "The name Parure was first applied in the 17th century and referred to a set of three or more matching pieces of jewelry usually reserved for royalty or aristocrats. The old French word Parure means adornment. The height of the popularity of the Parure was between 1760 and 1830, the Neoclassic Period. This set dates to 1790 to 1800. The riviere (necklace) is decorated with 26 glistening pink topaz foil backed rock crystals ranging in size from 5/8" (1.6cm) to 3/8" ( 1 cm) and set in 15kt gold crimped collets. The necklace has a detachable pendant/brooch which has a height of 1 1/2" (3.75cm) has an integrated loop that enables it to be worn separately as a brooch or pendant or together with the drop suspended from the center of the necklace ."

The back of the above parure, showing how the stones are set and backed in gold.

Closet Histories no. 4.9: 18th Century "Jackets"

In addition to the styles of gowns we have already discussed here on closet histories, the 18th century lady also had various styles of "jackets", which are more like short gowns or bodices, they could wear! In general, these garments tend to be lumped together and all called caracos, though there are specific styles with their own names. I'm not sure if museum's just like to label most jackets caraco, or if the term really does mean "jacket" and is intended to not be specific. In any case, short gowns and bodices of various styles were popular throughout the 18th century.

fig. 1) 1940's-1760's 

fig. 2) First half of the 18th century? museo de l'traje

For example, these two jackets above are from the earlier half to the middle of the 18th century. There are also other earlier extant examples that are more similar to riding habits or to men's frock coats. Fig. 1 looks to be earlier, judging by the style of the thick metallic silk textile alone and the style of the cuffs. Whereas Fig. 2 could be from as late as the 1770's based on the style of cuff trimmings and subtle striped motifs of the silk. I can't seem to find more information on either of these jackets, but they provide some context as earlier/straightforward examples.

fig. 3) 1770, Whitaker Auctions

fig. 4) Second half of the 18th century, MET

fig. 5) 1770-1780, V&A

The next three jackets are described as simply caraco but share commonality beyond the more general moniker. All three have a fitted back like a robe a l'anglaise, which seems to be what earn a jacket the term caraco as opposed to having another more specific name. As you can see, the three jackets vary widely in length, anywhere from mid-hip to mid-thigh. Two have center front closures and one closes over a stomacher with straps. 

fig. 6) 1780-1790, Manchester City Gallery

fig. 7) Christie's

Now these two examples are of a style known as a pet en l'air. They have an en fourreau back, a french pleated back like a robe a la francaise! These back pleats hang loose just like a robe a la francaise but being shorter look extra adorable! It seems like a variety of front closures are represented, from pinning to a stomacher, having a false stomacher that actually meets in the center front, or even tying with ribbons down the front. The pet en l'air seems to always be around the same length, just past the hips/at the top of the thigh.

fig. 8) 1790, KCI

fig. 9) 1785, MET

fig. 10) 1790, KCI

The next specific style is called a pierrot. This style seemed to be popular in the tail end of the century and consists of little bodice like jackets with --tails! The pierrot has a smaller skirt, usually made up of ruffles, just on the back portion of the jacket. 

Then there are some strange jackets that I don't know what to call...

fig. 11) Found via pinterest on an Italian website

Like this guy, what is this? A pierrot because it has tails? They aren't ruffled though, so does it count? Is it a short/cropped redingote? Does anyone know? Is it just a caraco?

There are many extant examples of various 18th century "jackets". Yes those are air quotes, because they seem more like bodices and jacket now tends to mean outerwear. I have to link to this more detailed post about 18th century jackets by Lauren of American Duchess, which certainly has helped my understanding of the topic.

I actually have plans to make a silk pet en l'air later this summer, so I will have to figure out how to pleat the back! I have a lovely purple shot silk taffeta waiting....so stay tuned!

All of the information for this post has been gathered from the textbook Survey of Historic Costume (5th edition) by Phyllis G. Tortora and Keith Eurbank, from the links above or my own knowledge. I want to share the resources I come across with all of you as much as possible. The portraits used to illustrate today's post are credited to either the museum where they reside (whenever possible) or the source where I found them, and are linked via their fig. # underneath. Again I repeat my disclaimer that I am not a historian, and if you have corrections or additions for this post, please begin the discussion in comments as I would love to learn more!


Thanks for reading!

Closet Histories no. 4.8: The Robe à la Polonaise

Today we look into the curious case of the 18th century Robe à la Polonaise! Though the name polonaise is often given to any 18th century gown with the back skirts looped up into puffs, this is inaccurate! There is actually a distinction between gowns a la retroussée (pulled or looped up) and a robe à la polonaise. There are many extant examples of both robe a l'anglaise and robe a la francaise with their skirts "a la retroussée", their skirts pulled up by cords or pulled through the pocket slits. The distinctive features of the polonaise can be hard to spot for those not very familiar with 18th century women's dress.

Late 18th century fashion plate, Polonaise in taffeta with gauze trimmings.

Lets take a look at the fashion plate above. The gown is described as follows "Polish view from behind, it is taffeta trimmed with gauze." One must imagine that the Polonaise style gown originated or was styled after a Polish style of gown in order to have earned it's name. The polonaise was cut in a similar way to men's frock coats, the bodice and skirt cut in one (without a waist seam). The center back seam and two side-back seams terminate in inverted pleats in a similar manner to a frock coat. The bodice appears to be cut as a "zone" front, with the side fronts worn loose over a either a separate bodice/waistcoat or a false waistcoat or stomacher. The skirt is worn pulled up into three sections, though "puffs" sounds more fun!

Dress (robe à la polonaise) 1780, KCI

 In the above extant example from the Kyoto Costume Institute you can just see near the sleeve how there is no waist seam and how the fronts are not perfectly smooth against the body but instead are a bit loose. The skirt on this example is looped up quite high, right to where the waist seam would be, but you can see on the fashion plate above that not all polonaise skirts were this way.

Robe à la Polonaise 1780, Glasgow Museum

 We can see more of the distinctive polonaise details on this second example from the Glasgow Museum. The back view shows off the pleating around the waist. The front view is another great look at the loose front drape of the bodice section.

For more about the Polonaise, you must check out this post from DeMode Couture. Kendra describes the polonaise in detail, and is quite an authority on the subject after all of her extensive research. 

Now let's look at a few faux polonaise, which are actually robe a l'anglaise a la retroussée.

1775-, V&A

 This example, which the V&A describes as a polonaise, is in fact a robe a l'anglaise with it's skirts looped up. The bodice is cut separately from the skirt, and is fitted closely to the body unlike a polonaise.

Robe à la Polonaise 1780-1785, MET

This second example of a "polonaise" from the MET, is again, actually a robe a l'anglaise. To be honest, I am only including this second example because this gown is drool-worthy gorgeous. Hand painted silk in bright acidic yellow? Yes please!

There is one more french term for today though, and describes another way other gowns masquerade as a polonaise. A gown "retroussee dans les poches", in English? "tucked in the pockets". 18th century gowns have slits in the side skirt seams which are virtually invisible while the gown is being worn, but allow a woman to wear a separate pocket (like this one) underneath to store items in. A gown worn "retroussee dans les poches" has the skirt pulled up through these slits to "bustle" the back.

Dress (robe retroussée dans les poches) 1780, KCI

This example, again from the Kyoto Costume Institute, shows a robe a la francaise with retroussee dans les poches to great effect as the skirt is lined in a different fabric so we can see exactly how the skirt is pulled up through the pocket slits!

I happen to like the polonaise and its imitators quite a lot! I'd love to make one someday, they seem ultra feminine with their poufs of silk and rows of pleated trimmings. I think I would prefer to have an anglaise I could wear either dans les poches or with it's skirts down and smooth.

What do you guys think of the polonaise? Too frilly, or just right?

All of the information for this post has been gathered from the textbook Survey of Historic Costume (5th edition) by Phyllis G. Tortora and Keith Eurbank, from the links above or my own knowledge. I want to share the resources I come across with all of you as much as possible. The portraits used to illustrate today's post were sourced from Pinterest and can be accessed here.. Again I repeat my disclaimer that I am not a historian, and if you have corrections or additions for this post, please begin the discussion in comments as I would love to learn more!

Closet Histories no. 4.7: The Gaulle/Chemise a la Reine

Another specific style popular in the later 18th century was the infamous Gaulle, also called the Chemise a la Reine (after Marie Antoinette). Resembling the chemise, an 18th century woman's most intimate garment (underwear!), the Chemise a la Reine was considered quite scandalous when it first debuted. When the portrait of Marie Antoinette in her new Gaulle premiered it only added to the growing mistrust surrounding her reputation. It didn't help that once the Gaulle became popular instead of scandalous, the French Aristocrats were buying  yards and yards of (imported) cotton muslin, instead of French Silk. The French silk market took a hit, and since the trend had been attributed to Antoinette, she was blamed for yet another problem befalling France. Never the less, it was soon one of the most popular styles for fashionable ladies of the 1780's and 1790's, on both sides of the English channel.

Elizabeth Foster, 1785                                  Lady Lemon, 1788                                      Kitty Calcraft, 1787    

Here are some lovely ladies in Chemise gowns and fabulous late 18th century hedgehog hairstyles! (big, curly, bountiful hair ladies) All three of these gowns feature white muslin, layered neck ruffles and fuller sleeves. You can see how the basic white or ivory gowns were accessorized with different colored ribbons and belts. Also, Elizabeth Foster's hat you guys...AMAZING! I actually have a hat just like that, I'll show you all one day :)

Mrs. Bryan Cooke, 1787-91                    Princess Louise Auguste of Denmark, 1780          Baronne de Chalvet-Souville, 1793

Here are some variations on the basic Chemise a la Reine. Mrs. Bryan Cooke has slim full length sleeves and the bodice of her gown looks much more structured. It looks like perhaps only the front of her gown is gathered while the back remains smooth like a robe a l'anglaise. Princess Louise is wearing the fully gathered version, and the muslin of her gown looks super fine and sheer. You can tell she is still wearing stiff conical stays underneath. Though the Chemise a la Reine looked much less formal than other styles of gowns, most often it was worn over just as many layers of structured undergarments. Baronne de Chalvet-Souville's gown also features slim full length sleeves and the muslin of her gown features tiny polka dots. It looks as if her gown also has a layered collar that you can see over her shoulder.

Portrait of a Lady with a Book, 1785                         Marie Antoinette, 1783                        Georgania Cavendish, 1786      

The gown featured in Antoine Vestier's Portrait of a Lady with a Book is amazing! Sheerest fabric, most likely silk in this case, with satin stripes layered over more white for a truly stunning result. The sapphire blue silk ribbon sash sets everything off perfectly, I want this gown! The double puffed upper sleeves combined with the long slim sleeves, the sheer cuffs and neckline, I love it all! The next lady may be familiar to you, this is the portrait of Marie Antoinette I mentioned earlier that shocked the public! She wears a full gathered Chemise with a striped golden silk sash. Her friend Georgiana Cavendish next to her also wears a Chemise gown. It is said that Marie Antoinette gave Georgiana a Chemise gown and thus helped spread the style amongst the most fashionable level of society.

Chemise à la reine 1785-89, musée de la toile de jouy, photos from costumehysteric.blogspot.com/

It seems there are very few remaining extant examples of Chemise a la Reine. The gown pictured here is in the collection of the Musee de la Toilr de Jouy in France. I found these photos on Pinterest, and the source seems to be a blog called Costume Hysteric however on that site the photos are no longer visible. The gown itself is a beautiful survivor. It is a great example of the style, with it's slim sleeves, the multiple gathers in the front, flounced skirt, and lightly embroidered muslin fabric. There are a few other extant examples including one at Manchester City Gallery that this blogger got a good look at though there are few/bad photos available online of that particular gown.

I am not sure of other extant examples, it seems that none of what I consider the big costume collections (LACMA, MET, and the V&A) have one in their collections. I am sure there are more out there in smaller and less public collections, as they were so prominent in portraiture from the time.

The Chemise a la Reine is a popular choice for modern costume designers for films set in the late 18th century. I first fell in love with the various styles of Chemise a la Reine gowns in the Trianon scenes in Sofia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette. I have yet to make one of these beautiful gowns, but I hope to soon. I have to make one so I can wear my big Picture hat!

I hope you guys liked today's brief overview of the Chemise a la Reine!

All of the information for this post has been gathered from the textbook Survey of Historic Costume (5th edition) by Phyllis G. Tortora and Keith Eurbank, from the links above or my own knowledge. I want to share the resources I come across with all of you as much as possible. The portraits used to illustrate today's post were sourced from Pinterest and can be accessed here.. Again I repeat my disclaimer that I am not a historian, and if you have corrections or additions for this post, please begin the discussion in comments as I would love to learn more!

Closet Histories no. 4.6: Riding Habits & Redingotes

Of the several unique styles of women's dress in the 18th century, one of the most envied by costumers today is the riding habit and the later redingote. Riding habits were ensembles made for horseback riding and were molded off of menswear styles. 18th century riding habits are perhaps the first real example of a "borrowed from the boys" masculine meets feminine idea of fashion. Worn for more than just riding, habits were a stylish choice for ladies throughout the century!

fig. 1, 1714                                                 fig. 2, 1725                                                      fig. 3, 1730            

 Lets look at a few examples and examine some details of the style. Earlier riding habits consisted of a jacket bodice and a matching skirt. Made in hardy wool (especially if one actually intended to go riding) or in shining silks, riding habits were often trimmed with braid in a mock millitary style. Many details were directly taken from menswear or men's military uniforms.

In fig. 1 we can see a very early riding habit style circa 1715. The jacket/bodice of the ensemble is quite long and looks very like a men's frock coat from the same period. The large cuffs, over-sized buttons, and wide metallic trim all call to mind early 18th century military uniforms. She wears a tricorn hat and even carries a slim rapier looking riding crop, reinforcing the military feel of the ensemble.

All three of these earlier examples are made of silk fabrics. Fig. 2 also has a tricorn, though she carries it in her hand as opposed to having it on her head for her portrait. The gold metallic trim on this habit is a thing of wonder, so gorgeous! You can see how the habit is cut less like a men's frock coat and fits more like a woman's garment. The jacket is shorter, the sleeves slimmer, and the conical shape more pronounced. Fig. 3 looks even less like a proper riding habit that fig. 2, looking more like a redingote.

So what is the difference between a riding habit and a redingote? Not much as far as I can tell. It seems garments termed riding habits are more likely to actually be intended for riding and are made of wool or a more substantial silk. Redingotes seem to be more fashion-focused garments, created in the style but in lighter fabrics and with more embellishments. Redingotes seem more prevalent in the later part of the century, and were undoubtedly very popular in the 1780's and 1790's.

             fig. 4, 1747                                                      fig.5, 1740                                                       fig.6, 1748               

 Here are some examples from the middle of the century. Fig 4. is particularly excellent for examining the style. The main components of a ladies riding habit included a waistcoat, a jacket, a shirt worn underneath, and a cravat/stock at the neck inspired by men's clothing. All of this would be paired with a matching skirt and often a menswear style hat. The lady in Fig. 4 wears all of these elements to great effect! Her deep navy blue habit and watered (moire) silk waistcoat are paired with gold bullion trim for a very military looking ensemble. The habits from the early half of the century seem to often be loose at the waist, as can be seen in fig. 5. Here you can see how the jacket hangs loose over the waistcoat. Both the jacket and the waistcoats extend down from the waist into a skirt or tails. The habit in fig. 6 seems to be made of velvet, another popular material for this style of dress, and is embellished with bejeweled metallic trim. The jacket/bodice is paired with a contrasting skirt, something a bit different from earlier habits.

fig. 7, 1750-1759, V&A

 Here is an extant example from the mid 18th century in wool and metallic braid trim. The V&A say:
"By the early 1700s, the riding habit was an established element of the fashionable ladies wardrobe, worn not only for riding and following the hunt, but also for travelling and informal daywear, both in town and country. It was a great deal more comfortable and warm than other fashionable dress, and made of more robust materials. It would have been worn with a skirt, referred to at that date as a petticoat, the generous amounts of fabric incorporated in the skirt meant that it was often recycled, assuming it survived the mud and heavy wear. Habits could be in a full range of colours, although certain shades were specificed for the jacket and cuffs when following a particular hunt. By the end of the 18th century, a contrasting colour for the lining was highly fashionable."

Closet Histories no. 4.5: 18th Century Shoes

Today on Closet Histories we are taking a quick look at ladies shoes of the 18th century. Overall, 18th century shoes can be characterized by a curvy heel, pointed toe and latchet fronts that either tied shut or were closed with shoe buckles. The shoes below are in order from earliest (1700's) to latest (1790's) and show the general progression of ladies shoes in 18th century Europe (and by extension the colonies, aka America).

1700-1715, LACMA

Starting at the beginning of the century with our first extant example, we see the basic silhouette of early 18th century shoes. Notice the thick "French curve" heel and prominent metallic embellishment. The shoes fasten in front by buckling the latchets (front straps over the top of the foot) with metal shoe buckles that pierce through the latchets. Shoes were made from wood, leather, fabrics, and glues. Here you can see the the white rand (a layer of white leather between the fabric and outer sole of the shoe, looks a bit like piping) that is a typical feature of early 18th century shoes.

1720's-1740's, MFA

The second extant example, from the earlier half of the century, is a mule style. Mules are a name given to backless style shoes which slip on. The shoes above are done in red velvet with metallic trim. The heels would have been carved from wood, and you can see the thick leather that makes up the underside and sole of the shoes.

1720's-1730's, MFA

Another early example with a prominent white rand and thick curved heel. These latchets are too short for buckles and were most likely tied shut with ribbons or cord.

Closet Histories no. 4.4: Later 18th Century

I have to say, the later half of the 18th century is probably my favorite period of historic fashion. The 18th century was the first era of history that stole my heart, and I have never fully recovered! Something about the crisp taffeta poufs of a polonaise, the frothy layers of ribbons and silk of the 1780's, the "rugged" charm of a well cut riding habit, they all make me swoon! So today lets take an overview of 18th century fashion from 1760-1790. I will be doing individual posts about polonaise styles, the chemise a la reine, ridding habits and more soon; today we will just be looking over the basics of how styles changed in the later half of the century.

fig. 1, 1768                                                     fig. 2, 1763-4                                                    fig. 3, 1766

So when we left off, we had reached the rococo decadence of the 1750's. The ladies in figures 1-3 are dated to the 1760's, and all are wearing solid color silk gowns in either the robe a la francaise or robe l'anglasie style. It is hard to tell in these portraits (as they do not show us the back of the gowns) which styles are being represented, but both were popular until the end of the century. Gowns in solid silks were more popular in the second half of the century than in the first, where brocades reined supreme. Brocade and jacquard remained popular in the 1760's (and later) though increasingly were used for evening gowns as opposed to day dresses. Less formal gowns of taffeta or cotton became common in the later part of the century.

Notice above that these ladies are all still sporting relatively small pompadour hairstyles, as hair is about to reach new gravity defying heights in the 1670's!

fig. 4, 1760, British, MET

 This bright yellow silk gown from the 1760's lives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This gorgeous example, a robe a la francasie, is trimmed with self fabric ruffles with a pinked edge. Worn with a matching petticoat and stomacher, again trimmed in ruffles and frills, the overall effect is not only stunning, but also provides us with a great example of 1760's fashion.

fig. 5

fig. 6, 1779                                                     fig. 7, 1776                                                       fig. 8, 1776

 The gowns of the 1770's continued to layer on the frills. Here two royal ladies show us their finery, in fig. 6 Juliana Maria of Denmark and Queen Charlotte. The photo of the portrait of Juliana is incredibly HD, click the link! The details of her gown are fully articulated by the artist and the painting must be even more stunning in reality. Her zone front style robe a la francasie is made primarily of off-white silk, decorated with ruffles of lace and accented with light lavender silk ribbons! Also, check out that excellent 1770's hair! That is a tall pompadour by anyone's standards and her cap perched on top looks almost comical in proportion (though it seems she has a rather large diamond pinned to the center of it!). You can even see her matching silk shoes under her skirts, they seem to have jeweled buckles!

Queen Charlotte models our next two looks. In fig. 7 she wears a grey/blue silk gown in what again seems to be a zone front style with the addition of a large collar. Her gown is trimmed in self fabric pleated trim. She is wearing an apron over her petticoat in a transparent gauzy silk, it looks like some sort of organza with stripes and tiny bows or flowers woven in. Again we see the gravity defying hair style is accented with a gauzy cap on top. Charlotte accessorizes with a simple strand of pearls, a matched pair of six strand pearl bracelets with cameo/jewel clasps, and a slim neck kerchief.

Charlotte's second look is for a more formal style full length portrait. Here she wears a white silk gown trimmed again in self fabric pleated trims and with pleated gauzy silk fabric. She wears another transparent silk apron with wide pleated trimming, she seems to have a large shawl in the same transparent silk. This time she has some diamonds pinned amongst the silk draped in her large hair style.

fig. 9, 1775, French, MET

 This floral and striped gown from 1775 is another great example of 18th century gorgeousness! It is trimmed in not only self fabric ruffles and puffs, but also floral multicolored silk fly fringe. The flowers woven into the fabric are roses and pansies. You can see that the silhouette has not changed much from the gowns earlier in the century. Painers still hold out the sides of the skirts, the widest skirts reserved for the most formal of court occasions.