Style and Fashion
Images of Fashion from the Court of Louis XIV; Fashion Illustration in the Eighteenth Century
"Under the reign of Louis XIV, fashion, in particular the manner of dress, follows the court. The French change style every day. Foreigners follow French fashion with the exception of the Spanish, who never change their style." more »
The Shape of Fashion and Its Underpinnings, 1870 - 1960
"Underpinnings are the foundation upon which the shape of fashion is built, and similarly reflect the swing of the fashion pendulum. Perhaps more fascinating than the costume itself, these foundations for The Shape of Fashion reflect more earnestly the essence of the feminine realm." more »
Chicago Celebrity and Style: Bertha Honore Palmer
Mrs. Palmer was the undeniable queen of Chicago society in the late-nineteenth century and into the twentieth, but her renown reached well beyond this city. This was a woman who entertained three American presidents at her home. She was the only woman in the United States’ official envoy at the Paris Exposition of 1900. She was related to European royalty, she golfed with King Edward, she dominated Paris and London’s elite social circles. An American leading London society?! She was in no uncertain terms a celebrity. more »
Madeleine Vionnet, Fashion Purist
"A socially progressive employer intenton improving working conditions within her business, Vionnetnonetheless geared her exceptional designs to an elite clientele.As was the case of many designers during the Roaring Twenties,she was not concerned with democratizing fashion. Her amazingtechnical skills paved the way for sartorial renewal based oncomplex structural experimentation." more »