FIDM Museum Blog

Dressing for a royal wedding

 

If you've been following media reports regarding the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William, this advice will sound familiar. For women attending a royal wedding, "hats are required, and there will be lots of big brims and fitted toques...many will wear long gloves with their short sleeves. Men should be in morning coats [or] dress uniforms."¹ This advice is nearly identical to that given on a recent ABC News segment, Royal Wedding Style Guide for Guests. You might be surprised to learn that the advice referenced above actually dates from a previous royal wedding, that of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles in July 1981. Though 30 years apart, the dress code specified on the invitations for both royal weddings is nearly identical.

It's interesting that neither invitation specifies appropriate feminine dress; only male attire is referenced directly. Are women expected to somehow intuit suitable dress for historic and formal weddings? The 1981 article referenced above also noted that women shouldn't wear full-length dresses (too formal) or pants (too casual). Worn by Betsy Bloomingdale to the 1981 wedding of Charles and Diana, this silk day dress fits the bill--neither too long nor too short, it was entirely appropriate for the occasion.

Day Dress
Marc Bohan for Dior
Spring-Summer 1981
Silk crêpe, silk chiffon
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale
2006.116.78BC/C

19th century Spanish fans

 

Paper fan
Spain
1875-1899
Gift of Yvonne Hummel
2010.947.10

Folding fans printed or painted with Spanish genre scenes of bullfighters and dancers are relatively common in museum collections. They generally date from the second half of the nineteenth century and are typically very large. When open, the fan above is 26 inches from point to point of the fan guards, the outermost spines. An 1897 article in Godey's Magazine noted this characteristic of Spanish fans, describing them  as "extremely large and usually black" and decorated with amusing scenes of Spanish life.¹ The fan pictured above features indoor and outdoor views of a festive occasion, similar to the Spanish fans described in Godey's Magazine. If the image itself didn't give away its origin, the fan is also labelled "Madrid" in applied gilt lettering.

Agnés turban, c. 1940-42

 

Before World War II, fashion reportage devoted equal consideration to millinery and clothing. The newest toques and turbans from Paris milliners were described alongside the latest day and evening wear from Gabrielle Chanel, Jean Patou and Jeanne Lanvin. As was true for changes in hemline or silhouette, most millinery trends were born in Paris and then relayed to London, New York and other cities. Preeminent among Parisian milliners during the 1920s and 1930s was Agnés, often referred to as Madame Agnés .

Agnés trained under Caroline Reboux, perhaps the most well-known of the late 19th and early 20th century Parisian milliners. In 1917, Agnés opened her own salon. For her personal wardrobe, she reportedly favored Madeline Vionnet and Louiseboulanger. She was reportedly aware of artistic currents, mining both contemporary and historic art for her designs. In 1925, she designed a close-fitting cloche wrapped with gold and silver leaves, which was described in an advertisement as the "headgear of a goddess." In the 1930s, Madame Agnés began designing softer, draped hats somewhat similar to a turban. In 1936, she created a "Hindu beret turban" for Marlene Dietrich; this hat was a softly puffed beret, tilted to the side. Our Madame Agnés is somewhere between a turban and a hood.

Agnés
1940-43
Museum Purchase
2009.5.23