FIDM Museum Blog

Silver paper headdress, c. 1860

Anyone interested in the history of fashion quickly realizes that fashion is a series of cyclical repetitions. Contemporary silhouettes, colors and design details reference recent and historic styles, often with only slight modifications to bring a garment into the present moment. This cycle isn't new or unique to contemporary culture; documented revivals of historic fashions exist in the nineteenth century and earlier. Fashion historian Barbara Baines has suggested that revivals of historic dress styles are due to a number of factors, including nostalgia and an interest in associating oneself with specific, perceived characteristics of the past. In addition to these psychological factors, concrete events like an archaeological discovery, museum exhibition or period film can inspire a revival of historic styles.¹

The 'Little Girl' look and nostalgia in fashion

During the later years of the 1960s, the '"little girl" look was prominent in fashion. Many women dressed in loose, A-line shift dresses similar to those worn by little girls and accessorized with items (hairbows, headbands, flat shoes) associated with youth. Twiggy, with her childlike appearance and demeanor, is the iconic representation of this style. As described in a somewhat satirical 1968 New York Times article, designers "flipped over the princess dresses and little smocked numbers" worn by little girls and "made the dresses larger, used very expensive fabrics and put price tags on big enough to pay for a little backyard merry-go-round."¹

Smocked dress
Jeanne Lanvin
c. 1968
Museum Purchase
S2003.5.16

Oscar dressing

In the early years of the Academy Awards, celebrities didn't always dress themselves in the latest glamorous fashions. In 1935, Claudette Colbert wore a simple traveling suit to accept the Best Actress Award for It Happened One Night. Colbert didn't expect to win, so was already on-board a New York bound train as the ceremony began. The train was held at the station and Colbert was rushed to the ceremony to accept her award. That same year, Bette Davis wore an "afternoon frock" to the Academy Awards and was criticized by the press and studio executives for her lack of glamour. During the early 1940s, Ingrid Bergman proudly wore the same black dress to the Academy Awards two years in a row!

Polonaise bodice

In 1872, fashion periodicals such as Godey's Lady's Book, Peterson's Magazine and Harper's Bazaar were filled with references to various styles of the polonaise dress. Whether a princess, vest, Russian or dolman polonaise, the common characteristic was a gathered and bunched puff of fabric at the back. Created through interior ties that pulled the fabric upwards, the polonaise was essentially a fitted overdress worn over a skirt of matching or contrasting fabric. In April of 1872, Harper's Bazaar suggested that a white polonaise was most useful, "as it may be worn effectively over black or colored silks as well as with the white skirt that complements it."

Polonaise bodice
c. 1869-1874
Gift of Anne Stampfer
94.661.2A-C

Lanvin

As designer for Lanvin since 2002, Alber Elbaz has brought new life to what had become a house on the periphery of fashion. Founded in 1885 as a millinery shop, Lanvin flourished under the direction of its founder, Jeanne Lanvin. Lanvin excelled in the creation of elegant, sophisticated garments with a distinct silhouette and inventive surface decoration. After Lanvin's death in 1946, a series of designers headed the house, though none to such acclaim as Jeanne Lanvin herself. It was only with the hiring of Alber Elbaz that Lanvin began to return to a position of prominence. Though Elbaz's designs for Lanvin are lauded for their modernity, it is possible to find traces of Jeanne Lanvin's aesthetic running throughout his work.

Evening dress
Winter 2004
Alber Elbaz for Lanvin
Gift of Barbara Bundy
2006.37.8

Cinch belt

If you happened to see this cinch belt out and about, what would be your guess as to its age? Given that it is part of the FIDM Museum collection, we probably didn't pick it up at H&M over the weekend.

Cinch belt
1952
Schaffer
Anonymous donation
89.10.1

Fast fashion

Over the last few years, collaborations between clothing designers and mass-market retailers have become increasingly common. These fast fashion or capsule collections consist of a small group of designer items created for a specific retailer and are only available for a limited time. Capsule collections allow the average consumer to purchase a designer item at significant savings while allowing mass-market chains to increase their profile through targeted marketing campaigns. For new or unestablished designers, capsule collections help spread their name and design aesthetic, while well-known designers are able to bring their designs to a wider audience. Though these collaborations are now commonplace, one of the very first high/low collaborations was between Karl Lagerfeld and H&M, which launched in November 2004.

As the first such collaboration, Lagerfeld's capsule collection received a tremendous amount of attention from both consumers and the press. Carried in roughly half of the H&M stores, customers lined up for hours before stores opened in order to purchase one of the Lagerfeld designed items. The collection sold out within hours at many H&M stores and there were reports of customers actually grabbing garments out of the hands of sales clerks. The FIDM Museum black silk cocktail dress seen below is one of Lagerfeld's designs for H&M.

Cocktail dress
Karl Lagerfeld for H&M
Fall 2004
Museum Purchase
2004.5.47A-C

Everything old is new again!

If you're interested in the history of fashion, it is usually impossible to ignore the ways in which contemporary designers reference styles of past eras. As we mentioned in this post, designer John Galliano frequently mines fashion history for his inspiration, both in his own collections and in those he creates for Christian Dior. The Fall 2009 Galliano ready-to-wear collection is notable for its reference to the pannier, a type of undergarment that emphasizes the hips. A few weeks ago, we posted an entry on our robe de style, a 1920s dress which makes use of the pannier. After you've revisited that post, take a look at Galliano's Fall 2009 collection here and see if you can spot how Galliano referenced this wide-hipped silhouette.

Have you noticed any other historic styles popping up in current fashion? Let us know what you find!