Evening Coat

PeriodCirca 1900 - 1910

Place MadeParis, France

MediumVoided plush velvet, satin, lace, silk georgette

Dimensions56 in. (142.2 cm)

SignedA woven gold and ivory silk label "WORTH" is sewn to the coat's inside back neck.

ClassificationsCostume, Women's

Credit LineGift of Joseph Reilly, 2000

Object number2000.9.5

DescriptionA woman's evening coat, of striking golden ivory plush voided velvet in an Art Nouveau-influenced pattern of tasseled ears of corn and corn stalks. The open front coat closes with a single hook-and-eye fastening at the throat and is styled with a loose, draped fit and full sleeves slightly gathered at forearms for additional draping and fullness. The entire coat is lined with a heavy golden ivory satin and is padded with a thick material, possibly flannel, for winter wear. Both right and left side seams are slit to the hips to accomodate the wearer's full skirts. Wide ivory lace panels edge the coat's short capelet collar, sleeves, front, and hem, with lightweight ruffled black silk georgette linings.
Curatorial RemarksCharles Frederick Worth (1825 - 1895) is recognized as the father of modern haute couture. Born in Lincolnshire, Worth apprenticed first with a printer, then in London as a clerk in the department store of Swann & Edgar. In 1846 he moved to Paris and began working as a clerk in the shop of Gagelin-Opigez & Cie, which sold silk fabrics and cashmere shawls. Worth designed simple dresses for the female shop clerks to wear while modeling the shawls to customers. The elegant lines and excellent fit of his dresses proved popular, and he was given permission to open a small department to sell his gowns. Worth struck out on his own in 1858 and quickly became a success. His most illustrious client was the Empress Eugenie of France, but his clientele included society women and actresses on both sides of the Atlantic. Worth himself enjoyed his American clients, saying that they had "faith, figures, and francs." Worth introduced a number of changes in dressmaking and fashion design, including using live models wearing finished gowns as display for clients. His sons Gaston and Jean began working in the business in 1874 and continued running the House of Worth after their father's death in 1895.NotesAccording to the donor, this elegant garment was purchased at a Rumson estate sale and was apparently part of a large wedding trousseau. The garment is in fragile condition, most likely due to a fabric finishing process of the late 19th century, which gave silk a weight and luster. As time passed, this treatment often resulted in "shattered silk," where the fibers of the silk grew brittle and split along the fabric's grain line. This is one of two garments from the wedding trousseau, both elegant evening coats for the new bride. See accession number 2000.9.4 for the second evening coat.

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