This opulent two-piece gown—epitomizing Belle Époque luxury—was created by the House of Redfern. A renowned English couture establishment, Redfern was founded in 1871 and specialized in elegant yet casual country clothing for women; early success led to expansion, and soon branches were opened in Paris and in the United States. Although the House of Redfern is most associated with the tailored walking suit, extravagant evening gowns were also a specialty. Made from changeable silk taffeta with a trompe l’œil pattern of festooned pearls and feathers, this striking evening ensemble incorporates coordinating chartreuse satin, fine black lace, tulle, and metallic purl and buckle embellishment. The overall effect is one of heightened decadence. A woven waistband reads: Redfern, Ladies Tailor, 67 Ross Street, Manchester, HM the Queen and HRH Princess of Wales.

Provenance: Made for Mrs. Mark Wood, mother of the Contessa di St. Elia.

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Closed robe of mauve silk faille brocaded with naturalistic floral motifs in polychrome silk floss; winged cuffs, fitted back; British; the silk ca. 1735-40; the dress, ca. 1760.

The lush, shaded forms and asymmetric composition of this silk are characteristic of dress fabrics at the height of the Rococo period. Expensive silks were often re-used at a later date to accommodate the changing silhouette. As an alternative to the more formal robe à la française with its loose back pleats and separate petticoat, a one-piece gown with fitted back was especially popular amongst British women.

This dress was exhibited in Anglomania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion, a collaboration between the Costume Institute and the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Brocaded ivory silk open robe and matching petticoat with stripes and floral sprigs
British, 1780s

One of the informal styles of women's dress that gained popularity in the later 1770s and 1780s was the robe à la polonaise. Generally constructed with a center-front closing bodice and fitted back (à l'anglaise), its distinctive characteristic was an overskirt that could be looped-up to create a swagged effect. This dress, made from satin-striped ivory silk taffeta brocaded in polychrome silk floss in a pattern of floral sprays and tiny sprigs, was on display in Art & Fashion: From Marie Antoinette to Jacqueline Kennedy at the Nassau County Museum of Art, New York.

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Jumps provided a comfortable alternative to the rigid stays used by women in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The fan-shaped skirts with side and center back vents allow for the fullness of a hooped petticoat underneath.

A combination of Eastern and Western motifs is executed in polychrome silk chain stitch on a faux quilted linen ground. Fantastic birds and long-robed figures carrying parasols are familiar Chinoiserie elements. The knotted fringe, made with the aid of a shuttle, was a popular form of trimming around 1700.

The ruffled collar, shirred bodice with bone button detail, longer sleeves and fuller skirt of this young girl's dress reflect the new romantic fashions of the 1820s; the high, drawstring waistline, however, is a carryover from the Empire style. Printed cottons were appropriate for daywear, and this dynamic, all-over pattern of sunburst spirals enclosing stylized blossoms would have been both fashionable and practical.

Provenance: A handwritten note is sewn onto the back of the dress: "Bought for Caroline Littlehale 1825."

Condition: Some period repairs and small stains; please inquire for detail photos.

SOLD