Evening dress

House of Worth|Charles Frederick Worth

1893–95 · silk · Costume Institute

Severe corsetting falling at the natural waist, a flaring skirt, and the return of gigot sleeves constituted a fin-de-siècle extremism. The engorgement of sleeves and skirt made this extreme constriction seem even more exaggerated in the context of the bulbous shapes surrounding the ideal, hard, narrow waist. The style was maintained well into the twentieth century as a flattering stage effect by actresses such as Sarah Bernhardt.

Artist

House of Worth|Charles Frederick Worth

Date

1893–95

Medium

silk

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Frederick M. Godwin, 1954