Evening vest

Madame Marie Gerber|Callot Soeurs

ca. 1913 · linen · Costume Institute

First established in the 1890s by the four Callot sisters as a lingerie and lace business, Callot Soeurs evolved into a premier dressmaking house in the early years of the 20th century. Madame Gerber, the eldest Callot sister, served as the primary designer for the house until 1927 when her sons took over the business. Rita de Acosta Lydig (1880-1929), a noted beauty and style icon of the early twentieth century, owned this garment, attributed to Callot Soeurs. A great admirer and collector of lace, de Acosta Lydig favored garments made from antique panels of the textile taken from her own collection. Garments made with simple silhouettes and solid-colored textiles often provided the contrasting underlayer for de Acosta Lydig's signature lace vests, like this example.

Artist

Madame Marie Gerber|Callot Soeurs

Date

ca. 1913

Medium

linen

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mercedes de Acosta, 1954