Mannequin

Charles James

ca. 1950 · cotton, synthetic, metal, silk · Costume Institute

James’s approach to shaping his designs was anchored in his manipulation of the contours of the body. In some instances, the additive padding of a form appears to approximate the figure of a client, but that is not necessarily the case. James stated explicitly that he padded out the form to the shape he wished to give to the wearer. The stuffing of crumpled tissue to represent the “wall of air” between the dress form and his pattern development for a short jacket suggests his strategy and hands-on approach. The grain of a garment is penciled in, but important seam and design lines are articulated by black tape.

Artist

Charles James

Date

ca. 1950

Medium

cotton, synthetic, metal, silk

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009