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Artistic reformers, influenced by and often connected to the Arts and Crafts movement, particularly advocated comfortable, natural styles of dress, in contrast to the tightly-waisted forms of conventional women’s fashion, which were made using new artificial dyes and industrially produced textiles. Amongst diverse counter-cultural circles, simpler, less constrained styles, often using naturally dyed fabrics, were thought to be healthy as well as visually pleasing. And while Rational reformers prioritised practicality (as well as health), those who favoured Artistic dress were interested in decorative techniques such as smocking and embroidery, ideally designed and carried out by the wearer. Among these reformers, dress was seen as an expression of individuality and artistic vision and skill.\n\r\nFrom the 1860s, women such as Jane Morris, Elizabeth Siddal, and Ellen Terry, in ‘Pre-Raphaelite’ and theatrical social groups, were painted and photographed in flowing dresses without crinolines or other dress supports. Sometimes the outfits were historical costumes, often referencing medieval Europe or ancient Greece, in other instances the ensembles were unconventional takes on more mainstream womenswear.\n\r\nThe influence of Artistic dress reform was increasingly seen from the 1870s, the decade during which Mary Haweis published <i>The Art of Dress </i>(1879) which promoted this approach. The Liberty & Co. costume department opened in 1884, retailing distinctive, historically inspired gowns, as well as simple smocked dresses, made to order in their on-site workroom in central London, a venture which commercialised the movement and made the style more readily available. In 1890 the Healthy and Artistic Dress Union was formed (interestingly, some of the 200 members were also part of the Rational Dress Society, established in 1881). One of their activities was publishing <i>Aglaia: The Journal of the Healthy and Artistic Dress Union</i>, edited by the artist Henry Holiday. \r\n\r\n\n<b>This dress</b>\r\n\r\nThis dress is unlabelled and was made to the very specific requirements of its wearer, probably by a local professional dressmaker, but possibly by a competent domestic worker or home-sewer. It is made of velvet, a fabric often seen in the few surviving examples of Artistic dress, and worn in dark shades in portraits and photographs of leading figures in the Arts and Crafts movement including May Morris. Constructed with a very lightly boned bodice, with a concealed but high waist seam, it has a loosely flowing, double-layered skirt. The overskirt is cut to fall in two points, either side of a double row of silk thread and spangled embroidery at the centre front. Its overall effect is a fantasy combining various historical elements, including the pleated shoulder-line and the ‘tabbed’ effect of the lower edges of the bodice, emphasised with Soutache or Russia braid. \r\n\r\nCraft and hand-made embellishment is exemplified by the delicate, contrasting white embroidery at the neckline, and sections of lace at the lower sleeves, which add to the picturesque effect, emulating portraits of the fifteenth century. The trailing Soutache braid creates a central motif on the bodice, and is applied by hand, somewhat asymmetrically, an imperfection that is in keeping with the spirit of Artistic dress. The decorative embroidery trimming the bodice and front panel of the skirt is in a repeating design of stylised crescent moons and floral trails, highlighted with sequins. The choice of the moon emblem may have been significant for the wearer, perhaps indicating that this was worn for a particular evening event or entertainment. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Full length dress of blue-black cotton velvet, with long sleeves and double layered skirt, mounted on an underdress of cotton lining fabric. Embroidered with black applied Russia (or Soutache) braid at the bodice, sleeves and hem of overskirt. Neckline edged with applied hand-embroidered trim of silk thread in pale gold and white trim with crescent shapes, berries and leaves in a repeating pattern with sequins. Two additional strips of embroidery applied above hem at centre front. \r\n\r\nBodice fastening centre back, attached to gathered skirt which has an overskirt cut to fall in two points, either side of the centre front. Bodice cut with low round neck, evidence of missing neck infill. Bodice has double pleats at its shoulders, and sleeves set beneath pleats. Short oversleeve effect of velvet covers an undersleeve of cotton lining fabric, with embroidered lower sleeves extending to below the elbow. Lower section of sleeve formed of sections of chemical lace, buttoning at the cuff, with three shell buttons and trimmed with narrow braid. \n\r\nBodice has Russia braid applied to outline central medallion shape in centre front above meandering trails either side above false hem. Lower sleeves also embroidered with trails of meandering Russia braid. Russia braid applied to hem of overskirt in repeating pattern between upper and lower border of knotted Russian braid. Short plaited silk braid applied above central embroidery of bodice, extending under the sleeves to either side of the centre back of the bodice. Beneath this three non-functioning button holes applied each side of centre front, each finished with a covered velvet button. \r\n\r\nBodice is mounted on internal support of black silk which fastens with 13 pairs of hooks and eyes, while the outer bodice fastens with 6 hooks and eyes. The back opening extends into skirt which closes with five skirt clips and silk loops. Internal bodice hem is bound with tape. Bodice has central strip of soft covered boning with further strips at each side seam and each side of centre back,a total of five strips. Dress protectors of white cotton under arm at each sleeve. Right hand side protector is stamped with a logo of a 6 pointed star, with CB at the centre. Stamped ‘The Treasure’. Internal bodice is machine stitched at seams and darts while embroidery is hand applied. \r\n\r\nUnderskirt is made from 7 shaped panels of lining fabric, with deep panels of cotton velvet applied with machine stitching to extend the skirt to the ground. It is cut with slight train at centre back. Overskirt is entirely of cotton velvet made of 9 shaped panels flaring from waist. Underskirt is joined to under bodice at the waist. ","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"velvet","id":"AAT133711"},{"text":"braid","id":"x33030"},{"text":"chemical lace","id":"x41301"},{"text":"sequin","id":"AAT183896"}],"techniques":[{"text":"hand sewing","id":"AAT257459"},{"text":"machine sewing","id":"AAT257463"},{"text":"hand embroidery","id":"x30339"},{"text":"machine embroidery","id":"x32585"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Embroidered with black applied Russia (or Soutache) braid at the bodice, sleeves, and hem of overskirt. Neckline edged with applied hand-embroidered trim of silk thread in pale gold and white trim with crescent shapes, berries and leaves in a repeating pattern with sequins. ","categories":[{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2024NR5583","2024NR5584","2024NR5585","2024NR5587","2024NR5588","2024NR5589","2024NR5592","2024NR5593","2024NR5594","2024NR5596","2024NR5598","2024NR5600","2024NR5605","2023NN2562","2023NN2563","2023NN2564","2023NN2565","2023NN2577","2023NN2583","2023NN2588","2023NN2389","2023NN2390","2023NN2391","2023NN2392","2023NN2393","2023NN2394","2023NN2395","2024NR8088"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"125E","id":"THES49214"},"free":"","case":"CA7","shelf":"","box":"3"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"dress","id":"x47499"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"c.1905","earliest":"1900-01-01","latest":"1909-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased with the support of the Elspeth Evans bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"92","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Bust","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"77.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Waist","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"34","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Length of bodice centre front (internal)","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"104","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Length of skirt centre front (internal)","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"115","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Length of skirt centre back","note":""},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"426","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Circumference of skirt","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Dress, cotton velvet with applied braid, sequins, silk thread embroidery and machine-made lace, probably made in Britain, about 1905","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<b>Studies covering Artistic dress reform:</b>\r\nRobyne Calvert, ‘“The Artistic Aspect of Dress”: The Story of the Healthy and Artistic Dress Union’, <i>Costume</i> (December 1988), vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 175–201\r\nPatricia A. Cunningham, <i>Reforming Women’s Fashion, 1850–1920: Politics, Health, and Art</i> (Kent 2002)\r\nStella Mary Newton, <i>Health, Art and Reason: Dress Reformers of the Nineteenth Century</i> (London 1974)\r\nKimberly Wahl, <i>Dressed as in a Painting: Women and British Aestheticism in an Age of Reform</i> (Durham 2013)\r\n"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"DRESS \r\nAbout 1905\r\nIn the late 19th century, women in artistic circles sometimes designed and wore dresses based on historic styles. Their flowing, comfortable silhouettes contrasted with the constricting fashion of the time. This example has elements from 15th-century garments, like the 'tabbed' hem of the bodice. It is hand-embroidered but includes contemporary touches like the machine-made lace cuffs and trimming. \r\n<i>Cotton velvet with applied braid, sequins, silk thread embroidery and machine-made lace\r\nProbably made in Britain</i>\r\nMuseum no. T.91-2022\r\n\r\nLabel text for the Britain Galleries 1500–1900. The dress went on display in these galleries, in room 125, in January 2024.","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["T.91-2022"],"accessionNumberNum":"91","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":2022,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-08","recordCreationDate":"2022-07-21","availableToBook":false}}