Various costumes and clothing inspirations, references, tutorials and creations from all aspects of costuming and fashion from the past, present and future, consolidated and created lovingly in a single place for your enjoyment.
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© All images belong to their respective owners as credited unless otherwise stated. Costumerism is brought to you by a group of London-based costumes enthusiasts.
I’ll end here with one of my favorite Worth gowns.
circa 1898–1900
“A superb example of dressmaking from the House of Worth, this dress exhibits the aesthetic of the last years of the nineteenth century. The fashionable reverse S-curve silhouette of the dress and the dramatic scroll pattern of the textile reflect the influence of the Art Nouveau movement. The striking graphic juxtaposition of the black velvet on an ivory satin ground creates the illusion of ironwork, with curving tendrils emphasizing the fashionable shape of the garment. In order to achieve this effect, the textile was woven à la disposition, with the intent that each piece would become a specific part of the dress. With this technique, the design of the fabric is intrinsic to the design of the dress.”
Jayne Mansfield
Greta Garbo in an elaborate, full skirted dress (1860s, before bustles came into fashion) the film, Romance by George Hurrell (M-G-M, 1930) Photo print 489-14 from the M-G-M custom lab.
As this is the only print produced of this pose, the original print of this photo is up for sale at an estimated value of $2000 - $3000.
“Society girl Madame Lucien Lelong (née Princess Nathalie Paley), wife of the couturier dresses for the evening. Her satin-lined wrap covers a longer line, more feminine, fitted dress, an example of the changing silhouette in the run-up to the Thirties.”
-From the book, Decades of Fashion (1929 from the Hulton Archives)
A slim silouhette is promoted by the cut of the dress and the satin-lined evening cape. This is emphasised by the wider back pleats, which fans at the slightest movement, as volume returns in fashion by the end of the 1920s. Lelong’s timeless, neoclassical drapery influences is also seen. Lucien Lelong is a well-known French couturier circa 1920s-1940s. He is a man known for single-handedly saving Parisian couture and fashion industry from being moved to Berlin during the French occupation of Nazi Germany.
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