allaboutblondyUntitled

Very talented front man

fashioninhistory:

Negligée

Charles James

1943

Charles James produced some of the most memorable garments ever made. He began his design career in the 1930s. It peaked between the late 1940s and mid- 1950s, when his scarce and highly original gowns were sought after by society’s most prominent women. Personally draping and constructing the garments that bear his label, he is considered to be the only American to work in the true couture tradition. James saw himself as an artist and sculptor of dress rather than a dressmaker. He manipulated fabrics into dramatic shapes using complex seaming and sometimes complicated understructures to create his singular vision of timeless elegance. A master of the relationship between form, color and texture, he often heightened the drama of his evening wear by combining several like fabrics of different colors, or different fabrics in like colors but with different light reflective qualities. Also a perfectionist, he worked for years on refining certain seam lines, shapes and constructs that particularly expressed his vision of artistry through rigorous engineering. Many of his pieces are conceived asymmetrically and possess a sense of movement and vitality that is a signature characteristic of his work. Many historical references in shapes and construction, especially the drapery forms of the 1870s and early teens, are also prevalent throughout his work.- The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pretty

fashioninhistory:

Afternoon Dress

1848

Fashionable dress of the 1840s was inspired by Queen Victoria (1819-1901) who was crowned in 1838. Due to her modesty and youth she favored styles which were reserved as befitted a young queen. The elongated bodice and wide V-shape over the bust were essential parts of this decade and can be seen in this example. The addition of many textures from the textile pattern, fringe, tassels, and fabric manipulation through pleating, shirring and puffing, give the dress great visual appeal.- The Metropolitan Museum of Art