Walking Costume thumbnail 1
Walking Costume thumbnail 2
+2
images
Not currently on display at the V&A

Walking Costume

1916-1918 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The flared skirt and waisted jacket (with a gathered basque) of this civilian costume echo the lines of many female World War I (1914-1918) uniforms that were, of course, made of more durable and practical fabrics. The braid and tassels add a further military touch, and the shorter, freedom-giving skirt is of particular interest. The deep navy is typical of the plain, dark and dull colours worn during those sombre times. The jacket is lined with white silk and has the label 'Marshall & Snelgrove, Oxford St W'. James Marshall co-founded the firm's London shop in 1838. Branches were later established in Scarborough and Harrogate (a spa town and seaside resort respectively) in Yorkshire.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Jacket
  • Skirt
  • Blouse
Materials and techniques
Silk taffeta, chiffon, machine-made net frill, lined with silk, silk braid, boned, petersham
Brief description
Jacket and skirt of silk taffeta and of chiffon, retailed by Marshall & Snelgrove Ltd., London, 1916-1918
Physical description
Jacket and skirt of blue silk taffeta and blouse of blue chiffon.

The jacket is hip length with a gathered basque. It fastens down the centre front with hooks and eyes, braid bands and tassels suggesting a frog fastening. The collar is wide and square cut. The sleeves are long and gathered at the wrist with a pointed flared cuff. Stitched inside is a gathered machine-made net frill. Lined with white silk and with the shop label that forms a hanging loop at the centre back neck.

The skirt is flared from a pointed basque at the hips and with a narrow gathered panel at the centre back and front trimmed with silk braid and tassels. There is a wide boned petersham waistband fastening at the centre back with hooks and eyes. There is a short lining attached at the waist of black silk.

The blouse is trimmed with matching silk and mounted over with white silk. Cut full and gathered at the waist. The sleeves are long, hem stitched to the body of the blouse at the shoulders, and bound with silk at the wrist where they fasten with press studs. The neck is medium low and round, and bound with silk with a mock key-hole opening in front. There are ribbon bands stitched over the shoulders and forms a sash.
Credit line
Given by Mrs M. Massey-Stewart
Production
Oxford St, London
Summary
The flared skirt and waisted jacket (with a gathered basque) of this civilian costume echo the lines of many female World War I (1914-1918) uniforms that were, of course, made of more durable and practical fabrics. The braid and tassels add a further military touch, and the shorter, freedom-giving skirt is of particular interest. The deep navy is typical of the plain, dark and dull colours worn during those sombre times. The jacket is lined with white silk and has the label 'Marshall & Snelgrove, Oxford St W'. James Marshall co-founded the firm's London shop in 1838. Branches were later established in Scarborough and Harrogate (a spa town and seaside resort respectively) in Yorkshire.
Collection
Accession number
T.172 to B-1964

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest