Tea Gown
1912-1920 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Tea gown made from brocaded cream silk with gold metallic figuring in the fabric. With long sleeves and waist-less. With golden yellow palmettes on the ground and border pattern of zig zags in lines or opposed to form diamonds. Floor length and straight cut with the skirts hanging open from the waist at each side. The sleeves are set in straight cut with a triangular gore at the armhole, and have rounded link back cuffs fastening with a small gilt metal band domed button and loop. The neck opening has been filled with bands of coarse net re-embroidered with gilt and cream silk. The gown has been slightly shaped by having the fullness brought in at the shoulders and stitched in a pleat. It fastens at the back with small pearl buttons, and the fastening is concealed by an applied band of the border pattern. The sleeves are lined in white silk which is also used for facing the borders.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Brocaded silk, metal thread, net embroidered with gilt and silk threads, pearl, partly lined with silk |
| Brief description | Tea gown made from brocaded silk and metal threads, designed by Callot Soeurs, Paris, 1912-1920 |
| Physical description | Tea gown made from brocaded cream silk with gold metallic figuring in the fabric. With long sleeves and waist-less. With golden yellow palmettes on the ground and border pattern of zig zags in lines or opposed to form diamonds. Floor length and straight cut with the skirts hanging open from the waist at each side. The sleeves are set in straight cut with a triangular gore at the armhole, and have rounded link back cuffs fastening with a small gilt metal band domed button and loop. The neck opening has been filled with bands of coarse net re-embroidered with gilt and cream silk. The gown has been slightly shaped by having the fullness brought in at the shoulders and stitched in a pleat. It fastens at the back with small pearl buttons, and the fastening is concealed by an applied band of the border pattern. The sleeves are lined in white silk which is also used for facing the borders. |
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'CALLOT SOEURS, 24 TAIT BOUT' (Stitched inside the base of the front neck opening) |
| Object history | This tea-gown was worn by Miss Emilie Grigsby (1876-1964) who was a wealthy independent American who came to England from New York. She established a salon which was frequented by writers and the military. She was considered to be one of the great international beauties, with extremely pale, almost transparent skin and golden hair. She was frequently the subject of articles in the New York Times during the early 20th century. Her clothes were purchased from couturiers in London, Paris, and New York, and demonstrated an elegantly avant-garde approach to style. While most of the clothes of hers held by the Museum are from the 1920s, the collection also includes a group of 1910s clothes mainly by Paul Poiret, who was a personal friend of Emilie Grigsby. This tea gown by Callot Soeurs was said at time of acquisition to have possibly been made from a North African robe. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.153-1967 |
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| Record created | October 4, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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