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Not currently on display at the V&A

Dress

c.1913 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The high-waisted black cashmere kimono-like gown is trimmed with striking notes of purple and a wide draped purple sash of silk crepe. It has an unusual bodice (without centre back seam), incorporating bat-wing sleeves with long, tapered cuffs and a wired 'Tudor'-style, heart-shaped collar. The gown wraps over and fastens along the left front with tiny press-studs under a line of blind buttonholes with pendant buttons.

This is from the collection of Heather Firbank (1888-1954), daughter of the MP Sir Thomas Firbank and sister of the novelist Ronald Firbank. The dress is a half-mourning dress, meaning that it was worn in the later stages of mourning. Mourning etiquette was well controlled and what could be worn at each stage was rigidly prescribed.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cashmere, trimmed with silk crêpe, wire
Brief description
Cashmere dress trimmed with silk crêpe, John Redfern, London, c.1913
Physical description
Black cashmere dress trimmed with purple silk crêpe, and with a purple silk crêpe sash. The sleeves have long tapered cuffs, cut in one with the unseamed bodice back and are turned over the shoulders, and top-stitched in raglan type seams at the front. The bodice is gathered into a high waist from which falls the slender columnar skirt. The flat plane at the back is created by a pair of deeply inverted pleats. The dress wraps over and fastens along the left front with press studs under a line of false buttonholes and pendant buttons. Purple silk cummerbund. The colour purple is also taken up in the wired heart-shaped collar.
Dimensions
  • Height: 1700mm (Note: mounted footprint)
  • Width: 600mm (Note: mounted footprint)
  • Depth: 600mm (Note: mounted footprint)
  • Width: 70cm (Note: Mounted width - estimate)
  • Depth: 70cm (Note: Mounted depth - estimate.)
Gallery label
DAY DRESS (half-mourning) alpaca and silk crepe English, London, Redfern, about 1912 This is the earliest garment in the temporary exhibition and is included as a reminder of that black mourning costume is one of the pre-cursors of the 20th century phenomenon "the little black dress". Made in costly fabric, this dress was worn by Miss Heather Firbank, sister of the novelist Ronald Firbank. The structure of the bodice is especially interesting and modern in its appeal. The sleeves (with long tapered cuffs) are cut in one with the unseamed bodice back and are turned over the shoulders and top-stitched in raglan type seams at the front. The bodice is gathered into a high waist from which falls the slender columnar skirt. The flat plane at the back is created by a pair of deeply inverted pleats. The dress wraps over and fastens along the left front with press studs under a line of false buttonholes and pendant buttons. Attention centres on the purple cummerbund and the colour is taken up in the wired Tudor style heart shaped collar. T.32-1960(1983-84)
Summary
The high-waisted black cashmere kimono-like gown is trimmed with striking notes of purple and a wide draped purple sash of silk crepe. It has an unusual bodice (without centre back seam), incorporating bat-wing sleeves with long, tapered cuffs and a wired 'Tudor'-style, heart-shaped collar. The gown wraps over and fastens along the left front with tiny press-studs under a line of blind buttonholes with pendant buttons.

This is from the collection of Heather Firbank (1888-1954), daughter of the MP Sir Thomas Firbank and sister of the novelist Ronald Firbank. The dress is a half-mourning dress, meaning that it was worn in the later stages of mourning. Mourning etiquette was well controlled and what could be worn at each stage was rigidly prescribed.
Bibliographic reference
Mendes, Valerie. Black In Fashion. London: V&A Publications, 1999.
Collection
Accession number
T.32-1960

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Record createdFebruary 5, 2003
Record URL
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