A Century of Fashions

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7062, 23 January 1933, Page 2

A Century of Fashions

Recently in London 100 dresses from the collection of Dr. C. Willett Cunnington, showing tho fashions between ISOO and 1900 wore displayed. Dr. Willett described his gowns as having been worn by women in comfortable circumstances between ISOO and 1900. He explained the influences that were at work at each period of the century, which produced an emphasis on lines, angles or curves. Since tho Great War thero had been the same emphasis on vertical lino, as in the period beginning 1795. Wherever tho vertical influence was seen in dress it was found also influencing decoration and furniture. From 1525-1805 there was an emphasis on angles, and from 1806-1010 an epoch of curves. The post-war antisontimontal attitude marked tho same type of mind which produced the vertical fashions following tho French Revolution, when there was an enormous enthusiam for new ideas shown in the pseudo-classical styles of tho period. In 1825 there was a complete chango of mentality and of dress showing the return to sentiment. Tho epoch of curves, 1866-1910, was described, as an age of sex repression, accentuating in fashion what was repressed in feelings. Tho group of dresses included many of great beauty. Gowns of the Consulate and Dircctoire period appeared to suffer from a lack of accessories. Those of tho Empire period were more interesting and the onlookers saw the vertical period modified and growing more 'becoming. Epaulette shoulders and skirt rouleaux wero seen in tho Restoration period of 1815-1825, and also the appearance of the early leg-o’-mutton sleeve in a demi-gigot, later to appear in greater fullness. The bustle appeared in 1828 and a beautiful morning dress of white English muslin printed with green foliage and made with printed bodice—similar to that worn by Fanny Kcmblo in a picture dated 1829 —fluttered with sentiment. A little later came tho crinoline petticoat of horsehair, worn under fivo or six other, petticoats to link tho sentimental with the domestic period in the days when velvet trimmings and tho first small bonnets came into fashion. Throughout tho series of groups, Dr. Willett Cunnington commented on the phases of dross. In the ’soventies women "mourned with gusto,” as seen in the gown of "mitigated grief” for half mourning in white Cambridge edged with black and in the widow’s dress in heavy black gros-grain with white cap, cuffs and collar. He called attention to tho Stuart neckline popular in tho Rococo period of 1575-1577 as being, one • of the most becoming in any age.