KCI Digital Archive

THE KYOTO COSTUME INSTITUTE

Collections 1870s-1880s

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©The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Takashi Hatakeyama

Dinner Dress

the second half of 1870s

Designer: 
unknown
Brand: 
N. Rodrigues
Label: 
N. RODRIGUES Paris
Material: 
Blue-green silk satin brocade with woven pattern of red roses; bustle-style two-piece dress; lace at neckline, front opening and cuffs; silk satin bows at cuffs; train with silk thread fringe and wooden beads.

The strong combination of the complimentary colors, deep blue-green and red, was created using the latest fashionable chemical dyes at the time. This textile, woven with a large, bright red rose pattern on a dark and solemn background, shows the new taste in colors. The thickness and stiffness of high-quality silk fabric like this fabric was ideal for creating the clear, sharp lines of the bustle style. In order to highlight the backside, cloth, ribbons, fringe, and other ornamentation increased the dress' volume, as was the tendency of this period.

Inventory Number(s): AC9232 95-19-6AC