Afternoon dress 1892

Curator: Before us is an "Afternoon Dress," crafted around 1892 by the House of Worth. It currently resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My first thought is elegance, but almost burdened. It is a beautifully made object, but something about that heavy skirt, and the enormous sleeves reads like… expectation. Curator: Worth, indeed, reigned supreme in the world of Parisian haute couture at the time. An afternoon dress like this spoke volumes about the wearer's status, doesn't it? The materials, the cut, the very silhouette all projected a certain image of wealth and leisure. Editor: It certainly screams “status”. Beyond just wealth, there’s also a certain... innocence on display. That white—or perhaps ivory—color is everywhere in this period, a blank canvas for personality to show itself, and, often enough, hide behind. Think of what a blank slate implied about women in society during the gilded age. Curator: Precisely. And notice how that silhouette evolved during the late 19th century. From the large crinolines of the 1860s, Worth helped usher in a more streamlined, albeit still extravagant, shape, emphasizing the waist, the high bust. The dress dictates the body's presentation in social contexts. Editor: The hourglass form and the careful draping certainly accentuate the fashionable figure. But those giant sleeves are hard to ignore. And that feather boa is a signal, too. The feathers and hourglass, taken together, are classic symbols of the passage of time... Curator: Of course. And it's interesting to consider how a fashion house like Worth actively shaped the image of women. Dresses like these were instrumental in defining ideals of femininity. This Afternoon Dress encapsulates aspirations of a lady. Editor: It's the weight of those aspirations that strike me now. Considering it’s made by the “House of Worth”, the name has the resonance of something that’s "worthwhile." And so much is expected of the wearer to project the ideal, this look, this status, it's a symbolic encapsulation of a whole era. Curator: Thinking about this artwork I consider its lasting impact in representing social and institutional influence through this photograph of clothing. Editor: I’m considering how many modern visual strategies started in this era, it seems this afternoon dress carries a lot more on its literal shoulders than you’d first believe.