Petticoat 1897 - 1907

Curator: What a fascinating artifact. We're looking at a petticoat from around 1897 to 1907, housed here at the Met. It offers a glimpse into the fashion and societal norms of the era. Editor: It’s ethereal, almost ghostly. The way the light catches the fabric, despite the age, suggests a lightness. I'm immediately drawn to the geometric pattern at the hem—the juxtaposition of sharp squares and the delicate lace creates a beautiful tension. Curator: Absolutely. The geometric lace detailing wasn't just decorative; it speaks to the rise of industrial production methods. These embellishments reflect a democratization of fashion where intricate designs became more accessible to the rising middle class. Editor: Interesting. I'm more interested in how those squares disrupt the otherwise fluid lines. It's like a coded message, almost like a mathematical equation disguised in frills. How the sharp geometries speak to a controlled femininity, contained yet ornamented. Curator: I agree that there's a level of imposed control. The under layers like this restricted movement to achieve an hourglass silhouette. Dresses during this period demanded such structuring garments, essentially shaping the female body to adhere to a beauty ideal of the time, signifying social status. Editor: Shape. Form. Structure. That's what grabs my attention too. The very construction dictates its beauty. Also, look how those horizontal pleats emphasize width, visually interrupting a smooth vertical fall of textile. What is the relationship between surface and depth that the designer is playing with? Curator: You know, thinking about it now, this specific undergarment can offer insight to our social understanding and history of gender relations, female roles and sexuality, power dynamics within fashion houses, which eventually lead to movements of suffrage... Editor: So much concealed within something so seemingly delicate and beautiful. From geometries that regulate motion to pleats shaping planes. It’s truly exquisite, not simply fabric on thread. Curator: Indeed, an object seemingly demure yet deeply symbolic, a silent narrator to social history. Editor: And through line and texture, a continuing invitation to reflect and decipher the story it silently narrates.