Fashion plates in popular publications of the 1870s and 1880s attest to the predilection for the swags and poufs, richfabrics, and elaborate trim that defined both the well-outfitted woman and her domestic interior. In the “Chitchat on Fashions” section of the December 1878 issue of Godey’s (see fashion plate at top left), the editors wrote: “No piece is left for sweet simplicity. There are lappets of every shape and length, waistcoats of one color and tabliers of another, flutings of cashmere, and draperies of brocade, ruches of silk, and bias bands of striped satin.” The accompanying illustration at right, from How to Furnish a Home (1882), shows a similar approach to a lady’s boudoir.

The visually complex artifice of skillfully manipulated textiles served as an ever-present reminder of the prosperity and progress of the Western world. On the body and in the parlor, an abundance of ornate textiles with specialized construction details signaled personal cultivation and refinement, as well as the technological achievements and industrial power of Europe and America in the latter decades of the 19th century.

In this dress, made for a member of Providence’s Goddard family, the renowned couturier Charles Frederick Worth masterfully manipulated ribbons, draperies, pleated bands, and fringes into an elaborately layered autumnal ensemble. The bodice’s doublet silhouette and the false slashing on the sleeves allude to Renaissance styles. These historical references fluidly mix with contemporary trends, such as the yellow ochre and olive green color scheme (strongly associated with the Aesthetic movement; see the ca. 1880 curtain design at right) and the voluminous folds of the bustle drape and double swags defining the skirt at back. The ruched yellow panel at front closely resembles the festoon-blind window treatment in the nearby illustration.

With the advent of the increasingly exaggerated bustle silhouette in the mid-1870s and mid-1880s, mantles like this one were designed to accommodate the added volume at the back of the skirt. The relatively unstructured nature of this dolman mantle makes reference to Turkish robes called doloman, and hints at the riches of such Near Eastern origins. While paying tribute to North African caftan trim, the caterpillar or snake chenille-yarn fringe around the neck, cuffs, hem, and front opening also relates to the trim on the lambrequin, or valance, in the illustration at right. (Note also the paisley pattern of the inner curtains.)

The sumptuous voided velvet of this fitted evening mantelet was inspired by Persian textile designs, a reference that would have summoned for the wearer and her audience associations with exotic splendor, technical skill, and personal refinement. Garments like this one were worn outside and therefore seen by many, and as the Godey’s February 1880 issue makes clear, they were often weighed down with opulent cross-cultural references:

The Mante, or mantelet, . . . is made only of rich materials, such as brocaded or damassee silk, stamped or embossed velvet, or Indian cashmere covered with rich silk embroidery. It is beautifully trimmed with thick lace ruches beaded with jet, elaborate passementeries with tiny plush tassels, full copeaux fringes of waved silk braid, or of chenille with tiny satin balls and elegant network headings; silk embroidery and passementerie ornaments complete the trimmings.

Trained as an architect and known for his structured fashion designs, Gianfranco Ferré produced this lavish dress toward the end of his tenure as creative director at Dior. Viewed alongside late-19th-century garments and compared to drapery illustrations, the dress quickly reveals its sources of inspiration. The ornate ogival (or pointed-oval) pattern recalls sumptuous fabrics like those in the mantle and mantelet seen here, the exaggerated pouf skirt points to bustle silhouettes, and the line of silk fringe at the hem—punctuated by a large decorative tassel hanging from an upholstery ball—is remarkably akin to the 1876 illustration nearby.

Rugs were commonly part of late-19th-century interior decoration. This Turkish example was made in the vicinity of the town of Kula for a foreign market. Featuring Ottoman-style carnation and tulip motifs mixed with Persian-style vases and a central medallion arrangement, it is already a composite of cultural traditions. In the European or American home, it would have contributed a visual complexity and worldliness to the overall decorative scheme.

Woman’s Ensemble (sweater, skirt, overskirt, coat, scarf), Autumn/Winter 1994 Wool knit (sweater); wool plain weave (skirt); cotton plain weave with silk and silk chenille yarn continuous supplementary weft patterning (overskirt); printed silk velvet

The individual elements in this heavily layered ensemble by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada include references spanning the Silk Road from Mongolia through Central Asia to Eastern Europe. In particular, the voluminous and opulent printed velvet coat gives the appearance of a Central Asian carpet thrown over its wearer’s shoulders. The coat’s interior—a pattern of hazy tulips—bears a striking resemblance to this mid-19thcentury carpetbag.

The 1884 illustration nearby reveals a kindred taste for enveloping layers oculturally and materially differentiated textiles.

The individual elements in this heavily layered ensemble by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada include references spanning the Silk Road from Mongolia through Central Asia to Eastern Europe. In particular, the voluminous and opulent printed velvet coat gives the appearance of a Central Asian carpet thrown over its wearer’s shoulders. The coat’s interior—a pattern of hazy tulips—bears a striking resemblance to this mid-19thcentury carpetbag.

The 1884 illustration nearby reveals a kindred taste for enveloping layers oculturally and materially differentiated textiles.

In their Spring/Summer 2012 presentation, Maison Martin Margiela presented this columnar evening dress on a runway strewn with Turkish, Central Asian, and Persian carpets. Entirely encrusted in sequins arranged in a Persian carpet pattern, the dress gives the appearance of a rug coming off the floor to swathe the figure.

In the 1870s and 1880s, carpets such as the soumak embroidered rug displayed here not only graced parlor, library, and smoking-room floors, but were used as table
covers and—as the illustration at right suggests—portieres hanging in interior doorways. Carpet patterns were also translated into apparel fabrics for outerwear that recall Margiela’s proposal here.

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