Prudence Extras ~ India's Influence on Victorian Clothing in the Custard Protcol with Gail Carriger

So I took Rue to India in the first Custard Protocol book, Prudence. It was a lot of fun for the both of us. And, as it's me, I also kept an eye open to the fashion world. India was an occupied territory during the Victorian times, and fabrics and fashion moved from there across the world and into the lives of Victorians in a myriad of ways.

1885 Visite  Les Arts Décoratifs

Not all of the images I collected are strictly Indian. Some are from surrounding occupied territories or highlight other Silk Road influences. Nevertheless, they struck me as quite interesting, so I have presented them for you here.

Fancy Dress Costume  Charles Fredrick Worth, 1870  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

I dithered on how to show these. I went with some original historical clothing items, along with some Victorian and later takes on the same theme and, where possible, a modern fashion look. Also there's jewelry!

Pendant  1860  Bonham’s

Here we go...

17th-18th century  The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

1867  Les Arts Décoratifs

Pietro Yantorny, 1920  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

1910 Evening Dress  late 1910s  The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

1920s Raymond Dunca; Marchesa SS2013

19th Radhakrishna pendant  India, 19th century  Christie’s

Tunic  India (Peshawar), late 19th century-early 20th century  The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

1855 via fashionsfromhistory-tumblr Dressing Gown MFA

1915-1916 Callot Soeurs, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Marchesa SS2013

Court Ensemble  India (Lucknow), 19th century  The Victoria & Albert Museum

1820 Turban The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 1907  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

1935 Jeanne Lanvin  The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Tunic  India, 19th century  The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Evening Dress 1893  The Museum of London

"This evening dress is decorated with net panels embroidered with gold thread and beetle wing cases from a species of jewel beetle. The panels were probably made in India where Madras and Calcutta were centres for beetle-wing embroidery made for the European market. The iridescent blue-green beetle wing cases reflect the light like sequins. This type of embroidery is found in British museum collections on dress, textiles and accessories dating from the 1780s until about 1930. Although Indian embroiderers introduced the technique, using it to decorate dress and domestic textiles, Europeans copied them, sometimes using the wing cases of a species of South American jewel beetle. This style of embroidery was also thought to be a suitable pastime for ladies of leisure, who were advised to use a Walker’s number eight needle and green silk thread."

 Dress  Weeks, 1910  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mainbocher, 1950  The Metropolitan Museum of Art; 1913 Lapmshade Tunic  Paul Poiret, 1913  The FIDM Museum

Marchesa SS2013

Opal Bracelet  1900  Christie’s

Shirt  India (Bikaner), 1850s  The Victoria & Albert Museum

Reception Dress  Callot Soeurs, 1910  The Philadelphia Museum of Art; Lounging Pajamas  Callot Soeurs, 1911-1913  
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Fancy Dress Costumes  Paul Poiret, 1913-1914  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sari  India (Lucknow), early 19th century  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Necklace  India, 19th century  Sotheby’s

 1911  Lucile, Whitaker Auctions; Carolyn Schnurer, 1950  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

1951 Bathing Suit  Carolyn Schnurer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kurta  India  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 1970s Hanae Mori  The Frock; Marchesa SS2013

 1960 Madame Grès, 1960  The Metropolitan Museum of Art; 1960s  Timeless Vixen Vintage

Jama  India, 17th century  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

 Lounging Pajamas  Callot Soeurs, 1911-1913; Evening Dress  Callot Soeurs, 1913 

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Hasli Necklace  India, 19th century  Christie’s

Court Robe  India, 18th century  The Victoria & Albert Museum

 1911 Evening Dress  Weeks  The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Evening Dress Madame Eta Hentz 
Spring/Summer 1944 MET

Marchesa SS2013 White

Necklace  India (Rajasthan), 19th century  Christie’s

Coat  India (Kashmir)  The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Choga  India, late 19th century  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

George Halley, 1960s  1stdibs.com

Aba  India (Kutch), mid-19th century  The Victoria & Albert Museum

1980 Zandra Rhodes, 1980s  The Philadelphia Museum of Art

2014 Valentino via Red Carpet Fashion Awards

Stunning Exhibition of Indian Textiles

Retro Rack is also on Facebook, where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

You can also visit the following shopping lists: Travel Dork, My Steampunk, My Wardrobe.

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