I have an old soul. I often find myself slipping into daydreams of days past while sipping tea and listening to the musical sounds of 1920’s jazz & blues. While peeking at upcoming events during the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, I stumbled on info about tonight’s lecture, Beyond Romanticism: The Art, Commerce, and Modernity of Lucile, part of the exhibition, Brave New World: Fashion & Freedom, 1911-1919.
Feeling an instant connection to the couturière, I was inspired to take a closer look at Lucile’s stylish life story to find that she designed tea gowns. According to Clare Sauro, Curator of the Drexel Historic Costume Collections, “The tea gown was an important early step towards [physical and social] freedom since they were worn with minimal undergarments in a relaxed (at home) setting.”
Fashion historian and guest lecturer, Rebecca Jumper Matheson shared that, “Teagowns were introduced in the 1870s, but continued as fashionable loungewear into the 1910s. Originally worn at home in the privacy of one’s own boudoir, the teagown was considered appropriate for receiving guests in the afternoon. One of the key points to note about the teagown is that it could be worn without a corset – this suited Lucile’s taste, as she would be among the first designers to eliminate corsets in the first decade of the 20th century. The teagown was in itself a transitional garment, which occupied the place between dress and undress, between a négligée and an evening dress, between a woman’s private life and the public sphere of fashionable society. In Edwardian society, a lovely teagown became essential for female guests to wear in the afternoon during country-house weekends.”
Stay tuned for upcoming sip & style posts, where I’ll pair a few of my favorite modern tea gowns with splendid sips. Thanks for the inspiration, my dear Lucile.
Learn a bit more about lovely Lucile this evening or at the fashionable exhibit.
Beyond Romanticism: The Art, Commerce, and Modernity of Lucile
April 14, 2011 @ 07:00 PM
Nesbitt Auditorium
33rd and Market Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Brave New World: Fashion and Freedom, 1911-1919
April 7 - May 7: Mon-Fri 11:00am - 5:00pm
The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery
3215 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Stay tuned as teaspoons & petals explores the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts through May 1st. This post is supported by PIFA and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.
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