These dresses may have survived precisely because they were so tiny and therefore difficult to be handed down or made over. The same is true of old sample shoes which were too small to be worn by most women.
@jacindabezaldo5714 Жыл бұрын
Yes, and they also were owned and worn by wealthy women who may have only wore the items a handful of times (or in the case of the wedding gown, just once) and then packed them away for posterity. Women of more average means would not have the luxury of wearing an item only while it was fashionable or for a special occasion and would have likely worn a garment out until it required mending or remaking. ❤
@evelynwald9132 Жыл бұрын
Loved seeing these dresses from the past and all of the information you were able to provide. Just curious as to how tall you are because the two earlier dresses look like they were worn by very short women. At first, I thought the first dress might have been worn by a young girl until you explained the family history. Thank you for your excellent video with all the details of the dresses shown & explained.
@Angel-ts8rc Жыл бұрын
That is true. However it also true that people were smaller. We know this bc of science of medicine, as well as historical documents tracking these things.
@bethbartlett5692 Жыл бұрын
I was fortunate to wear a size 5 shoes, when they were made in that size, then the went to a 6, and after I reached my late 40's (Child then M-pause) I got to a 6 and am quite pleased ! 😉
@kikidevine694 Жыл бұрын
@@Angel-ts8rcvery true, but the example from the 1840"s is well below the average for the time. The wearer would have been tiny even by the standard of the time
@madisonmontgomery03 Жыл бұрын
I love this subject matter, I'd love a whole series of these videos examining the different dresses in the V&A collection
@vamuseum Жыл бұрын
Noted! Make sure you're subscribed 👀
@ah5721 Жыл бұрын
same!
@georgina3358 Жыл бұрын
Me too, i'd love more similar content
@silshine Жыл бұрын
same i love this so much!!!
@erinmcdonald6076 Жыл бұрын
Agreed, yes please!
@raraavis77823 ай бұрын
Please do more videos showing off your exhibits and inventory up close! It's such a treat for those of us, who can't afford to travel and visit amazing museums in other countries.
@PonderousProseАй бұрын
Claire Allen-Gladstone is a dream presenter. It's a pleasure to listen to her. I would love as many of these episodes as she's willing to make.
@neatodude3339 Жыл бұрын
I never realized edwardian gowns/shirts were made with so many little pieces of different types of lace!
@corinnetaylor2565 Жыл бұрын
Ms. Allen-Johnstone is so articulate - informative, clear, interesting. Well done!
@roxannlegg7508 ай бұрын
I also cant help but notice the ascending height of the dresses - all has very small waists, but the overall height and upper body size increased too. Most people dont know that by the 1830' to 1850's or so, people were the shortest they had been since the Tudor period, and only matched in the dark ages (post Roman occupation but pre 1066). On overage by the tudor and early to mid 1600's, this period saw the average height to be similar of the early 20th C, but gradually declining to the point where by the 1830's, people were the shortest they had ever been. Heights began to increase int he late Victorian and Edwardian period, and continued thru to modern day. Its a stark contrast here with these three dresses andd altho they are isolated examples, this does represent a known trend in human variability over the centuries.
@sunstarpunk21 күн бұрын
Somehow,better genes came to the island,and improved gene pool,it seems
@chocolatbownie35 Жыл бұрын
the yellow dress is just GORGEOUS
@phranerphamily Жыл бұрын
You could make this a weekly series and I would watch as I'm sure others would as well. This was fascinating and the curator was interesting and lovely to listen to.
@xXcrimsonxroseXx Жыл бұрын
This was so well done! The dresses are beautiful, and I learned so much from the commentary.
@jeanneblondewomanstamping9788 Жыл бұрын
The caliber of these videos from V&A is unparalleled! Just so incredibly well done, informative and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you. 👏👏👏👏👏
@blackorchid0000 Жыл бұрын
Wow dress number 2 is a dream!
@WheezyCatLady Жыл бұрын
I agree! It reminds me of Mary Poppins’ dress from the Jolly Holiday scene 😍
@judithburke1539 Жыл бұрын
I agree with you. It is one that I would have enjoyed when I was much younger. So frothy and it looks lightweight. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful information with us. I'm amazed what the V and A museum has been able to discover in order to successfully preserve clothing for the future. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful examples of fashion.
@amandagreen4332 Жыл бұрын
Bernadette Banner has videos showing how the lingerie dresses were made, even referencing Mary Poppins. She hand sews and uses 19th century sewing machines.
@WheezyCatLady Жыл бұрын
@@amandagreen4332 seen it! Beautiful. Obsessed! Bernadette is 👌
@monicacall7532 Жыл бұрын
Fashion history is one of my favorite things to learn about. Please do more videos about the clothing that you have in your museum. When I visited the V&A some years ago my favorite section was the clothing exhibit.
@vamuseum Жыл бұрын
Make sure you're subscribed and notifications are on! We've got some very special things to come ✨
@anti-ethniccleansing4657 ай бұрын
@@vamuseum I would never sub to a channel that continuously throws in white guilt BS comments. They ruined an otherwise nice video.
@carag2567 Жыл бұрын
That Edwardian day dress is so beautiful I very nearly cried.
@Art4ArtsSakeVideo Жыл бұрын
I would cheerfully listen to any aspect of fashion/garment history Curator Claire cares to discuss: she is knowledgeable, well-spoken and forthright about the problematic history of some garments' content or manufacture. The dresses themselves are wonderful, even without her commentary. And do you notice how incredibly petite the women of those earlier centuries were? Great programme, look forward to many more.
@ewanoxborrow1024 Жыл бұрын
The 1930s Charles James piece is stunning.
@kitkat823111 ай бұрын
The edwardian dress is breathtaking. I hope this style comes back. Its so elegant and feminine.
@iDislikeNames Жыл бұрын
It never ceases to amaze me how small people were. She looks like a giant standing next to those dresses!
@shelbyw430Ай бұрын
These dresses likely survived because of their size. As a woman ages and experiences pregnancies, she will naturally gain weight. She will not be able to fit into the same dress she wore as a young bride, so the dress will be packed away. A larger garment can easily be altered to fit smaller body types, while it is nearly impossible to make a small dress fit a larger body. Also due to the size of the dress, it is likely that it could not have been given to other family members.
@MicaRayan Жыл бұрын
Love the classic gowns. Quite special to see that Charles James gown. His vision were simply contemporary, pretty much ahead of his time. It seems contradicting of those exsisted within the sameness era, but still retain the essence of the whole look
@sarahcullen9148 Жыл бұрын
The V&A fashion collection is huge that only a small amount is on display at any one time. I saw the brown cotton wedding dress in 1965 displayed along with other wedding dresses in various colours, many of them dark.
@astrogallus Жыл бұрын
Charles James! THE master of structure and form. 💖
@CarpeDiemFluctuatNecMergitur Жыл бұрын
I loved this video, very interesting and illustrative ✨🌻🧡 Plus, still has that ASMR tone so needed nowadays 🪻Please, do more of this 🌸
@jj-if6it Жыл бұрын
My favourite museum in London, and completely free! Thank you
@audreyh6628 Жыл бұрын
More please. Really fantastic presenter. Very very thankful to see the references to the colonial provenance of the pieces - an important step to revealing the true histories of objects
@lurategh Жыл бұрын
Such beautiful dresses. I've always been fascinated by women's clothing from these time periods. I'd love to be able to try them on for at least a day. It's absolutely crazy how a single person influenced wedding attire and set the cultural norm for centuries to come. I reallyyy wish colored wedding dresses would come back into fashion in the West. I'd so love to see more variety, and just think how gorgeous it'd look.
@VetsrisAuguste Жыл бұрын
When I saw the thumbnail for this video, I immediately assumed the 1930’s dress was a ballet costume. I had forgotten that initial impression until she said it was called La Sylphide. At which point my inner dialogue responds with, “obviously!”. Speaking of ballet, and underwear as outerwear, those arm puffs from the first dress are a mainstay of the classic ballet tutu since the 1830’s. Which is itself a take on underwear as outerwear. I never realized until this moment just how risqué the early images of the ballerina were. The ballet La Sylphide, the very work that introduced that aesthetic to the art of ballet premiered in the year 1832.
@treasurechest123 Жыл бұрын
Fabulous! Long enough to learn something, short enough to keep one’s attention. Thank you!
@ellenwood719 Жыл бұрын
Wonderful video. The V&A always does such a wonderful job!
@Terri_MacKay Жыл бұрын
The yellow Charles James dress is gorgeous, as is his Four Leaf Clover dress. It was a bit shocking when the camera panned out, and I saw how tiny the brown dress is. I'm guessing that Ms Allen-Johnstone is of average height (by seeing her standing next to the yellow dress), so whoever wore that wedding dress must have been 5', at the most.
@ThinWhiteAxe11 ай бұрын
Probably partly why it was put in a box and never worn again.
@antoniabalazs543410 ай бұрын
These are so gorgeous and just fascinating amd so well presented by Claire. I find myself wishing I could see the movement of the Charles James dress with that hemine, sigh.
@blissgirl9052 Жыл бұрын
Fantastic series, I hope it continues and we get to see more pieces from the collections. I'd also be so excited to see children and men's wear!
@Sarah_Naomi Жыл бұрын
I love seeing these dresses in detail and getting the historical context of each, thank you for this video and more please!
@taytertot99111 ай бұрын
I love the description of “frothy” for the Edwardian dress
@Carolleemakesthings Жыл бұрын
Stunningly beautiful examples from their eras, thank you!
@vamuseum Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@GoddessNeith Жыл бұрын
I do so love Charles James designs.
@waretaSL Жыл бұрын
Best age of fashion tbh. So expressive
@cannyexplorer5357 Жыл бұрын
I have my mothers wedding dress which is now 80 years old. It was bought from a department store in London called Bourne and Hollingsworth in Oxford Street. It was a beautiful store to visit but is long gone.
@robertafierro55929 ай бұрын
The Smocking alone is incredible! You learn so much from these wonderfully written documentaries. Anyone who's into clothes as much as I am would just love this series!
@annikanilsson6152 Жыл бұрын
Amazing - thank you for posting! 🙂
@Juliana-cc4tv Жыл бұрын
When I watched the yellow dress, I immediately recalled Aurora 😄👍🏼 Very interesting video, I liked all three gowns. Thanks
@vamuseum Жыл бұрын
It's a bit Beauty and the Beast too, isn't it? A dress fit for a princess!
@kidmohair8151 Жыл бұрын
I knew if sorted the comments I'd find someone upset by it being pointed out that slavery played a major role in the creation of the "riches" generated in the industrial revolution. it should be pointed out that slavery is not dead yet and is exploited by wealthy corporations and individuals to maintain the "profitability" of their enterprises.
@phoebeintheforest Жыл бұрын
It was a complicated time. Britain maintained a neutral position in the American Civil War...Lincoln had hoped Britain would join the Union cause because of Britain's anti-slavery position and the South hoped Britain would join their cause because of Britain's dependence upon American cotton. It should be noted that British private blockade runners sent munitions and luxuries to ports in the South in return for cotton. However, by 1862, Britain had to look to Egypt and India for cotton. A large part of the novel, Gone With the Wind, deals with blockade runners as that is how Rhett Butler made his fortune.
@mwil4068 Жыл бұрын
More historical fashion videos like this, please!!
@AmonosArthon Жыл бұрын
It's so refreshing to see this from the V&A after seeing so many videos from other channels on fashion "history" with no cited sources or extant garments 😅
@marshaspears914211 ай бұрын
Perfection in all aspects! Thank you for the lovely, engaging yet informative presentation. Please, more of the same. Perhaps in ten year segments.
@elizabethbrink3761 Жыл бұрын
Superb video! I love reading 19th and 20th century British novels so this is giving me lots of insight into what the women in those novels would be wearing.
@posiesblessings Жыл бұрын
Absolutely fascinating. It’s history told through fashion - and through such beautiful items.
@jj-if6it Жыл бұрын
With that first dress, the print actually looks quite modern up close
@Diana-gn8rp Жыл бұрын
Love this. Thank you for wonderful narration.
@kathleenscullion8348 Жыл бұрын
Wonderful presentation. Please consider a selection from 1880's, 1900's and 1920's. Thank you.
@TS-rv4hf Жыл бұрын
This was wonderful, more please!
@maryhamric Жыл бұрын
Lovely!!! I'd love to see more of these.
@joaquinribeiro2941 Жыл бұрын
So entusiast . The curator Is genial .
@sabpublications49403 ай бұрын
This is very interesting. The different dresses speak volume about the different eras.
@Holdmymawashi Жыл бұрын
Wonderful content, thank you so much!
@lesleycameron913210 ай бұрын
Loved this - so fascinating learning about the different styles and changes to fashion over the years. All gorgeous 😍
@jj-if6it Жыл бұрын
How interesting to learn about Paisley!
@pinkimietz3243 Жыл бұрын
I want to wear dresses like that! 😍
@CelineAdobea4 ай бұрын
The last one is my favourite!! soo pretty 😍
@Autumn74 Жыл бұрын
Love these videos ❤
@mh8704 Жыл бұрын
Whoever wore the first two dresses were pretty short! Thanks for the interesting video!
@suzannealvin57086 ай бұрын
Wonderful content; beautiful and informative
@keithhawthorne563011 ай бұрын
What I find incredible is, seeing the dresses lined up chronologically, including the narrator, how much taller we as humans have grown in 200 years.
@I_am_Lauren10 ай бұрын
I ABSOLUTELY love the paisley print on the first dress and could see myself wearing that if I was from that time.
@sophiesong8937 Жыл бұрын
Yes, fashion of the early 30s was quite different to the late 30s.
@marybethbasu8858 Жыл бұрын
Very interesting content! For contrast, is Claire Allen-Johnstone quite tall, or were the dresses worn by very short women?
@clarestrode6672 Жыл бұрын
As people started eating more and receiving better medical care, we got taller! I noticed too how the dresses get taller as they get later
@MTMF.london Жыл бұрын
People were generally shorter in Victorian times. I think only from the 20th Century onwards, with better nutrition, better hygiene and advances in medicine, people become stronger, healthier and taller - and they live longer too.
@Angel-ts8rc Жыл бұрын
People especially women used to be smaller, smaller feet too!
@cor3944 Жыл бұрын
we've lost so much. Beauty, grace, feminity, craftmanschip and knowledge.
@cillamoke11 ай бұрын
I love the shape of the Brown dress!! Stunning!!
@shannonnefra9738 Жыл бұрын
❤thank you for sharing your knowledge of the history and intricacies of making these beautiful dresses. 👏🏾🌹I love your teaching style!
@nancytestani1470 Жыл бұрын
So fascinating…all fashion..
@maryannbaker9960 Жыл бұрын
Excellent presentation! However, I have a question about the provenance of the cotton textile used in the creation of the paisley fabric of the first dress. I understand India has been in the cotton trade since the 1600’s. In fact, Ghandi himself spun cotton. You mention the enslaved in the US having a hand in this cotton textile creation; I would like to question this. Since the dress was created in the UK, and the UK had not only the East India Company but British rule over India at the time, this textile more than likely came from cotton in India, as did many pashmina shawls, both authentic and faux. Is this a possibility? Thank you.
@lhillenburg Жыл бұрын
The U.S. supplied Britain with the majority of it's cotton during this time period. The inexpensive price provided by enslaved labor contributed to Britain's reluctance to honor the US blockade of southern states during the American civil war in 1860's.
@senoram413010 ай бұрын
So fascinating, please let us have more videos like this. I'd like to see as many of the dresses as possible from the V&A collection. In fact, after the Dior and Chanel exhibitions, why not one showcasing the wonderful exhibits stored behind the scenes in the V&A, the ones they don't have space to keep on permanent display?
@mathildewichmann606611 ай бұрын
Thank you for a very informing and intersting explanation of this. Very well done thank you
@lianegraber3725 Жыл бұрын
I love Charles James's Creations they are amazing
@debrastewart919411 ай бұрын
So love this!!! Thank you so much🎉
@KarenSmith958 Жыл бұрын
all three are fabulous in their own right💜
@debbralehrman595711 ай бұрын
Lovely video great information, thank you.🌹
@yushi91111 ай бұрын
The yellow is so precious and will be beautiful in any era. This is why is a piece of art itself.
@vickyrushton1783 Жыл бұрын
Was the sewing the person in usual? Would they be cut out daily and then re sewed in if worn again
@debbiecarter6430 Жыл бұрын
Great video, thank you. ❤
@bighairedmom Жыл бұрын
It kills me I'll never get to visit here! So many treasures!
@kerriemckinstry-jett8625 Жыл бұрын
I would 100% wear dresses 1 & 3 in different colors. Dress 2 is a pass from me... lace is pretty, but it's super impractical & catches on stupid stuff (including drawer handles, door latches, not to mention cats' claws). Anyway, white & fluffy looks hideous on me. I love that she presented us with some of the history, too, even recognizing there can be problematic history for clothing items!
@vamuseum Жыл бұрын
Luckily the La Sylphide dress was also made in other colourways, including mauve and white! collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O352575/la-sylphide-evening-dress-james-charles/
@kerriemckinstry-jett8625 Жыл бұрын
@@vamuseum It's lovely. You have a lot of interesting pieces in your collection. You must have trouble deciding what to display!
@suzaynnschick158 Жыл бұрын
For scale, I'd love to know how tall Ms. Allen-Johnstone is. The 1830 gown is for a much shorter woman.
@ukallii Жыл бұрын
I thought the waist piece on the third dress was a Swiss Waist, referencing the 19th century fashion to wear a corset-like belt over the dress.
@khristopherlawrence7493 Жыл бұрын
was going to say exactly that, thank you
@myrna_m Жыл бұрын
It absolutely is! It's even more surprising that they confused it with an actual corset since they got the 1860s era right (though they were also popular at times through the rest of the century). So odd!
@eleonore59830 Жыл бұрын
thank you for sharing! reminding me that i have an edwardian dress to fix! (a lit of a later one 1910-1913 ish)
@vamuseum Жыл бұрын
Oh wow. What a joy!
@eleonore59830 Жыл бұрын
@@vamuseum yay 🥰
@jilltagmorris Жыл бұрын
This was so interesting!
@CelineAdobea4 ай бұрын
I just learned today that the printed cotton fabrics first found their way to Europe from India. At first it was problematic for the European textile market who didn't have such intricate colorstories or motifs. This caused the textiles to be banned at first, but because they were so popular with their long lasting pigments and a softer feel, they were eventually not banned anymore. In France's case, the ban was lifted right as they began producing their own printed cotton.
@retrorenegade1967 Жыл бұрын
The white Edwardian dress looks a lot like my wedding dress. My wedding dress was made in approximately 1895-1905
@KellyBrown-g6q15 күн бұрын
Lovely ❤
@freyashipley65569 ай бұрын
The Edwardian dresses are always my favourites. I'd love to know how a dress like that would be cleaned (especially under the arms).
@KellyBrown-g6q15 күн бұрын
Gorgeous
@frippp66 Жыл бұрын
very interesting ❤
@auChevalierRed Жыл бұрын
The white dress: your suggestion of a perhaps ill fitting reason for the construction is very unlikely. This technique is still used to this day in the "flou" ateliers of Haute Couture. Its purpose is to support the shape and drape of the very light and soft top fabric without deterring to its delicate look or to its less opaque quality, like one would if one used interfacing or boning (as was done with the high collars of the era made in the same delicate fabric though. I remember my grandmother and my great grandmother showing me these skills when I was still a young child, as they had both worked for some time in Haute Couture before getting married.
@KellyBrown-g6q15 күн бұрын
Gorgeous 😍🥰
@jameswhalen4507 Жыл бұрын
Wonderful content and narration. Just one question: is the narrator a giantess or were the women in the past tiny creatures?
@mslady1230 Жыл бұрын
I’d wear and want that first brown dress and a few others from this video! Seamstress were talented to be able to HAND SEW those dresses, wow!!!
@KellyBrown-g6q15 күн бұрын
Lovely 🌹
@estergoncalves8939 Жыл бұрын
💖💕💖💕💖💕 I loved. Thankful 🙏💖
@elizabethnovak4088 Жыл бұрын
We're there profesional dressmakers in those ages...was it not just very talented women, without recognition making these legendary dresses by hand?
@tramasrarasoddplots Жыл бұрын
Sorry to ask but are the dresses really petite or the camera is doing some forced perspective?
@Sam-mh4sb Жыл бұрын
They’re really small. The clothes that tend to survive, especially clothing that is older than 100 years, are the ones that are not able to be worn by multiple family members or reused until they are no longer wearable. Or they belonged to some kind of nobility. But even they would reuse or gift their clothing frequently. It apparently was a known part of the job that ladies maids were often gifted their mistresses old clothing. We have a perception that people used to be smaller because of the clothes that survived, but in reality the clothes that were unusually sized are the ones that survive.
@vamuseum Жыл бұрын
The dress is 52 inches long, with a waist circumference of 26 inches. Very petite indeed! collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O356253/dress-unknown/
@thecasketoffictionaldelights10 ай бұрын
Very interesting, I would not have guess the third dress was from the 1930s, not what I think of as typical.