Ball gown
Medium
silk
Classification
Ball gown
Culture
French
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Orme Wilson and R. Thornton Wilson, in memory of their mother, Mrs. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor Wilson, 1949
Accession Number
49.3.23a, b
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 1880s high society with this exquisite ball from the House of Worth, designed under the visionary Charles Frederick Worth around 1885. Crafted from luxurious silk, the gown exemplifies the pinnacle of French couture during the Belle Époque, when Worth—often hailed as the father of haute couture—revolutionized fashion by creating custom-made garments for Europe's elite. His innovative approach treated clothing as wearable art, blending meticulous craftsmanship with dramatic silhouettes like the era's signature bustle and fitted bodice. Silk's shimmering drape and...