Victorian Era PapersThe Dream Team

THE BEGINNING ◦ Born into wealthy family, father a

lawyer and mother came from wealthy family

◦ Father was a gambler though and became an alcoholic which led to constant gambling

◦ Forced Charles to start working and living on own!

◦ First job was at a printer = hate! ◦ Found job working in textiles =

LOVE!!

Charles Frederick Worth

Paris ◦ Got a job at the department store Gagelins ◦ Met his wife Marie Vernet (an accessory model)

here ◦ Ended up becoming a dress maker at Gagelins ◦ Proposal of pre-made dresses = declined

Charles Frederick Worth

New Beginning ◦ Became the French couturier after leaving

Gagelins◦ Opened his shop on Rue da la Paix

Hired the best seamstresses in the business

Charles Frederick Worth

Crinoline ◦ Some believe he invented

but others think he just perfected it… we will never know which one is right

◦ What made Worth’s crinoline design different? He made the dresses from

expensive fabric – silk, satin, lace

Very detailed design◦ Just as fast as he brought it

into style Worth brought the End of Crinoline

1860’s

Worth never really liked the crinoline and looked for ways to “dethrone” it as he said.

Just as fast as he brought it into style Worth brought the End of Crinoline

Princess ◦ Not nearly as big as crinoline ◦ More practical ◦ Did not require women to wear as many

undergarments “Age of Worth”

◦ Became famous so quickly that the 1860’s are now know as this.

1860’s Continued…

Bustle ◦ Not as big as crinoline

(about size of Princess) ◦ More practical ◦ Required to not wear as

many undergarments ◦ Lighter = cheaper to

make ◦ Easy to make different

designs

1870’s

Half-crinoline was brought into style. This dress is a mixture of the previous 3

dresses in a way. ◦ Not nearly as big as crinoline but is larger than

the princess or bustle ◦ Much more practical ◦ Women had to wear as many undergarments still

though. ◦ Was not nearly as practical as the Princess dress.

1880’s

Made designers dresses more affordable to not just the upper-class ◦ Even though most of his clients were of this

Dresses seemed to emphasis the female body in new ways...

After Charles Worth’s death his shop was continued to be ran by his sons. Plus many of his contributions have influenced style today.

Career Overall

Slide 2: N/A. Charles Frederick Worth Adult. Sublime. Web. 13 Dec. 2011

Slide 4: N/A. Worth’s Store in Paris. Rdujour. Web. 13 Dec. 2011

Slide 5: N/A. Purple Crinoline. 1865. Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York. Artstor. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.

Slide 6:N/A. Orange Crinoline. 1868. Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York. Artstor. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.

Slide 8: N/A. Gold Princess Dress. 1887. Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York. Artstor. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.

Slide 9: N/A. Gold Bustle . 1888. Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York. Artstor. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.

Slide 11: N/A. Half Crinoline w/ train. 1888. Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York. Artstor. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.

Picture Citing

He is considered the father of Haute Couture- high fashion

He was at the top among French Designers He was known all around for his work Many of his contributions have influenced

the fashion world today

Charles Frederick Worth

In the latter half of the 19th Century, much like today, the clothing a woman wore were crucial to establishing and retaining social status. Therefore their wardrobe was extensive.

Charles Frederick Worth created gowns for every occasion.

Social Status

Evening Gowns

Dinner Dresses

Worth was the first designer to create high fashion gowns that cater to pregnant woman.

Today’s high fashion designers design maternity clothing and often make custom pieces for pregnant women.

Maternity Gowns

Charles Frederick Worth was the first fashion designer to organize and show an entire collection of dresses to a client in advance.

This is still practiced today, and is even seen in movies like “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Collection Shows

Just about every piece of clothing found today has a tag on the inside with the name of the designer of the store it came from. This concept was adopted from Charles Frederick Worth. He was the first designer to sign his name to his work by using a label.

Labels

Charles Frederick Worth’s work even inspired a new couture line that debuted in 2011.

Haute Couture Today

http://www.fashionwindows.net/2010/03/worth-haute-couture-spring-2010/

http://ckhall.com/inspirations.htm

http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f116/1825-1895-charles-frederick-worth-27982-6.html

http://myhatbox.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/the-house-of-worth/

http://www.stylehive.com/bookmark/item-20074-charles-frederick-worth-trained-ball-gown-1890s-at-heavenofgownscom-14900-item-ref-20074-the-most-grand-of-all-ball-and-evening-gowns-ever-to-be-presented-or-offered-on-the-open-109374

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1994.462a,b

http://monjio.tumblr.com/post/244556484/charles-frederick-worth-via-chicago-history

http://www.zimbio.com/100+Most+Influential+People+in+Fashion/articles/220/Fashion+Influential+46+Charles+F+Worth

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However, some people, like Oscar Wilde, were less attracted to the practical elegance of Worth’s designs, and more interested in an overly aesthetic fashion.

Oscar Wilde was born October 16, 1854 to Sir William Wilde, a well- renowned doctor, and Jane Francesca Elgee, a respected poet and journalist, in Dublin, Ireland.

Oscar Wilde

He was raised in a more upper class family then he would end up living in as a writer

Oscar Wilde was ridiculed by his detractors for his eccentric and foppish clothing, which reflected what was known as Victorian Dandyism.

The Dandyism movement was intended to elevate the artificial above the natural.

Wore clothes almost as a parody of the upper class.

Essentially a modern day hipster Obsessed with personal appearance The opening lines of Oscar Wilde's

"Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young" (1894) state, "The first duty in life is to be as artificial as possible,"

His obsession with the aesthetic self, and remaining unmoved by criticism of his attire creates a very specific picture of the man that we continue to see in modern day dandies

Slide 27: Oscar Wilde. N.d. Photograph. Britlit WikiWeb. 5 Dec 2011. <http://britlitwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/Oscar_Wilde_(1854-1900)_188_unknown_photographer.jpg>.

Slide 29: Cludon, David. The World of Oscar Wilde. David, Sept. Web. 5 Dec 2011. <http://www.gallimauphry.com/PD/wilde/wilde.html>.

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