Since I am *garbage* at explaining sprung boning, here's the link to Butterick's instructions on sprung boning in their book, "The Dressmaker" (which features instructions on these silk bodice linings, etc.) archive.org/details/dressmaker01butt/page/90/mode/2up
Okay so I just finished a Master's research thesis and one of the subjects I had to tackle was the French fashion economy under the German Occupation (1940-1944). Basically, if you're wondering WHY TF did the French decide to define what was haute couture and what wasn't randomly in 1945, it's because during the Occupation the amount of material available to sew was absolutely ridiculous. Even sewing needles and sewing thread were rationed ; there wasn't a Utility clothing system like the Brits had established. Why? Simply because about 90% of the textile produced was given to the Germans, who had a strong power over everything happening in France. They even envisioned to move haute couture (yes, "move" haute couture like how do you do that but anyways) to Vienna or Berlin, since they envied French savoir-faire and the fact that Fashion was one of the last things French people prided themselves in and found a sense of identity in. So how does one make haute-couture work in a time when you can basically only get your hands on tulle and cheap-ass-quality synthetic fabrics? You first define what is couture and what isn't, so that you can pinpoint which houses get first dibs on the best fabrics. That battle was led by Lucien Lelong (the couturier), who was at the head of the *Chambre Syndicale de la Couture* and was put in charge of defending the Fashion economy's best interests. He did a hell of an amazing job and managed to tweak the rules so much that at some point (in 43 I think) several dozens of houses benefited from extra material, whereas less than a dozen were agreed upon (by the Nazi regime) in 1940. But the chosen couturiers had to ensure that some almost-lost trades (i.e Chantilly lace-making) were featured in their collections at a certain percentage. When the war was over, the French decided upon a *final* definition of what couture is, according to their own terms, and it kind of still holds. For anyone interested in learning more, there's a source written in French by Dominique Veillon called La Mode sous l'Occupation... You might be able to find it in English, fingers crossed! That was my nerdy moment, thank you to anyone who read that 🌷
Could Worth’s commitment to the back-closing bodice been a way of subtlety saying, “I’m so high end, I only make clothes for women with lady’s maids”? Kind of a sweet marketing ploy…
In Japan the way the large dash is tied, bound on the front as opposed to the back, was a visual cue as to the status of the womanerstong it. This is how in past times one could tell of the Roman was a orostorite who knotted it on front ad the thought was she dressed herself as opposed to Geosha who have a historical class of men who would come to dress them every evening and still do. They would knot it behind them. So there is some validity in what you day. The way we lay out the buttons still is from the thinking men would dress themselves making men button thier clothing thier right to left. Women needed assistance and thus button from OUR right to left, as we look at them....
@@LucianCorrvinus I'm a bit confused on what you mean. Are you saying, historically, Japanese women tied their obi depending on class- so if her obi was in front she dressed herself (and was therefore not wealthy)?
@@LucianCorrvinus I'm a bit confused on what you mean. Are you saying, historically, Japanese women tied their obi depending on class- so if her obi was in front she dressed herself (and was therefore not wealthy)?
That's only part of it, but the design is not just for fashion or how to get it in but also how it's worn and how the garment affects your body. This is especially true of corsets because front pacing corsets can create unsightly folds in the front of your skin and squishes the fat towards the front. Not only that but one can get into a corset without any assistance.
The Sarcastic "labels mean everything" early on (or at least I read that as sarcasm) is so important to point out. Honestly, I enjoy couture. But I also have an innate disdain for bourgeois shit that serves only to seperate people by "designer brand owner" and "impoverished trashy.' It drives me absolutely batty. -sigh- but also, I am a designer and I like pretty things that are custom for me. XD
There's a consignment shop here in Reno that sells 90% designer labels (both vintage and modern) and I was shocked by how poor quality some of the makes were with *big* designer names. I've bought stuff from H&M that was better fabric and construction quality, so yeah, as much as I enjoy fashion, I grow more and more distrustful of labels. (And yeah, that was mild sarcasm dripping out, I was also trying to think of the memes about "Sparkling Anxiety" or whatever that have been all over social media since 2020 🤣)
I spent years installing computer systems in garment companies. The same factory that make designer label clothing makes your Walmart junk. The difference is mostly the fabrics used and the patterns used. The same people sew both.
@@lenabreijer1311 I think that happens with a lot of brands. It is a way to keep the luxury branch afloat. Thank you for letting us know this is also the case in couture!
I cook much more than I sew, but I feel like there's a similar thing going on - given the similar ingredients, you too can replicate 'chef quality' meals because it's just knowing the steps and process - chopping is chopping and roasting is roasting. There may be some fancy flourishes here and there like 24k gold or a special cutting technique, but it's most like not going to detract from the overall deliciousness of the dish...
@@lenabreijer1311 fabrics and marketing. I sew draoes. My employers can charge $1000 because they have access to branding and connections. The ones I male (identical) I get a fraction. Its the branding and high marketing and stupid rich people who are gullible AF to stupid enough to drop $100k on $20 purse!
Worth is all the same for the sole purpose of being able to churn out Fashion (TM). Excellent business strategy, not that creative, would rather support local makers - I say, as if I'm currently in the market for a ball gown...
...but you might be in the market for a really nice English cut suit! Not a woman alive who doesn't like a well dressed man. Just a guess, but I would think that there are also a few men out there who like a well dressed man too, if that's your thing.
@@Alex-Sews Oh wow! That's super! I imagine that will be quite a challenge. Are you going to go with a relaxed cut, more like an Italian style suit, or more of a fitted cut like an English style suit?
@@Alex-Sews Super cool! I'd love to see it when it's done! Which part of the 18th century? They didn't change as much as women's fashions changed, but they did change, and particularly the neck ware changed. Maybe after that you can try to rock the 18th century. Would be really wonderful to see those ornate and handsome waistcoats come back. You would probably want to give the powders a miss though. Powders were pretty much done by the 19th century, so that would not be an issue. Not many men were wearing beards in the 18th century, but they certainly were in the 19th.
When I started sewing in the 1990s, I loved hand-sewing. But the trend back then was speed-sewing. The only readily-available books on hand-sewing were about 20th century haute couture techniques. So I got deep into the couture method with all of its perfectionist ways. I am so glad to be learning now about historical sewing that happened outside of the modern home-ec and couture schools.
@@maximilian6829 Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer was the main one-- I read it from cover to cover. Shaeffer later wrote other books on couture techniques as well. They are easily found on Amazon if you search by her name. There was another one by Roberta Carr, and an older one from the 1970's for which unfortunately I can't remember the author or title. Shaeffer also designed some patterns for Vogue that included special instructions for couture-style construction. I think some of them are still in print. I haven't used them but I've heard that they basically apply the techniques described in her books. Susan Khalje wrote a book called Bridal Sewing. I don't own it and haven't read it, but I believe she used that book as a way to teach couture gown techniques. I have another one of her books called Linen and Cotton which isn't a couture book but it does include some hand-sewing techniques. Susan Khalje also taught a Craftsy class that took you step-by-step through the process of construction a simple shift dress using couture techniques. I don't know if it's still available on the Craftsy site, but I found it very informative.
The rules for a Paris Couture workshop validate your statement that Paris Couture is not that unique. If it was unique, there would be no need to have rules. The rules bother me because it means that a new designer cannot set up a shop in Paris unless they can employ 15-20 people. A new designer would need to set up shop elsewhere or go to work for Worth.
if worth was the father of couture, and those who can't afford their own employees had to go work for him and possibly be creative influences... smart man. evil smart man
Silk gauze is a pain. I made both of my daughters' wedding dresses, and my oldest daughter's dress had layers of successively lighter silk. The top layer was so filmy, it was like sewing fog. Looked great, but the air in my studio was blue for weeks.
When I was a little kid fascinated by the dresses in museums they seemed unattainable and almost magical. I always felt like the inside had to have been finished as perfectly as the outside. I love that, thanks to the internet, I can see that there are still similarities to interior finishing (unless we start looking at modern store-bought stuff because I tend to feel like so many corners are cut on some things)
Back in the early 80s I was walking past some of the high end clothing stores. A plaid jacket was on sale for 300 dollars in one window. That was a lot of money back then. The plaids did not even match. The button holes were machine, and not neat looking. The buttons looked like they were machine sewn as well. Half hanging. Now if the designers name is on it, that is all anyone cares. Quality means nothing. I have a skirt from 1972, which cost 45 dollars. A lot at that time. Very well made, worn a lot and still in perfect condition. Lined.
@@dawnelder9046 I didn't understand why my mom's made stuff pattern match in the 80s when the store bought stuff didn't. I also swore I would never sew my own stuff, but now love when I can perfectly line up my fabric.
Ohhhh I needed that "It's absolutely achievable by a regular person" note about Victorian/Edwardian couture. This was a great video! I like Worth gowns there are some gorgeous ones, but as you said, Worth is the same lol. Marketing is everything
Prosecco is also a regionally protected name, just like champagne is :) Prosecco only comes from Conegliano and Valdobbiadene regions in north-east of Italy.
I get the point of regionally protected names, to protect where something originated. But I do much prefer Australian wines, including the sparkling wines. It’s the Fox to Italy and France’s Worths. I said it, and I stand by it.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who is "meh" about Worth dresses. A lot of them look the same. There are a couple of lovely exceptions, but when you've designed that many dresses you're bound to have a few good ones. I say "designed" and not "made" because he didn't make his dresses. He had a team of underpaid, under-appreciated people (especially women) who actually made them.
I got told I needed a favourite worth gown. So I looked and found a bunch of other by other designers I liked more. They're not bad... They're just not special and magical
My opinion (just an opinion, nothing set in stone) is that Worth had a lot of press success because he was a man, and all the seamstress of his age were women. It's like it happened in haute cuisine: women can be cooks, but only men were considered chefs for a long time. If you add to that the good relationship that he had with Empress Eugenie, who was the one that set trends during the 1860's, and his (and his wife's) excelent marketing skills, that's how Worth made managed to establish himself as "The couturier". By the turn of the 20th Century, with the Second Empire long forgotten, he was just resting on his laurels and churning out "easy" dresses for export.
I think worth had a lot of talent especially to be a leader of fashion from 1860s-1900 Some things are meh. Others are gorgeous It would be like looking at t shirts that say versace and grading his life work off that
ok right off the bat i am loving how we are starting with construction, because in my mind what separates couture/designer/higher end/mass produced/fast fashion today is 1. construction quality (finishes, corners cut, quality of materials etc.) 2. use of advanced fabric manipulating, finishing, decoration and tailoring techniques 3. innovation in said techniques (so for me, someone like iris van herpen) 4. design (very abstract, hard to define) so not everything big designer brands do can be considered couture, and though 'designer' has some connotation of quality a LOT of it is also just. branding because there is only so far you can use quality to justify the prices. anyway it strikes me as something to note that CoUTuRE meant something rather different in that era than we think of it today because of the generally higher standard of workmanship/clothing quality as well as the wider range of fanciness/price 'tiers' if you will, back then. (even clothing between the 1920s-60s-ish can be differentiated from contemporary clothing because home dressmaking was more of a tradition and globalisation hadn't gone as far as it has now. capitalism and the use of mass manufacturing to keep production costs waaay down strikes again :/ )
And yet...all Houses of Couture have ready to wear lines...a branded look they guard jealously...and diversify their cache selling thier name to be slapped on any number of goods...
Listening to Abby passionately educating us about late-Victorian/Edwardian bodices brings me joy. Thank you Abby😁 I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again: This community of passionate historical costumers are like cozy quilts and a warm mug of hot chocolate- pure joy and comfort.
Y'know, I'm wondering how much influence the post-war proliferation of washing machines and dryers had on the rise of midcentury sewing rules. Unfinished seams don't last long even in modern machines, and the early ones would've chewed through clothing even faster.
Hmm that's an interesting point but I don't think "modern" midcentury washing machines are as powerful as you seem to be positing here? Like I see your point about unfinished seams unraveling due in part to agitation during the wash cycle but I think that's much more of a recent problem with cheaply made/poorly sewn clothes vs. the wash today. My parents have told me that during their lifetime when my grandmother bought a washing machine last they would have to assure (and remind) her that she didn't need to scrub extra soap into dirty socks BEFORE starting the cycle for it to come out clean. However as far as I know she was still using a washboard and washing things by hand well into her eighties. 😂 At that point I think it was force of long habit rather than being skeptical about the washing machine's ability to clean clothes lol
@@hinachansansensei - I knew someone who had one of those antique wringer model washing machines that she used at least once a week. What it may have lacked in horsepower it made up for in rugged bulldogedness. It was great for blue collar work clothes and sheets, but like @Kayla Sheiner wrote, it would have shredded fine garments.
Yeah I was thinking it was about machine washing and dryers. Of course you're not putting evening gowns in the washing machine but when it comes to everyday clothes? Also with mass produced clothes there's "hanger appeal", where the clothes look good on the hanger - and on a hanger you can see inside the clothes somewhat so it's good to have facings/finishings. That said, I've seen some midcentury home sewn clothes in second hand stores and it's not uncommon to see edges just completely left raw because who cares. (Pinking is also super common for home sewing. I got a pair of pinking shears last year and since I don't have an overlocker it's a great alternative to zigzagging, since it doesn't use thread.)
One thing I love about Abby and her channel is that she not afraid of cutting through a lot of the biases we sometimes create when learning about the historical fashion world. She reminds us to not just accept what others say and actually question whether something is true or if it’s just someone else’s bias that’s been handed down to us. Things like “What is haut couture really” or “Not like other girls” or the classic “Everyone sucks at sewing” have helped me open my eyes to the “us vs them” attitudes that is simply everywhere in life. These types of vids are so needed so when, for instance, many creators talk about their “dream worth dress”, the rest of us can remember that that is an option, not something that we all have to find in order to fit in and be a part of this community.
completely agree, and now I include the obligatory joke about "cutting though the bias..." straight weave is harder to drape, true :D (sorry that was a bad pun)
So I'm not alone in thinking that Worth's dresses look the same. Beautiful, but damn, every single one is made from the same pattern. I love the editing in this video :D
His system was pretty genius for the time, mix and match bodice-skirt patterns and a shop of trimmakers to add a bit of uniqueness to each. It was the only way the atelier could churn out hundreds of gowns in a season. The only Worth designs I really love are the ones from the late teens, there are some really unique pieces in that era that I find much more exciting than the earlier ball gowns.
Ummm...do all Chanel suits have the exact same pattern? By first glance you might believe it so....but once you look at several spanning a few decades? They share a certain soilloiette, but not always the same overall exacting cut...
@@LucianCorrvinus Thank you for pointing that! I never thought about it, but you are absolutely right. Maybe that's what we identify with certain designers. That really made me think.
@@Noel.Chmielowiec I have the luck to have been watching one of Abby's friends exact I believe her name is Bernadette, body on names of time.. Anyway create the worth peacock dress. And one of her vexations are all the pretty time of being a unclear pattern for the skirt portion of a Down.. by the way that blog on the recreation of the peacock dress is a worthy watch. Just saying...
@@LucianCorrvinus I watched Cathy's videos, I believe that you're talking about her. This dress, while beautiful, is still looking quite generic in shape, for lack of a better word. However I'm still interested in how it progresses. I would like to know how exactly it should be made.
I was also shocked when I learned that. I have used a knitting machine, the craft is quite different from hand knitting. It requires a lot of pre planning and skill in that aspect because the thing on the needles looks nothing like what you think it should. This is the reason I don't use a knitting machine anymore. It was great making things for the kiddo quick and effective because it was basically rectangles.
@@lenabreijer1311 I explored using a machine for a few seconds when Threads magazine put out an article (1980s?) talking about a programmable machine that knit pieces ready to assemble rather than cloth to be cut. It being Threads magazine I think it was aimed at knitwear designers.
@@katerooney2874 there are books on how to do that manually. I made several pieces doing that. But you had to calculate it all carefully in advance and what I like about hand knitting is being able to change things on the fly. The knitting machine was too much like what I did at work lol. Add to that the fact that I had migraines and moving that handle and the flicker of the little needles irritated me to no end. And every once in a while you would move the carriage and something would go wrong and the piece would fall on the floor and need to be hooked up and fixed again.
I loved this! Haute couture has seemed unattainable but I see that I am out of line thinking that that is so! I AM fully capable of producing equivalent work! Nice to know. This brings to mind a yard sale purchase I made in the early 70s: a 40s-50s homemade dress in the most gorgeous burgundy silk velvet! Obviously homemade by an amateur seamstress but I'm sure it was her favorite dress for the more formal occasions in her life. I remade it in my college pattern-making class and it was MY favorite dress for certain occasions. My oldest daughter snapped it up as soon as it fit her and carried it off to Minneapolis when she left home. So that special dress is still special!
In a recent video Cathy Hay did have something similar to say about the similarity of Worth's gowns. She wasn't singing about it - although I'd be well pleased if she did - but when Abby mentioned the same thing here I thought of Cathy's video immediately.
@@agcons Yeah it's really interesting how they're drawing on a lot of the same points, both with a "you can totally do this" bent, despite having very different opinions on the look/reputation of Worth gowns haha.
When I think about ‘haute couture’, I’ve always thought about ‘unique’ pieces like art pieces. I’d be really disappointed if I commissioned something original and then the designer mass produced it. With Worth, I think he was just a great businessman; as much as I love the ‘sun with clouds’ dress/es (my fav embroidery work), they are not my favorite dresses from the past (I’ve always hated the bodices that go with the skirts tbh).
This actually happened to me! I commissioned a dressmaker for a prairie dress, and it got a lot of attention when they posted it…so they mass produced it ☹️ even when they asked me before hand and I asked them not to 😅 I’m still hurt so I share whenever I can cuz it’s awful.
@Lu - This video shows what modern haute couture garments can be and why they are the works of art you recognize and why they cost so blinkin' much! The video goes from design sketch through to its run way debut. Along the way, it took a team of dozens of people from at least 4 companies and one month to construct it. It is gorgeous, complicated, and NOT a beginner's project. ^_^ "(SAVOIR FAIRE) Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011 (Passage No°5)" - ua-cam.com/video/RAXksLhLFAA/v-deo.html
Haute couture is not at all about uniqueness - it's to do with attention to detail and quality of workmanship. That takes time, and that is what makes haute couture so expensive, be it Worth or Givenchy, or any couture house. If you watch a video of the preparation that goes into a big-name runway dress, you'll understand that that kind of attention just doesn't go into mass production clothing. because the "masses" couldn't afford it, but it IS worth doing for a one-of piece that is a showcase item.
When you look at it this closely, the choice of finishing, especially whipped seam allowance vs bound makes me wonder if sometimes it was because it would reduce bulk along those seams
Abby! Thank you SO much for calling out Worth and the hype around this brand. His contemporaries were just as good if not better yet he became famous because he branded the dresses (and more successfully exploited) the labor of the women that worked for him. He was also very selective about who could wear his clothes making women essentially audition before they could have the opportunity to purchase from him. He is not great, it’s all marketing and I hope folks in the community will educate themselves more about other designers of that time.
It's basically all very simple. Couture is sewing. It's tailoring, it's making clothes fit the body, it's getting things done. Haute couture is... Well, it's just the next level, isn't it? And many historical garments will be more elaborate than modern clothes, so they might be similar to modern haute couture in that they have more attention to detail and are custom-made. But they are really just couture.
And Haute culture is where a designer had allowance to stray from his seasonal look and try out something they'd never put on a petit a puar ( sic) show...
So… haute couture is a business model? Branding? It appears to be from 1945 on, but Worth was about cranking it out. The brown LV bag of the time, they make as many as they can sell. The modern myths about couture are just sewing, but the prices demand !Specialness! Art galleries do the same branding by myth. Chanel seamstress- “couture is about shaping the fabric”. All sewing is about shaping the fabric. 🙄 We can make a long list of the buzzwords. Paris couture exists to keep artisans employed and bring in foreign money.
Parisian Couture exists to keep an air about the Accessories And Cosmetics companies. Yes, very often, they are employing incredibly elaborate and artisanal techniques that cannot be mass-produced, but it’s understood that Haute Couture is hardly profitable.
Your Worth song has the vibes as the intern song Bo Burnham had in his Netflix special 😂 I love how you deconstructed this (pun v much intended) because the whole "the label matters" thing just screams classist bs when there are so many incredible designers over the years who are dealing with this gatekeeping keeping them from getting the recognition they deserve
The couture hooks and eyes look like what I'm used to seeing as tutu hooks. And yes, they are wonderful! Faster to sew on, hold much more tension, and faster to put on/take off.
Thanks for the interesting video. You talked a lot about the differences in quality between haute couture and regular clothes, but how did Victorians/Edwardians define quality? Was it in terms of fit? How expensive the materials were? How long the dress lasted? I feel like fashion was changing so quickly by the 1890s that there wasn't any reason for ladies who were rich enough to buy haute couture to care about durability in the same way that some modern consumers see certain couture items (like say a really nicely made suit) as a long term investment piece that you will wear for decades. Also, I am pretty sure the haute couture rules of 1945 were purely created to protect the Parisian fashion industry after WWII. It was all about marketing and preserving their own economic interests, rather than any particular commitment to craft.
@Kristen Paff - Those are all good questions. However, the ateliers today are as dedicated to craft as they are to promotion. And aren't they one in the same? Sadly, there are only a handful left today to carry the torch.
I’ll never ever sew a dress like this (my level of expertise is making circle skirts for my granddaughter! Lol) and I will never have an opportunity to wear a costume, but I really enjoy your quirky humor and how you teach history through clothing. Thank you for such enjoyable videos!
Thank you on the Worth thing! Some of my favorites have always been more Emil Pignat (I know a bit earlier than Worth). What I've felt like is that Worth has the best modern PR machine.
As some one who loves Worth and created a database of every extant Worth gown (held by a museum) I can confirm that yes, they're all the same dress LMAO
This was super informative. More importantly, however, is now I am inspired even more inspired to make a Westley shirt. Seriously though, after seeing your unboxings and now this, one take away is if it isn't going to be seen, don't sweat it so hard. Overcast em, leave em raw, etc. Put the stitches where it matters most first. (I say this as a perfectionist learning to sew on their own. I need validation)
So there I was in JoAnn’s Fabrics just minding my own beeswax and looking at pattern books and who jumps out at me but none other than Ms. Abby Cox. I’m not sure how I wasn’t aware of this!
I'll tell a client in a heart beat cheap material will cost no less than getting high quality for my to build. But I'm pretty sure I will not build a high end garment out of cheap material, my hands just does not like the feel of it - ewe thinking about it makes me spit. ewe - Just watched you today - I'm a 70 year old designer and you are the first I've ever subscribed to. Great work!
I'm a knitting designer and I've always said that a highly skilled knitter can make a cheap yarn look good but we will never want to. I'm knitting a garment for 40+ hours, I going to spend the 20 to 30% more for even the most basic of quality wools instead of essentially plastic
Having been behind the scenes at couture fashion shows in Paris what surprised me is how even a lot of the clothes that end up on the models bear a very loose resemblence to what the designer actually designed. When the seamstresses are interpreting the designs they often say "that shoulder won't work, this seam would be far too high, the lace on the neckline is too much, this needs a bow on the back, the underskirt isn't flattering" and make serious adjustments. They then show the final result to the designer who almost never questions the alterations to his or her design. What you see on the runway is often 50% the creation of an anonymous workroom and 50% the general silhouette and colour/fabric _suggestion_ of the designer.
I think people who think "haute couture" has to be handmade, dont know that they sew on the same sewing machines as fast fashion brands do... every clothing is handmade. Even the 2$ shirt bought at primark is... there are no robots sewing our stuff.... but I really think that many people dont know this.
I think the main "difference" is if the process is industrialized or not. Do you cut cost by otpimizing construction without care for the design, do you use the cheapest assembly method instead of the best/most elegant, do you use finishing techniques, do you care about details, about the overall quality... It's the difference between an artisan furniture maker and IKEA. A lot of brands today are supposed to be couture, and are for their show collection, but use industrialized production for the "sellable" items that make the most money. Hey, it's capitalism, there's profit to be made, you can't ask for good, honest artful work is the incentive is profit.
So maybe Worth isn't worth all the fuss? I like puns, okay, and I don't generally think there is one diety of fashion at any given time. My fashion pantheon has room for many goddesses and gods.
I loved this video and it's so educational for a newbie like me! I always wondered what made something "couture" and this was a good explanation. However, I will say the best part is the subtitles. Not to make fun, but the line, "This is bailey, so these are boned out of aliens" did give me a good laugh. I'm pretty sure no aliens were harmed in the making of these clothes. Thank you so much for the video
I love this. The fact that they didn’t always finish the inside or didn’t take care with stitching if it wouldn’t be seen. Makes me feel better about my sewing!
Haute Couture: mastery of dressmaking/tailoring skills + imagination + high quality materials + branding. Also, Champagne has a bunch of rules to follow in its making (like couture), biggest among them is that it has to come from the region called Champagne.
Absolutly loved this video Abby. It was so interesting to hear you say about the classification of Haute Couture. I hadn’t realised it was so recent. The other thing is you are such a gorgeous wee lassie with no make up or should I say, au natural. Keep these fabulous videos coming. I get to sew vicariously through you as I’m no longer well enough to sew now, same goes for the fabulous Nicole.
Couture rules = Gatekeeping, to the max. "Must have x number of employees, must have x number of designs per season". Says nothing really about quality or whether the clothes are attractive. Just as our modern "designer brands" are largely hype and over-priced, to gin up public desire to own, to the point that cheap fakes are made. I can only assert that a certain class of customers just has WAY too much play money to throw around, to try to make the rest of us feel-- what? Bad? Jealous? Inferior? Motivated to keep up with the Kardashians? Don't fall for the hype. Make or buy or wear clothes that you actually like, and don't worry about who makes them or who else is wearing them.
I just finished my first (and probably last) quilt after 1.5 years. Felt that to my soul. On the bright side, im a lot better at controlled handsewing now!
Another I can think of for House of Worth only making bodices with rear-lacing/hooks is a presumption that they are being made only for an economic class that can afford household staff, specifically a lady's maid, to assist with dressing. That other dressmakers did not follow this practice would then suggest it was only a part of the culture of Worth, not in general. I'm not arguing that it's not because of the simplicity of construction. In fact, it would not surprise me if it was for cost and efficiency, but covertly marketed (word of mouth) as indicative of the status. The chonky hooks fascinate me, as if there was the expectation of heavier load (heavier and layered fabric?) or to last longer (even if the wearer could probably afford a new one before something gave way).
Isn't it more that most famous Worth gowns were produced in a similar era, so the styles we see were the fashionable styles of that moment and thus they are very similar? Also: this video is basically anatomy but for historical dress haha! Like, were examining the evolution of the anatomy of bodices
Yes, the height of Worth was in a similar era, but if we look at other couture gowns from the same era, there’s a lot more variation than you’d see in Worth’s collection. And some far more impressive looking, more innovative designs too. There are a few Worth gowns that stand out, or that I love, (the Lily gown is a particular favourite), but most of them are very much the same, and you could find nicer gowns by other design houses- they just don’t have that brand.
Worth had a system of patterns and basically mass produced hundreds of ball gowns for each season. Clients could choose from a limited number of bodice patterns and then match to a limited number of skirt patterns. Then the fabric and trim could add some individuality. Certain commissions such as the peacock dress got more individual elements, but for the average debutante she was getting a nice quality gown that was a step above department store quality but design wise wasn't all that unique at all.
@@LucianCorrvinus yes that's what I thought too, it was big business and why would they change it if it worked. It was the style they were known for I believe
I was just thinking to myself that I am going to google what exactly is this 'spring boning' when editing Abby appeared. This sort of witchcrafty timing is what I am here for!
First, I can't say how much I admire that you filmed a huge section of your video with a sweater over you pajamas and just put that out there like "this is realness and I don't give F." You are the best! I think Worth earned his reputation through marketing, some over the top materials and design details which are the dresses that come to mind when one thinks "Worth gown," and his clientele. Nothing makes a dress impressive like a foot note that Mrs. Astor or Alva Vanderbilt, or whoever wore it.
Omg our girl just called out worth! I cackled so hard my girlfriend who knows nothing of historical fashion(but has been learning from watching with me) even laughed.
Love the process of looking at the static Pinterest pictures and then the dynamic Abby Collection. Something that I wonder about that is so missing in today's sewing is: What supports the weight?...Even today, that gets totally messed up and the garments weigh so much less Also would love an examination of how one hand stitch (say overcast or catch stitch) is used in real examples... or "How did they hide the working stuff" (including big chunky hooks from frothy lacey appearance) Hope that makes sense
If you like Abby's unboxing videos I believe she also uploads extra related content on her Patreon where she goes into more detail about the garments' construction. Don't know how much about the stitching she talks about but that might answer some of your question about the closures?
Found this video absolutely fascinating since long (long) ago I was a fashion design student who along with the entire program dreamed of being a couturier, so I can affirm the modern day definition of couture was significantly over simplified. Mainly the extensive certification process a label must go through to use "couture" as a descriptor, such as yearly fees, certain number of years in business, blah, blah, maybe a kidney oh and more pretentious blah. Ps. After graduating transferred all possible credits to Healthcare Admin and now have a masters.
I absolutely love your down the rabbit hole videos, because I thought couturier was very old since we know Rose Bertin's name. I learn something new every video. I would like to see more of the silk with cotton lining bodice, not just because the glimpse of the front stripe fabric was interesting, but the seam finish looked like deliberately made scallops, which is a great deal of care. I saw on IG that AD seems to have lost another employee, and your delightful collaborator has moved! I hope we will see her in upcoming videos! Also, doggie swag? Thank you for all your work!
Reading some of the comments, I’d like to point out that haute couture was also a way to criticize the established ways of wearing clothes. Chanel for example used materials traditionally reserved for undergarments, like silk, as outerwear fabrics. You can see it in her marinière. The trench coat before Yves Saint Laurent was only a male piece of clothing.
Wait. I am confused now. For context, I'm french, and I'm a fashion graduate, and worked as a fashion designers for many years. And what I learned in school is that Worth is the father of Prêt-a-porter. Not couture. Hence the "Worth is the same", the chunking of fashion, the tight schedules, etc House of Worth paved the way for how fashion would be sold in departement store. One model/silhouette, choosing fabrics, size tailoring etc... He revolutionized the industry, with also the concept of brand. But now, wikipedia says he's the father of Haute-couture and Sonia Delaunay is the mother of ready-to-wear... I feel betrayed by my brain....
Worth did what he did with what he had to work with at the time - however, some places on a garment can only be done properly by hand. Fine fabric does call for my hand sewing unless it is a seam.
I have to say, I begin to associate Aby's videos with calm Sunday afternoon. I wish I had women like her in my life, I could spend every week geeking about sewing... This is the closest I can get.
I know some crazy people constantly geeking over historical clothing, I'm one of them :D If you'd like to chat about it sometimes, we could. Česky, klidně teda ;)
I disagree that all Worth garments look alike. I worked at the Museum of the City of New York when they were developing the online exhibition--Worth & Mainbocher: Demystfying the Haute Couture. The gowns range from 1860 to 1953. My expertise is couture construction and my job was to measure the garments and describe the construction techniques. There are several Worth techniques which I think are particularly interesting: the double piping on the bodice "hem", the use of selvage, and the variety of laces. One technique which I found on the 1860 cloth of silver gown was a tuck on the finished neckline which would have tightened the neckline and prevent gaping; this was probably a time saver and would not be acceptable today. This exhibition is still online and I think you would enjoy it.
Fascinating! I was always under the impression (which I got from watching "House of Elliott" backwards and forwards), that couture and haute couture fashion houses of the 1910s and 20s wouldn't dream of using sewing machines. I guess reality is very different to TV 😊 xx
i feel so happy when i see a high-end gown that is as messy on the inside as the shit i sew when i don't have to be neat (aka the stuff i sew just for myself and if it's a disgrace on the inside i'm the only one who will see it)
Interesting opinion of Worth. After reading his story, he was a marketing, desigings, and production genius for that era. His gowns all look the same to me.
Truly enjoyed this and🙏 do another a pt2?on this subject-longer even;show us really older dressmakers the frounts& closures(I paused the gray pull to camera rt side twice) delicious!
Thank you SOO MUCH for this video, I’m making a historical fashion product for my college and I was feeling quite awful about not making everything by hand cuz of time and etc and feeling like it was low quality because of that and you just made me soo much happier today with this conclusion
This was definitely very informative! I used to be OBSESSED with reading fashion magazines, and I always wondered what made one brand “couture” while the other one wasn’t. (I always thought everyone knew but me so I was kinda too scared to ask lol). Looking at this question through the lens of dress history was very interesting as well.
The main advantage of a Worth gown as near as I can tell, is the brand, even though you would never be so crass as to say he was your dressmaker. The multiple fittings did insure that the gown would fit and Worth probably wasn't kind if you put on weight between fittings. I have wielded straight pins as weapons myself when need be at fittings. And no, his workshop didn't perform moracles, but I am willing to bet that while the styles of the seasons were fairly identically born in different gowns he created, that young women who might have looked somewhat lackluster in any other gown, might have been turned into a closer approximation of a swan by the placement of trim, selection of color, and the knowledge that her gown was made my the leading couturier of the time. Since landing a husband was the goal of any Season, every advantage bust be made to work. Loved the video. I have my great-great-aunt's black silk dress that she worn to town on market day. Thet shirtwaist is beautifully embroidered black silk. There are a skirt and two petticoats. She wove rag rugs on a loom in her barn and took those and her hen's eggs to barter. The petticoat next to the skirt had a pocket in which she kept her cash money. Her reasoning was, that it was safer there than in her handbag, and that she had to want something pretty bad to make her lift the hem of her skirt in public to get to her money. Now understand that the two petticoats were so beautifully made that either could have been worn as a skirt had we not known of her history directly from relatives still living who had known her. We are a long-lived family. The dress is slowly disitigrating so I need to photograph it soon before all it is is thread. Thanks for the time. As ever, Adrian Burrell
Even Cathy admits that Worth was all about churning the garments out, and tended to reuse the same patterns, and would take shortcuts wherever possible.
Glad I watched this (not that I wouldn’t have anyway) because I found it very validating. I always thought that I wasn’t cool or smart enough to “get” worth. There is a lot of hype and I was always like “am I just stupid? They all look pretty damned identical”
"I think Worth is kind of full of crap" And that is when I subscribed, queen. "Worth is garbage" is also gospel truth. Lmao, when I learned that making clothing has primarily been "women's work" and it only became glamorous when men decided to brand it, I rolled my eyes at youtubers when they drooled over Worth, etc. The only difference I can see between custom and couture is the era.
Since I am *garbage* at explaining sprung boning, here's the link to Butterick's instructions on sprung boning in their book, "The Dressmaker" (which features instructions on these silk bodice linings, etc.) archive.org/details/dressmaker01butt/page/90/mode/2up
I sense a future video
now on twitter
I am loving all the "Yes Daddy"s in this lol
Much thanks! I hadn't heard about that concept at all
I, too, had paused the video and was googling "Sprung boning"! I'm so glad you 'splained it later! LOL Also- love the link.
Okay so I just finished a Master's research thesis and one of the subjects I had to tackle was the French fashion economy under the German Occupation (1940-1944). Basically, if you're wondering WHY TF did the French decide to define what was haute couture and what wasn't randomly in 1945, it's because during the Occupation the amount of material available to sew was absolutely ridiculous. Even sewing needles and sewing thread were rationed ; there wasn't a Utility clothing system like the Brits had established. Why? Simply because about 90% of the textile produced was given to the Germans, who had a strong power over everything happening in France. They even envisioned to move haute couture (yes, "move" haute couture like how do you do that but anyways) to Vienna or Berlin, since they envied French savoir-faire and the fact that Fashion was one of the last things French people prided themselves in and found a sense of identity in. So how does one make haute-couture work in a time when you can basically only get your hands on tulle and cheap-ass-quality synthetic fabrics? You first define what is couture and what isn't, so that you can pinpoint which houses get first dibs on the best fabrics. That battle was led by Lucien Lelong (the couturier), who was at the head of the *Chambre Syndicale de la Couture* and was put in charge of defending the Fashion economy's best interests. He did a hell of an amazing job and managed to tweak the rules so much that at some point (in 43 I think) several dozens of houses benefited from extra material, whereas less than a dozen were agreed upon (by the Nazi regime) in 1940. But the chosen couturiers had to ensure that some almost-lost trades (i.e Chantilly lace-making) were featured in their collections at a certain percentage. When the war was over, the French decided upon a *final* definition of what couture is, according to their own terms, and it kind of still holds.
For anyone interested in learning more, there's a source written in French by Dominique Veillon called La Mode sous l'Occupation... You might be able to find it in English, fingers crossed!
That was my nerdy moment, thank you to anyone who read that 🌷
Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this bit of history!
That is such a lovely tid bit of info to give more flavour to Abby's video.
Also, super cool you researched this!
I’m WW2 geek along with fashion history so I loved your comment. I’d LOVE to read this section of your paper. What was your overall thesis?
Love your insight about this!
Could Worth’s commitment to the back-closing bodice been a way of subtlety saying, “I’m so high end, I only make clothes for women with lady’s maids”? Kind of a sweet marketing ploy…
In Japan the way the large dash is tied, bound on the front as opposed to the back, was a visual cue as to the status of the womanerstong it. This is how in past times one could tell of the Roman was a orostorite who knotted it on front ad the thought was she dressed herself as opposed to Geosha who have a historical class of men who would come to dress them every evening and still do. They would knot it behind them. So there is some validity in what you day. The way we lay out the buttons still is from the thinking men would dress themselves making men button thier clothing thier right to left. Women needed assistance and thus button from OUR right to left, as we look at them....
@@LucianCorrvinus I'm a bit confused on what you mean. Are you saying, historically, Japanese women tied their obi depending on class- so if her obi was in front she dressed herself (and was therefore not wealthy)?
@@LucianCorrvinus I'm a bit confused on what you mean. Are you saying, historically, Japanese women tied their obi depending on class- so if her obi was in front she dressed herself (and was therefore not wealthy)?
That's only part of it, but the design is not just for fashion or how to get it in but also how it's worn and how the garment affects your body. This is especially true of corsets because front pacing corsets can create unsightly folds in the front of your skin and squishes the fat towards the front. Not only that but one can get into a corset without any assistance.
@@seanathanbeanathanif it was at the front it could also mean she's a sex worker
The Sarcastic "labels mean everything" early on (or at least I read that as sarcasm) is so important to point out. Honestly, I enjoy couture. But I also have an innate disdain for bourgeois shit that serves only to seperate people by "designer brand owner" and "impoverished trashy.' It drives me absolutely batty. -sigh- but also, I am a designer and I like pretty things that are custom for me. XD
There's a consignment shop here in Reno that sells 90% designer labels (both vintage and modern) and I was shocked by how poor quality some of the makes were with *big* designer names. I've bought stuff from H&M that was better fabric and construction quality, so yeah, as much as I enjoy fashion, I grow more and more distrustful of labels. (And yeah, that was mild sarcasm dripping out, I was also trying to think of the memes about "Sparkling Anxiety" or whatever that have been all over social media since 2020 🤣)
I spent years installing computer systems in garment companies. The same factory that make designer label clothing makes your Walmart junk. The difference is mostly the fabrics used and the patterns used. The same people sew both.
@@lenabreijer1311 I think that happens with a lot of brands. It is a way to keep the luxury branch afloat. Thank you for letting us know this is also the case in couture!
I cook much more than I sew, but I feel like there's a similar thing going on - given the similar ingredients, you too can replicate 'chef quality' meals because it's just knowing the steps and process - chopping is chopping and roasting is roasting. There may be some fancy flourishes here and there like 24k gold or a special cutting technique, but it's most like not going to detract from the overall deliciousness of the dish...
@@lenabreijer1311 fabrics and marketing.
I sew draoes. My employers can charge $1000 because they have access to branding and connections.
The ones I male (identical) I get a fraction.
Its the branding and high marketing and stupid rich people who are gullible AF to stupid enough to drop $100k on $20 purse!
“Worth is garbage” lmao you missed the opportunity to say Worth is *worthless* 😂😂😂 I’ll see myself out.
🤣
A+ burn
It is garbage but not worthless because it still sells for high prices. But it is a great pun.
Worth is all the same for the sole purpose of being able to churn out Fashion (TM). Excellent business strategy, not that creative, would rather support local makers - I say, as if I'm currently in the market for a ball gown...
...but you might be in the market for a really nice English cut suit! Not a woman alive who doesn't like a well dressed man. Just a guess, but I would think that there are also a few men out there who like a well dressed man too, if that's your thing.
@@Chompchompyerded My goal is to someday make my own suit!
@@Alex-Sews Oh wow! That's super! I imagine that will be quite a challenge. Are you going to go with a relaxed cut, more like an Italian style suit, or more of a fitted cut like an English style suit?
@@Chompchompyerded More a 19th century style! 😁
@@Alex-Sews Super cool! I'd love to see it when it's done! Which part of the 18th century? They didn't change as much as women's fashions changed, but they did change, and particularly the neck ware changed. Maybe after that you can try to rock the 18th century. Would be really wonderful to see those ornate and handsome waistcoats come back. You would probably want to give the powders a miss though. Powders were pretty much done by the 19th century, so that would not be an issue. Not many men were wearing beards in the 18th century, but they certainly were in the 19th.
Ok, ok, ok this is really interesting but I think you got a musical hit on your hands with Worth is the Same. We need to get you into a studio stat!
🤣🤣🤣 this song lives in my head rent free and I just added my own shitty lyrics to it: ua-cam.com/video/JIuYQ_4TcXg/v-deo.html
I’m here for any and all shade cast at historical people; bonus points for singing.
When I started sewing in the 1990s, I loved hand-sewing. But the trend back then was speed-sewing. The only readily-available books on hand-sewing were about 20th century haute couture techniques. So I got deep into the couture method with all of its perfectionist ways. I am so glad to be learning now about historical sewing that happened outside of the modern home-ec and couture schools.
Can you share some of the names of these books?
@@maximilian6829 Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer was the main one-- I read it from cover to cover. Shaeffer later wrote other books on couture techniques as well. They are easily found on Amazon if you search by her name. There was another one by Roberta Carr, and an older one from the 1970's for which unfortunately I can't remember the author or title. Shaeffer also designed some patterns for Vogue that included special instructions for couture-style construction. I think some of them are still in print. I haven't used them but I've heard that they basically apply the techniques described in her books. Susan Khalje wrote a book called Bridal Sewing. I don't own it and haven't read it, but I believe she used that book as a way to teach couture gown techniques. I have another one of her books called Linen and Cotton which isn't a couture book but it does include some hand-sewing techniques. Susan Khalje also taught a Craftsy class that took you step-by-step through the process of construction a simple shift dress using couture techniques. I don't know if it's still available on the Craftsy site, but I found it very informative.
@@maximilian6829 Thank you that is really interesting!
@@Jasmine-in-my-mind
Thank you
The rules for a Paris Couture workshop validate your statement that Paris Couture is not that unique. If it was unique, there would be no need to have rules. The rules bother me because it means that a new designer cannot set up a shop in Paris unless they can employ 15-20 people. A new designer would need to set up shop elsewhere or go to work for Worth.
It more means one has a rich clientele
And it was a law to protect labour, but who cares about knowledge when opinion is being given.
Nope they couldn't even set shop elsewhere, those rules aply to France as a whole, it's gatekeeping at it's finest
Fashion labels are usually by the rich for the rich.
How many new york designers are the daughter of a celebrity.
Its called gatekeeping
if worth was the father of couture, and those who can't afford their own employees had to go work for him and possibly be creative influences... smart man. evil smart man
Silk gauze is a pain. I made both of my daughters' wedding dresses, and my oldest daughter's dress had layers of successively lighter silk. The top layer was so filmy, it was like sewing fog. Looked great, but the air in my studio was blue for weeks.
Sewing fog😆🙄😒What a great way of explaining💕
When I was a little kid fascinated by the dresses in museums they seemed unattainable and almost magical. I always felt like the inside had to have been finished as perfectly as the outside. I love that, thanks to the internet, I can see that there are still similarities to interior finishing (unless we start looking at modern store-bought stuff because I tend to feel like so many corners are cut on some things)
Back in the early 80s I was walking past some of the high end clothing stores. A plaid jacket was on sale for 300 dollars in one window. That was a lot of money back then. The plaids did not even match. The button holes were machine, and not neat looking. The buttons looked like they were machine sewn as well. Half hanging.
Now if the designers name is on it, that is all anyone cares. Quality means nothing.
I have a skirt from 1972, which cost 45 dollars. A lot at that time. Very well made, worn a lot and still in perfect condition. Lined.
@@dawnelder9046 I didn't understand why my mom's made stuff pattern match in the 80s when the store bought stuff didn't. I also swore I would never sew my own stuff, but now love when I can perfectly line up my fabric.
Ohhhh I needed that "It's absolutely achievable by a regular person" note about Victorian/Edwardian couture. This was a great video! I like Worth gowns there are some gorgeous ones, but as you said, Worth is the same lol. Marketing is everything
He reinvented the apparel retail experience.
The idea of high end fashion design just didn't exist prior this
Prosecco is also a regionally protected name, just like champagne is :) Prosecco only comes from Conegliano and Valdobbiadene regions in north-east of Italy.
Thank you for specifying it, I live near Valdobbiadene and I almost had a teeny tiny stroke 😊
I get the point of regionally protected names, to protect where something originated.
But I do much prefer Australian wines, including the sparkling wines. It’s the Fox to Italy and France’s Worths. I said it, and I stand by it.
Fun fact: Prosecco is now preventing Prošek from Croatia (red, non-sparkling, traditional, dessert wine) from becoming a regionally protected name.
Lol, I think she meant "Cold Duck", not Prosecco for the more generic (cheaper) versions of bubbly wine.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who is "meh" about Worth dresses. A lot of them look the same. There are a couple of lovely exceptions, but when you've designed that many dresses you're bound to have a few good ones. I say "designed" and not "made" because he didn't make his dresses. He had a team of underpaid, under-appreciated people (especially women) who actually made them.
I got told I needed a favourite worth gown. So I looked and found a bunch of other by other designers I liked more. They're not bad... They're just not special and magical
My opinion (just an opinion, nothing set in stone) is that Worth had a lot of press success because he was a man, and all the seamstress of his age were women. It's like it happened in haute cuisine: women can be cooks, but only men were considered chefs for a long time.
If you add to that the good relationship that he had with Empress Eugenie, who was the one that set trends during the 1860's, and his (and his wife's) excelent marketing skills, that's how Worth made managed to establish himself as "The couturier".
By the turn of the 20th Century, with the Second Empire long forgotten, he was just resting on his laurels and churning out "easy" dresses for export.
What makes a Worth Gown lovely is the fabric. Other than that, they're much of a muchness.
The only Worth pieces I really admire are the Ironwork gown and that tulip cape.
I think worth had a lot of talent especially to be a leader of fashion from 1860s-1900
Some things are meh. Others are gorgeous
It would be like looking at t shirts that say versace and grading his life work off that
ok right off the bat i am loving how we are starting with construction, because in my mind what separates couture/designer/higher end/mass produced/fast fashion today is 1. construction quality (finishes, corners cut, quality of materials etc.) 2. use of advanced fabric manipulating, finishing, decoration and tailoring techniques 3. innovation in said techniques (so for me, someone like iris van herpen) 4. design (very abstract, hard to define)
so not everything big designer brands do can be considered couture, and though 'designer' has some connotation of quality a LOT of it is also just. branding because there is only so far you can use quality to justify the prices.
anyway it strikes me as something to note that CoUTuRE meant something rather different in that era than we think of it today because of the generally higher standard of workmanship/clothing quality as well as the wider range of fanciness/price 'tiers' if you will, back then.
(even clothing between the 1920s-60s-ish can be differentiated from contemporary clothing because home dressmaking was more of a tradition and globalisation hadn't gone as far as it has now. capitalism and the use of mass manufacturing to keep production costs waaay down strikes again :/ )
I am so happy your comment directed me to Iris Van Herpen. I am mesmerized as I never have been before by fashion.
And yet...all Houses of Couture have ready to wear lines...a branded look they guard jealously...and diversify their cache selling thier name to be slapped on any number of goods...
Oh...and how many pairs of jeans or simple Ts are in your closet?
Listening to Abby passionately educating us about late-Victorian/Edwardian bodices brings me joy. Thank you Abby😁
I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again: This community of passionate historical costumers are like cozy quilts and a warm mug of hot chocolate- pure joy and comfort.
For me too! So so much comfort! I have a statistics exam tomorrow and this helped me calm down so so much😭😭😭
Y'know, I'm wondering how much influence the post-war proliferation of washing machines and dryers had on the rise of midcentury sewing rules. Unfinished seams don't last long even in modern machines, and the early ones would've chewed through clothing even faster.
You'd be foolish to attempt to throw a Worth gown in a washing machine....
....
Hmm that's an interesting point but I don't think "modern" midcentury washing machines are as powerful as you seem to be positing here? Like I see your point about unfinished seams unraveling due in part to agitation during the wash cycle but I think that's much more of a recent problem with cheaply made/poorly sewn clothes vs. the wash today.
My parents have told me that during their lifetime when my grandmother bought a washing machine last they would have to assure (and remind) her that she didn't need to scrub extra soap into dirty socks BEFORE starting the cycle for it to come out clean. However as far as I know she was still using a washboard and washing things by hand well into her eighties. 😂 At that point I think it was force of long habit rather than being skeptical about the washing machine's ability to clean clothes lol
@@hinachansansensei - I knew someone who had one of those antique wringer model washing machines that she used at least once a week. What it may have lacked in horsepower it made up for in rugged bulldogedness. It was great for blue collar work clothes and sheets, but like @Kayla Sheiner wrote, it would have shredded fine garments.
That’s an interesting thought. Or maybe the Depression era demanded garments that were better finished so that they lasted longer?
Yeah I was thinking it was about machine washing and dryers. Of course you're not putting evening gowns in the washing machine but when it comes to everyday clothes? Also with mass produced clothes there's "hanger appeal", where the clothes look good on the hanger - and on a hanger you can see inside the clothes somewhat so it's good to have facings/finishings.
That said, I've seen some midcentury home sewn clothes in second hand stores and it's not uncommon to see edges just completely left raw because who cares. (Pinking is also super common for home sewing. I got a pair of pinking shears last year and since I don't have an overlocker it's a great alternative to zigzagging, since it doesn't use thread.)
One thing I love about Abby and her channel is that she not afraid of cutting through a lot of the biases we sometimes create when learning about the historical fashion world. She reminds us to not just accept what others say and actually question whether something is true or if it’s just someone else’s bias that’s been handed down to us. Things like “What is haut couture really” or “Not like other girls” or the classic “Everyone sucks at sewing” have helped me open my eyes to the “us vs them” attitudes that is simply everywhere in life.
These types of vids are so needed so when, for instance, many creators talk about their “dream worth dress”, the rest of us can remember that that is an option, not something that we all have to find in order to fit in and be a part of this community.
So it's like....your version of...who was the best Joker? That sucks man, I'm sorry....
completely agree, and now I include the obligatory joke about "cutting though the bias..." straight weave is harder to drape, true :D (sorry that was a bad pun)
So I'm not alone in thinking that Worth's dresses look the same. Beautiful, but damn, every single one is made from the same pattern.
I love the editing in this video :D
His system was pretty genius for the time, mix and match bodice-skirt patterns and a shop of trimmakers to add a bit of uniqueness to each. It was the only way the atelier could churn out hundreds of gowns in a season. The only Worth designs I really love are the ones from the late teens, there are some really unique pieces in that era that I find much more exciting than the earlier ball gowns.
Ummm...do all Chanel suits have the exact same pattern? By first glance you might believe it so....but once you look at several spanning a few decades? They share a certain soilloiette, but not always the same overall exacting cut...
@@LucianCorrvinus Thank you for pointing that! I never thought about it, but you are absolutely right. Maybe that's what we identify with certain designers. That really made me think.
@@Noel.Chmielowiec I have the luck to have been watching one of Abby's friends exact I believe her name is Bernadette, body on names of time.. Anyway create the worth peacock dress. And one of her vexations are all the pretty time of being a unclear pattern for the skirt portion of a Down.. by the way that blog on the recreation of the peacock dress is a worthy watch. Just saying...
@@LucianCorrvinus I watched Cathy's videos, I believe that you're talking about her. This dress, while beautiful, is still looking quite generic in shape, for lack of a better word. However I'm still interested in how it progresses. I would like to know how exactly it should be made.
I was JUST about to google sprung boning when editing abby came in! Thanks for the explanation. I’ve learned so much from watching your videos.
Fun fact...in knitting 'handknit' includes knitwear produced on a knitting machine if said machine is worked by hand (not an automated)
Now THAT little fact made my jaw hit the floor.
I was also shocked when I learned that. I have used a knitting machine, the craft is quite different from hand knitting. It requires a lot of pre planning and skill in that aspect because the thing on the needles looks nothing like what you think it should. This is the reason I don't use a knitting machine anymore. It was great making things for the kiddo quick and effective because it was basically rectangles.
@@lenabreijer1311 I explored using a machine for a few seconds when Threads magazine put out an article (1980s?) talking about a programmable machine that knit pieces ready to assemble rather than cloth to be cut. It being Threads magazine I think it was aimed at knitwear designers.
@@katerooney2874 there are books on how to do that manually. I made several pieces doing that. But you had to calculate it all carefully in advance and what I like about hand knitting is being able to change things on the fly. The knitting machine was too much like what I did at work lol. Add to that the fact that I had migraines and moving that handle and the flicker of the little needles irritated me to no end. And every once in a while you would move the carriage and something would go wrong and the piece would fall on the floor and need to be hooked up and fixed again.
I bought an inexpensive machine in the late 80s...just NO 😖
Holy crow, Abby, shots fired! 😂Need to pause and switch out my coffee for tea, this is going to be amazing I can already tell.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I loved this! Haute couture has seemed unattainable but I see that I am out of line thinking that that is so! I AM fully capable of producing equivalent work! Nice to know. This brings to mind a yard sale purchase I made in the early 70s: a 40s-50s homemade dress in the most gorgeous burgundy silk velvet! Obviously homemade by an amateur seamstress but I'm sure it was her favorite dress for the more formal occasions in her life. I remade it in my college pattern-making class and it was MY favorite dress for certain occasions. My oldest daughter snapped it up as soon as it fit her and carried it off to Minneapolis when she left home. So that special dress is still special!
The shade and snark of this commentary is truly beautiful. I love channels like this where they just act like regular people. Keep up the great work!
Abby- says that worth is overrated
*Cathy Hay has entered the chat*
Lol in all seriousness, great video, love learning about dress history.
In a recent video Cathy Hay did have something similar to say about the similarity of Worth's gowns. She wasn't singing about it - although I'd be well pleased if she did - but when Abby mentioned the same thing here I thought of Cathy's video immediately.
🤣
@@agcons Yeah it's really interesting how they're drawing on a lot of the same points, both with a "you can totally do this" bent, despite having very different opinions on the look/reputation of Worth gowns haha.
No need to bring drama into this conversation.
A bodice which closes up the back implies the wearer has someone to help her dress
When I think about ‘haute couture’, I’ve always thought about ‘unique’ pieces like art pieces. I’d be really disappointed if I commissioned something original and then the designer mass produced it. With Worth, I think he was just a great businessman; as much as I love the ‘sun with clouds’ dress/es (my fav embroidery work), they are not my favorite dresses from the past (I’ve always hated the bodices that go with the skirts tbh).
This actually happened to me! I commissioned a dressmaker for a prairie dress, and it got a lot of attention when they posted it…so they mass produced it ☹️ even when they asked me before hand and I asked them not to 😅 I’m still hurt so I share whenever I can cuz it’s awful.
@Lu - This video shows what modern haute couture garments can be and why they are the works of art you recognize and why they cost so blinkin' much! The video goes from design sketch through to its run way debut. Along the way, it took a team of dozens of people from at least 4 companies and one month to construct it. It is gorgeous, complicated, and NOT a beginner's project. ^_^
"(SAVOIR FAIRE) Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011 (Passage No°5)" - ua-cam.com/video/RAXksLhLFAA/v-deo.html
@@MossyMozart I've seen that video before! It's amazing all the work behind one single garment, so much respect for all artisans behind it!
Haute couture is not at all about uniqueness - it's to do with attention to detail and quality of workmanship. That takes time, and that is what makes haute couture so expensive, be it Worth or Givenchy, or any couture house. If you watch a video of the preparation that goes into a big-name runway dress, you'll understand that that kind of attention just doesn't go into mass production clothing. because the "masses" couldn't afford it, but it IS worth doing for a one-of piece that is a showcase item.
When you look at it this closely, the choice of finishing, especially whipped seam allowance vs bound makes me wonder if sometimes it was because it would reduce bulk along those seams
I was thinking the same thing.
@K Fries - That's a very important point.
I thought the same thing about the raw edge covered with a single layer of ribbon rather than binding.
That is exactly the point of it, and notice the edges didn't fray, so, mission accomplished, bulk prevented.
This is what my home economics teacher said! She said it in the 1970's. Investing hours and hours in a piece made of cheap material made her crazy! :)
21:07 "nobody's gonna to know" "they're gonna know" "how will they know?"
Abby! Thank you SO much for calling out Worth and the hype around this brand. His contemporaries were just as good if not better yet he became famous because he branded the dresses (and more successfully exploited) the labor of the women that worked for him. He was also very selective about who could wear his clothes making women essentially audition before they could have the opportunity to purchase from him. He is not great, it’s all marketing and I hope folks in the community will educate themselves more about other designers of that time.
It's basically all very simple.
Couture is sewing. It's tailoring, it's making clothes fit the body, it's getting things done.
Haute couture is... Well, it's just the next level, isn't it? And many historical garments will be more elaborate than modern clothes, so they might be similar to modern haute couture in that they have more attention to detail and are custom-made. But they are really just couture.
And Haute culture is where a designer had allowance to stray from his seasonal look and try out something they'd never put on a petit a puar ( sic) show...
So… haute couture is a business model? Branding? It appears to be from 1945 on, but Worth was about cranking it out. The brown LV bag of the time, they make as many as they can sell. The modern myths about couture are just sewing, but the prices demand !Specialness! Art galleries do the same branding by myth. Chanel seamstress- “couture is about shaping the fabric”. All sewing is about shaping the fabric. 🙄 We can make a long list of the buzzwords. Paris couture exists to keep artisans employed and bring in foreign money.
Parisian Couture exists to keep an air about the Accessories And Cosmetics companies. Yes, very often, they are employing incredibly elaborate and artisanal techniques that cannot be mass-produced, but it’s understood that Haute Couture is hardly profitable.
Hidden Affirmations and Dress History with Abby Cox: "what makes something than something else is not always visible on the outside"
If you take a look at professionally made traditional tutus, they usually use chonky (TM) hooks & eyes for closure down the back, too
The more I see how historical clothing is made, the better I feel about the stuff I make.
Your Worth song has the vibes as the intern song Bo Burnham had in his Netflix special 😂 I love how you deconstructed this (pun v much intended) because the whole "the label matters" thing just screams classist bs when there are so many incredible designers over the years who are dealing with this gatekeeping keeping them from getting the recognition they deserve
The couture hooks and eyes look like what I'm used to seeing as tutu hooks. And yes, they are wonderful! Faster to sew on, hold much more tension, and faster to put on/take off.
I never heard of tutu hooks. Where do you get them?
Thanks for the interesting video. You talked a lot about the differences in quality between haute couture and regular clothes, but how did Victorians/Edwardians define quality? Was it in terms of fit? How expensive the materials were? How long the dress lasted? I feel like fashion was changing so quickly by the 1890s that there wasn't any reason for ladies who were rich enough to buy haute couture to care about durability in the same way that some modern consumers see certain couture items (like say a really nicely made suit) as a long term investment piece that you will wear for decades.
Also, I am pretty sure the haute couture rules of 1945 were purely created to protect the Parisian fashion industry after WWII. It was all about marketing and preserving their own economic interests, rather than any particular commitment to craft.
@Kristen Paff - Those are all good questions. However, the ateliers today are as dedicated to craft as they are to promotion. And aren't they one in the same? Sadly, there are only a handful left today to carry the torch.
I’ll never ever sew a dress like this (my level of expertise is making circle skirts for my granddaughter! Lol) and I will never have an opportunity to wear a costume, but I really enjoy your quirky humor and how you teach history through clothing. Thank you for such enjoyable videos!
Thank you on the Worth thing! Some of my favorites have always been more Emil Pignat (I know a bit earlier than Worth). What I've felt like is that Worth has the best modern PR machine.
I also love Paquin and Redfern
As some one who loves Worth and created a database of every extant Worth gown (held by a museum) I can confirm that yes, they're all the same dress LMAO
Petition for “Chonky”, “Chonky Boning”, and/or “Chonky Worth” merchandise??
This was super informative. More importantly, however, is now I am inspired even more inspired to make a Westley shirt. Seriously though, after seeing your unboxings and now this, one take away is if it isn't going to be seen, don't sweat it so hard. Overcast em, leave em raw, etc. Put the stitches where it matters most first. (I say this as a perfectionist learning to sew on their own. I need validation)
If you made Bernadette's pirate shirt in black? 👀
@@lady_sir_knight3713 That's exactly what I was thinking.
So there I was in JoAnn’s Fabrics just minding my own beeswax and looking at pattern books and who jumps out at me but none other than Ms. Abby Cox. I’m not sure how I wasn’t aware of this!
abby: “doesnt mean its nice” *sips tea*
Me: buuuuuuuuurrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnn
Having just finished recreating my worth gown, this is so well timed!
Watching you go off and rant about sewing is always a treat.
The couture stuff is fascinating and all but tbh I’m just in love with your black pirate shirt 🤷🏻♀️
Same! Was just thinking that I might have found my Halloween costume 😝
I'll tell a client in a heart beat cheap material will cost no less than getting high quality for my to build. But I'm pretty sure I will not build a high end garment out of cheap material, my hands just does not like the feel of it - ewe thinking about it makes me spit. ewe - Just watched you today - I'm a 70 year old designer and you are the first I've ever subscribed to. Great work!
I'm a knitting designer and I've always said that a highly skilled knitter can make a cheap yarn look good but we will never want to. I'm knitting a garment for 40+ hours, I going to spend the 20 to 30% more for even the most basic of quality wools instead of essentially plastic
Having been behind the scenes at couture fashion shows in Paris what surprised me is how even a lot of the clothes that end up on the models bear a very loose resemblence to what the designer actually designed. When the seamstresses are interpreting the designs they often say "that shoulder won't work, this seam would be far too high, the lace on the neckline is too much, this needs a bow on the back, the underskirt isn't flattering" and make serious adjustments. They then show the final result to the designer who almost never questions the alterations to his or her design. What you see on the runway is often 50% the creation of an anonymous workroom and 50% the general silhouette and colour/fabric _suggestion_ of the designer.
I think people who think "haute couture" has to be handmade, dont know that they sew on the same sewing machines as fast fashion brands do... every clothing is handmade. Even the 2$ shirt bought at primark is... there are no robots sewing our stuff.... but I really think that many people dont know this.
I think the main "difference" is if the process is industrialized or not. Do you cut cost by otpimizing construction without care for the design, do you use the cheapest assembly method instead of the best/most elegant, do you use finishing techniques, do you care about details, about the overall quality... It's the difference between an artisan furniture maker and IKEA. A lot of brands today are supposed to be couture, and are for their show collection, but use industrialized production for the "sellable" items that make the most money. Hey, it's capitalism, there's profit to be made, you can't ask for good, honest artful work is the incentive is profit.
So maybe Worth isn't worth all the fuss?
I like puns, okay, and I don't generally think there is one diety of fashion at any given time. My fashion pantheon has room for many goddesses and gods.
I loved this video and it's so educational for a newbie like me! I always wondered what made something "couture" and this was a good explanation. However, I will say the best part is the subtitles. Not to make fun, but the line, "This is bailey, so these are boned out of aliens" did give me a good laugh. I'm pretty sure no aliens were harmed in the making of these clothes. Thank you so much for the video
I love this. The fact that they didn’t always finish the inside or didn’t take care with stitching if it wouldn’t be seen. Makes me feel better about my sewing!
Haute Couture: mastery of dressmaking/tailoring skills + imagination + high quality materials + branding.
Also, Champagne has a bunch of rules to follow in its making (like couture), biggest among them is that it has to come from the region called Champagne.
Give me a glass of Brachetto any day!
Isn't it considers to be haute if it's fashion forward and the garnet itself unique and wouldn't be produced to be sold as part of the line?
Absolutly loved this video Abby. It was so interesting to hear you say about the classification of Haute Couture. I hadn’t realised it was so recent. The other thing is you are such a gorgeous wee lassie with no make up or should I say, au natural. Keep these fabulous videos coming. I get to sew vicariously through you as I’m no longer well enough to sew now, same goes for the fabulous Nicole.
Couture rules = Gatekeeping, to the max. "Must have x number of employees, must have x number of designs per season". Says nothing really about quality or whether the clothes are attractive. Just as our modern "designer brands" are largely hype and over-priced, to gin up public desire to own, to the point that cheap fakes are made. I can only assert that a certain class of customers just has WAY too much play money to throw around, to try to make the rest of us feel-- what? Bad? Jealous? Inferior? Motivated to keep up with the Kardashians? Don't fall for the hype. Make or buy or wear clothes that you actually like, and don't worry about who makes them or who else is wearing them.
A fun chat to watch and listen to while I hand quilt! I feel like I'm going to be doing this forever, LOL. Thank you for this video!
I just finished my first (and probably last) quilt after 1.5 years. Felt that to my soul. On the bright side, im a lot better at controlled handsewing now!
Another I can think of for House of Worth only making bodices with rear-lacing/hooks is a presumption that they are being made only for an economic class that can afford household staff, specifically a lady's maid, to assist with dressing. That other dressmakers did not follow this practice would then suggest it was only a part of the culture of Worth, not in general. I'm not arguing that it's not because of the simplicity of construction. In fact, it would not surprise me if it was for cost and efficiency, but covertly marketed (word of mouth) as indicative of the status.
The chonky hooks fascinate me, as if there was the expectation of heavier load (heavier and layered fabric?) or to last longer (even if the wearer could probably afford a new one before something gave way).
Isn't it more that most famous Worth gowns were produced in a similar era, so the styles we see were the fashionable styles of that moment and thus they are very similar? Also: this video is basically anatomy but for historical dress haha! Like, were examining the evolution of the anatomy of bodices
Yes, the height of Worth was in a similar era, but if we look at other couture gowns from the same era, there’s a lot more variation than you’d see in Worth’s collection. And some far more impressive looking, more innovative designs too.
There are a few Worth gowns that stand out, or that I love, (the Lily gown is a particular favourite), but most of them are very much the same, and you could find nicer gowns by other design houses- they just don’t have that brand.
Worth had a system of patterns and basically mass produced hundreds of ball gowns for each season. Clients could choose from a limited number of bodice patterns and then match to a limited number of skirt patterns. Then the fabric and trim could add some individuality. Certain commissions such as the peacock dress got more individual elements, but for the average debutante she was getting a nice quality gown that was a step above department store quality but design wise wasn't all that unique at all.
Well that and if you became known for a certain designed gown..
You can't really deviate from that to any great degree....
@@katherinemorelle7115 Ah thanks for the info!
@@LucianCorrvinus yes that's what I thought too, it was big business and why would they change it if it worked. It was the style they were known for I believe
I was just thinking to myself that I am going to google what exactly is this 'spring boning' when editing Abby appeared. This sort of witchcrafty timing is what I am here for!
First, I can't say how much I admire that you filmed a huge section of your video with a sweater over you pajamas and just put that out there like "this is realness and I don't give F." You are the best! I think Worth earned his reputation through marketing, some over the top materials and design details which are the dresses that come to mind when one thinks "Worth gown," and his clientele. Nothing makes a dress impressive like a foot note that Mrs. Astor or Alva Vanderbilt, or whoever wore it.
Careful-strong closers are also a sign of exceptional jewelry too.
Omg our girl just called out worth! I cackled so hard my girlfriend who knows nothing of historical fashion(but has been learning from watching with me) even laughed.
Love the process of looking at the static Pinterest pictures and then the dynamic Abby Collection.
Something that I wonder about that is so missing in today's sewing is: What supports the weight?...Even today, that gets totally messed up and the garments weigh so much less
Also would love an examination of how one hand stitch (say overcast or catch stitch) is used in real examples...
or "How did they hide the working stuff" (including big chunky hooks from frothy lacey appearance)
Hope that makes sense
If you like Abby's unboxing videos I believe she also uploads extra related content on her Patreon where she goes into more detail about the garments' construction. Don't know how much about the stitching she talks about but that might answer some of your question about the closures?
Found this video absolutely fascinating since long (long) ago I was a fashion design student who along with the entire program dreamed of being a couturier, so I can affirm the modern day definition of couture was significantly over simplified. Mainly the extensive certification process a label must go through to use "couture" as a descriptor, such as yearly fees, certain number of years in business, blah, blah, maybe a kidney oh and more pretentious blah. Ps. After graduating transferred all possible credits to Healthcare Admin and now have a masters.
Watching this editing, I wanna make Abby a huge cup of coffee. It's been an interesting vid! You did great Bebe!
Thanks again for answering all the questions I never asked, but would have probably Googled eventually. 😄❤❤❤
I absolutely love your down the rabbit hole videos, because I thought couturier was very old since we know Rose Bertin's name. I learn something new every video. I would like to see more of the silk with cotton lining bodice, not just because the glimpse of the front stripe fabric was interesting, but the seam finish looked like deliberately made scallops, which is a great deal of care. I saw on IG that AD seems to have lost another employee, and your delightful collaborator has moved! I hope we will see her in upcoming videos! Also, doggie swag? Thank you for all your work!
Reading some of the comments, I’d like to point out that haute couture was also a way to criticize the established ways of wearing clothes. Chanel for example used materials traditionally reserved for undergarments, like silk, as outerwear fabrics. You can see it in her marinière. The trench coat before Yves Saint Laurent was only a male piece of clothing.
Wait. I am confused now. For context, I'm french, and I'm a fashion graduate, and worked as a fashion designers for many years. And what I learned in school is that Worth is the father of Prêt-a-porter. Not couture. Hence the "Worth is the same", the chunking of fashion, the tight schedules, etc House of Worth paved the way for how fashion would be sold in departement store. One model/silhouette, choosing fabrics, size tailoring etc... He revolutionized the industry, with also the concept of brand. But now, wikipedia says he's the father of Haute-couture and Sonia Delaunay is the mother of ready-to-wear... I feel betrayed by my brain....
Worth did what he did with what he had to work with at the time - however, some places on a garment can only be done properly by hand. Fine fabric does call for my hand sewing unless it is a seam.
I have to say, I begin to associate Aby's videos with calm Sunday afternoon. I wish I had women like her in my life, I could spend every week geeking about sewing... This is the closest I can get.
I associate her and Nicole’s videos with a lovely start to my Monday mornings (given that I live in the future). I look forward to it every week.
I know some crazy people constantly geeking over historical clothing, I'm one of them :D If you'd like to chat about it sometimes, we could. Česky, klidně teda ;)
I completely agree😍😍
I disagree that all Worth garments look alike. I worked at the Museum of the City of New York when they were developing the online exhibition--Worth & Mainbocher: Demystfying the Haute Couture. The gowns range from 1860 to 1953. My expertise is couture construction and my job was to measure the garments and describe the construction techniques. There are several Worth techniques which I think are particularly interesting: the double piping on the bodice "hem", the use of selvage, and the variety of laces. One technique which I found on the 1860 cloth of silver gown was a tuck on the finished neckline which would have tightened the neckline and prevent gaping; this was probably a time saver and would not be acceptable today. This exhibition is still online and I think you would enjoy it.
I just LOVE watching learning n laughing with you.... Stay well. Blessings to you....
Fascinating! I was always under the impression (which I got from watching "House of Elliott" backwards and forwards), that couture and haute couture fashion houses of the 1910s and 20s wouldn't dream of using sewing machines. I guess reality is very different to TV 😊 xx
I love seeing quality sewing
Finally someone said it!
Oh how I like your research subjects! Right up my alley for school. You motivate me hugely to do my own, and at least I know were to start 😘
Okay, starting off topic already but, Abby, your hair is gorgeous in this video!!! And I've only just started it!
[okay, back to watching your video!]
i was frustrated that i have to listen to football on this sunday... but then i saw your video and you are healing my whole day
i feel so happy when i see a high-end gown that is as messy on the inside as the shit i sew when i don't have to be neat (aka the stuff i sew just for myself and if it's a disgrace on the inside i'm the only one who will see it)
Interesting opinion of Worth. After reading his story, he was a marketing, desigings, and production genius for that era. His gowns all look the same to me.
Truly enjoyed this and🙏 do another a pt2?on this subject-longer even;show us really older dressmakers the frounts& closures(I paused the gray pull to camera rt side twice) delicious!
You're absolutely right about things being messy on the inside!
Love your videos! especially your nerdy ones!
Thank you SOO MUCH for this video, I’m making a historical fashion product for my college and I was feeling quite awful about not making everything by hand cuz of time and etc and feeling like it was low quality because of that and you just made me soo much happier today with this conclusion
This was definitely very informative! I used to be OBSESSED with reading fashion magazines, and I always wondered what made one brand “couture” while the other one wasn’t. (I always thought everyone knew but me so I was kinda too scared to ask lol). Looking at this question through the lens of dress history was very interesting as well.
It's all culture....the term is representative of clothing created by a house or designer. Did you perhaps mean ready to wear versus haute culture?
Abby makes a comment about handling delicate fabric...
Me: gripping a pair if pliers to pull a needle through leather.
Your videos are fantastic! You always make me smile. For the record, you would make an awesome Dread Pirate Roberts!!!
The main advantage of a Worth gown as near as I can tell, is the brand, even though you would never be so crass as to say he was your dressmaker. The multiple fittings did insure that the gown would fit and Worth probably wasn't kind if you put on weight between fittings. I have wielded straight pins as weapons myself when need be at fittings. And no, his workshop didn't perform moracles, but I am willing to bet that while the styles of the seasons were fairly identically born in different gowns he created, that young women who might have looked somewhat lackluster in any other gown, might have been turned into a closer approximation of a swan by the placement of trim, selection of color, and the knowledge that her gown was made my the leading couturier of the time. Since landing a husband was the goal of any Season, every advantage bust be made to work.
Loved the video.
I have my great-great-aunt's black silk dress that she worn to town on market day. Thet shirtwaist is beautifully embroidered black silk. There are a skirt and two petticoats. She wove rag rugs on a loom in her barn and took those and her hen's eggs to barter. The petticoat next to the skirt had a pocket in which she kept her cash money. Her reasoning was, that it was safer there than in her handbag, and that she had to want something pretty bad to make her lift the hem of her skirt in public to get to her money. Now understand that the two petticoats were so beautifully made that either could have been worn as a skirt had we not known of her history directly from relatives still living who had known her. We are a long-lived family. The dress is slowly disitigrating so I need to photograph it soon before all it is is thread.
Thanks for the time.
As ever,
Adrian Burrell
"Worth is garbage"
*Cathy Hay rises up out of the floor 👀 *
😂
Even Cathy admits that Worth was all about churning the garments out, and tended to reuse the same patterns, and would take shortcuts wherever possible.
Yeah, I came to the comment section specifically to watch the pile-on. Imagine my surprise/disappointment!
Looking hella glam today!
I am loving your Pirate outfit 😉
Edit: Oh my gosh, Wesley was exactly who I was thinking of 🤣🤣🤣
I'd love to know what makes something haute couture today too 🤷♀️
Mmmmm you have to love worth and hate him also the best worth pieces aren’t Charles Fredrick Worth it’s all Jean Phillipe Worth!
Glad I watched this (not that I wouldn’t have anyway) because I found it very validating. I always thought that I wasn’t cool or smart enough to “get” worth. There is a lot of hype and I was always like “am I just stupid? They all look pretty damned identical”
I know you said you needed to shower and apply makeup but your skin is looking amazing anyway when you're in the green jumper (around 21-22 mins) 😂
"I think Worth is kind of full of crap"
And that is when I subscribed, queen.
"Worth is garbage" is also gospel truth. Lmao, when I learned that making clothing has primarily been "women's work" and it only became glamorous when men decided to brand it, I rolled my eyes at youtubers when they drooled over Worth, etc. The only difference I can see between custom and couture is the era.