Draped Dress 1949

This dress was designed by Jacques Fath in 1949 for Lady Dacre.  She was the wife of the Naval Attache to Paris in the late 1940s and had many formal occasions that she needed to dress for. She wore exclusively Jacques Fath to her events. Fath dressed her free of charge each season as she gave good publicity to his work. If she wanted to keep a piece she would buy at at the end of the season. By then I am sure she was sick of it!!

Material: Printed Viscose Rayon

Place: Paris, France

Six Functions of Dress: Sexual Enhancement

The corset is one of the most important pieces of clothing which provides sexual enhancement. It makes woman's waist smaller and cleavage bigger. They have been around since the 16th century. The corset was originally called a stay (a stiff corset). Sometimes it was added to the outer bodice; sometimes it was in the form of separate stays worn under a gown. Originally the stiffening was designed to prevent the expensive fabric from wrinkling. However, as corsets evolved, they began to serve a more important function, shaping the woman's figure to the silhouette of the time. 

Date: 1670

Fabrics: Satin backed with linen

Manufacturer: Unknown

Six Functions of Dress: Group Membership

Visual Kei is associated with teens that frequent the Harajuku Station in Tokyo that dress in a cyper-punk style. It involves flamboyant hairstyles and sometimes androgynous clothing, influenced by 70s glam rock. Teenagers in the area gather on Sundays to show off their style and solidify their membership to one of the Harajuku groups, Gothic, Lolita, Fruit, Visual Kei, or something else. The attached photo is of Malice Mizer one of the first Visual Kei bands of the 1980s. 

Date: 1990s

Fabrics: Faux Leather, Ostrich Feathers, Velvet, Cotton

Manufacturer: Unknown

Six Functions of Dress: Gender Differentiation

Antony Price's woman's tuxedo shows how a man's garment can be transformed into a woman's silhouette. In this tuxedo, Price adopts the fabric and components of a man's diner suit to a woman's figure, nipping in the waist. Designed to be worn with nothing beneath, makes it an overtly sexy version of the male original. When we look at this suit there is no question that it is made for a woman because of the fit and silhouette.  Price became famous in Britain and America for his glam-rock style that he developed in the 70s by transforming military and civilian uniforms into glamorous partywear. 

Date: 1977

Fabric: Worsted Wool

Manufacturer: Antony Price

Six Functions of Dress: Enviromental Protection

This samurai suit of amour is the 'domaru' style first used around 1400. It is a close fitting type of body armor, with more protection for the thighs and smaller shoulder-guards than previous forms of armor. It protects the wearer from the climate as well as body harm due to warfare. The armor can also be considered to be decorative because of the use of leather, bear-fur and lacquer. You can also use this piece as an example of group membership. The wheel mallets on the fore crest of the helmet and other areas are the family emblem of the Doi family. They were a middle-ranking samurai family who lived in northeast Tokyo. 

Date: approx 1799

Materials and Techniques: Iron, gilded, silvered and patinated copper, polished rayfish skin, silk, leather, bear-fur and lacquer

Manufacturer: Unknown

Six Functions of Dress: Decoration

This British court dress exemplifies the decorative function of dress. The silhouette of this dress serves to exaggerate the silhouette of the body. One can also tell the status of the person by examining the details of this dress. The expensive fabric, exaggerated silhouette and metallic thread all show that this is a piece worn by a very wealthy member of the court. 

Date: 1750

Fabric: Silk and metallic thread

Manufacturer: Unknown

Purchased by the Metropolitan from Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1965

6 Functions of Dress

Ceremonial

This 17th century wedding dress represents the ceremonial function of dress. It is typical of the time period, with the designer's use of feminine elements such as ruffling and the decorative brooch on the front. 

Date: 1864

Fabric: Cotton

Manufacturer: Unknown

Gift of Mrs. James Sullivan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art