Fashion

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MFA Boston

This fashionable gown was made between 1800 and 1805, the apex of Grecian-style dress. The formal gown's costly Indian fabric and high-quality embroidery suggest a French origin. Empire, Regency Dress, Regency Gown, 1800's Dress, Victorian Dress, Vintage Gowns, Empire Dress, 1800s Fashion, Historical Dresses

Formal dress

This fashionable gown was made between 1800 and 1805, the apex of Grecian-style dress. The formal gown's costly Indian fabric and high-quality embroidery suggest a French origin.

a white dress on display in a black background

Beadnet dress

Beadnet dress (Egyptian, Old Kingdom, 2551–2528 B.C.) This beadnet dress is the earliest surviving example of such a garment. It has been painstakingly reassembled from approximately seven thousand beads found in an undisturbed burial of a female contemporary of King Khufu.

a green dress on display in front of a gray background

Evening dress

Charles James, Silk satin and plain weave (taffeta) evening dress, 1950.

Evening dress

Charles James, Silk plain weave (chiffon) and satin evening dress, 1951.

a pink dress with flowers on the bustle and shoulders, in front of a black background

Ball dress

Bright Pink Tulle & Taffeta Ball Gown Trimmed with Blonde Lace. American or French, c. 1858.

a drawing of two people dressed in blue and one is wearing a dress with long sleeves

We loved seeing Ellen DeGeneres in her dandified Hedi Slimane for YSL tuxedos and especially liked the first one which had a real eighteenth-century flair to it, with her Lord Byron-like floppy bow. The house Yves Saint Laurent introduced its “Le Smoking” tuxedo for women in 1967 and it was an immediate gender-bending sensation. Kenneth Paul Block illustrates the trend in this 1976 depiction of two Yves Saint Laurent designs.

Many people are still talking about Lupita Nyong’o’s beautiful pale blue Prada dress which she described as a collaboration with the designer. The pleats reflect some of Prada’s earlier work, seen in the MFA’s dress from her Fall 2002 collection.

two mannequins dressed in evening dresses on display

Catherine Martin won for costume and production design for the lavish spectacle that was The Great Gatsby. Her collaboration with Miuccia Prada was a wonderfully effective re-interpretation of 1920s flapper style. It looks like Lady Gaga also bet on the winning style with her Art Deco style Oscars gown designed by Versace. See this beautiful flapper dress in the Think Pink exhibition.

Portia de Rossi wore a striking ivory full-length Naeem Khan gown with a cut-out and beaded pattern that mimicked Moorish tiles. Khan’s talent for surface design is also seen in a pink and white dress in Think Pink with embroidery that evokes delicate ruffled edges of a rose. Naeem Khan, evening dress, 2006-07. The Evelyn H. Lauder Fashion Collection—Gift of Leonard A. Lauder. Costumes, Pink, Naeem Khan, Architecture, Outfits, Evening Dresses

Portia de Rossi wore a striking ivory full-length Naeem Khan gown with a cut-out and beaded pattern that mimicked Moorish tiles. Khan’s talent for surface design is also seen in a pink and white dress in Think Pink with embroidery that evokes delicate ruffled edges of a rose. Naeem Khan, evening dress, 2006-07. The Evelyn H. Lauder Fashion Collection—Gift of Leonard A. Lauder.

a black and white dress is displayed on a mannequin

Penelope Cruz wore a Classically-inspired Giambattista Valli couture gown to the Oscars. The MFA’s collection includes precedents to her dress, most notably this early 1950s black and white gown by Parisian couture designer Madame Gres, who was known for her finely pleated Grecian jersey dresses.

a handbag that has been decorated with many different colors and designs on it's side

Actress Olga Kurylenko made a statement at the Oscars in an eco-friendly dress. Our newly acquired Fendi bag is another eco-friendly example—it’s made of repurposed materials including military blankets, African kanga fabric, reused drawer pulls, wood, and leather remnants.

American Hustle was a close Oscar contender for the Best Costume Design award and the entire film was a fantastic evocation of the 1970s disco era. John Wilkinson mixed vintage pieces – like the iconic wrap dress by Diane Von Furstenberg – with costumes he designed to great effect. Diane Von Furstenberg, woman’s dress, 1970s. Gift of Susan Ward.

a mannequin wearing a black dress with long sleeves and an asymmetrical neckline

Dress

Dress

Madame Grès, Dress, French, 1970s, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Dress

Fashion

211 Pins

Collection by

Formal dress

This fashionable gown was made between 1800 and 1805, the apex of Grecian-style dress. The formal gown's costly Indian fabric and high-quality embroidery suggest a French origin.

Beadnet dress