House of Worth chiffon half-mourning gown c.1904, $16,500 (£13,050) at Augusta Auctions.
This printed silk chiffon half-mourning gown c.1904 came for sale from the Museum of History & Industry in Seattle, Washington. Estimated at $5000-8000 at the auction on February 14 , it hammered for $16,500 (£13,050), with 54 bidders watching via LiveAuctioneers.
Like its contemporaries, the House of Worth would produce mourning attire on request for its regular customers - the best of whom paid handsomely to have their entire wardrobe fitted out by the couturier.
Mourning dress had reached its peak during the reign of Queen Victoria and in 1904 it remained de rigueur to wear black for at least three months while grieving for a loved one. During full mourning, clothes were solid black, while half-mourning attire such as this allowed the wearer to add a small amount of white or purple to the ensemble.
House of Worth chiffon half-mourning gown c.1904, $16,500 (£13,050) at Augusta Auctions.
This two-piece gown was probably designed by Jean-Philippe Worth who assumed the role of lead designer after his father, Charles Frederick Worth, died in 1895.
By this time Worth was no longer operating at the very cutting edge of French fashion, but it remained a favourite of both royalty and celebrity. It was not until 1924, and the tenure of Jacques Worth, that the firm ventured into the perfume market with its fragrance Dans la Nuit and a bottle made by one René Lalique.
Womanall two-piece cotton blouse and bloomers work uniform by Sweet-Orr & Co c.1917, $3100 (£2450) at Augusta Auctions.
Made roughly 12 years later was a very different example of female attire: a two-piece cotton blouse and bloomers work uniform by Sweet-Orr & Co of Newburgh, NY.
The patent for the ‘Womanall’ was granted on December 12, 1916, just months before the US entered the First World War.
Womanall two-piece cotton blouse and bloomers work uniform by Sweet-Orr & Co c.1917, $3100 (£2450) at Augusta Auctions.
Made in the same hardwearing khaki cloth used for military uniforms worn by American soldiers on the frontlines in Europe, it was described at the time as practical yet ‘attractive” and ‘womanly’. Similar garments can be seen worn by female workers in wartime propaganda posters from the period c.1917-18.
The well-preserved example offered in Vermont had been deaccessioned by the Valentine Museum to benefit its core collection and future acquisitions.
Estimated at $800-1200, it hammered for $3100 (£2450).
