Antique Textile Adventure – Part Three: Charles Frederick Worth

Charles Frederick Worth is widely considered the first couturier, ever. An Englishman by birth, he became wildly successful in 19th century Paris. Worth began his fashion career  in 1858 and he would go on to dress royalty and famous actresses of the day. One of his more famous clients was the incomparable Marchesa Luisa Casati, who is still profoundly influential in fashion today (you may have heard of the label Marchesa, named after her?). It is said that his company House of Worth was so successful that it actually had to turn away customers.

So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that I would have the opportunity to study an authentic House of Worth gown! During a research appointment at The Ohio State Historic Costume and Textile Collection, I requested to view this exquisite yellow silk brocade gown in their collection.

The gown is attributed to the year 1886 when bustle gowns were very fashionable. The curvy silhouette was obtained by wearing a corset underneath. See my post on antique corsets here: Antique Textile Adventure- Part Two: Antique Corsets

The Gown, Housed in It’s Archival Box

Notice the excellent quality in the fabrics.  The brocade through out the gown has a lovely floral pattern that reminds me of Chinese embroidery designs and silk gauze trim at the neckline and sleeves is also very fine. The exceptional passementerie tassels and matching fabric covered buttons are wonderful details as well.

Bodice of the Charles Frederick Worth Gown

As a corset designer I was really interested in the construction details of the bodice. Brocade is notorious for unraveling and on the inside of the bodice, I could see that the seam allowances were overcast by hand to prevent unraveling. The boning, which was housed in ribbon casings, was stitched onto the center of the seam to provide proper support and prevent wrinkling in the bodice fabric. I presume this method was for ease of alterations. Such an important gown would surely have been a prized possession, perhaps passed down to multiple wearers? Since a tailored fit was key to the style of the day, having easy access to this extra seam allowance would have made tailoring much simpler.

The Famous Worth Label

I hope you enjoyed this look at a period Worth gown.

Historically inspired fashion is one of my particular interests, so if you are interested in commissioning a corseted gown of a similar design for a wedding or other formal occasion – please contact me via email.

Bridal Ensemble by Wilde Hunt Corsetry

For more reading on the subject please check out the links below:


Charles Frederick Worth – The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Opulent Era: Fashions of Worth, Doucet, and Pingat

Marchesa Luisa Casati – Huffington Post