According to the museum description, the bodice and skirt<\/a> are crafted from beige silk organza and trimmed with appliqu\u00e9d ribbons made of mauve silk satin. The waistband is made of beige silk taffeta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The photographs of the garment clearly demonstrate how the ribbons structure its surface<\/sup>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The overall impression relies on a contrast of textures: sheer, lightweight organza and smooth satin reflect light differently<\/sup>. As a result, even a subtle beige and mauve palette appears rich, ensuring the ribbons do not get lost among the volumetric folds<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The museum text connects the shape of this dress to the long evolution of structured skirts<\/sup>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the 1860s, this voluminous silhouette reached the height of its popularity<\/sup>. In this dress, the effect is enhanced by the organza itself: airy yet crisp enough to hold defined folds<\/sup>. The satin ribbons emphasize the sweep of the skirt, turning its shape into the main decorative motif<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the gallery display, the dress is paired with a portrait of Countess Lamsdorff<\/a>, Maria Ivanovna Beck (1835\u20131866), wife of Alexander Nikolaevich Lamsdorff. Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805\u20131873) painted this oil on canvas portrait in 1859.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This side-by-side presentation bridges surviving physical fashion with the painted ideals of the era<\/sup>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For me as a maker, the most captivating element of this ensemble is how the ribbons function as a structural framework. Rather than merely decorating the surface, they “anchor” the sheer organza, establishing a clear rhythm and vertical flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In doll-scale tailoring, pairing a fine beige silk gauze or organza with narrow silk satin ribbons can recreate this exact sense of weightlessness. The key is choosing proportional ribbon widths to keep from overwhelming a miniature bodice while preserving the delicate lines of the square neckline and bell sleeves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Delicate beige organza, the muted lilac sheen of satin ribbons, and a full skirt, this day dress combines the lightness of fabric with an expressive architectural silhouette. In The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) catalog, it is dated to approximately 1865 and identified as French. It entered The Costume Institute collection in 1969 as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":959,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119],"tags":[328,331,324,330,323,194,333,327,329,326,332,325,322],"class_list":["post-948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fashion-show-history-by-dolls","tag-1860s-fashion","tag-19th-century-fashion","tag-costume-institute","tag-crinoline","tag-day-dress","tag-fashion-history","tag-franz-xaver-winterhalter","tag-french-fashion","tag-historical-dress","tag-metropolitan-museum-of-art","tag-satin-ribbons","tag-silk-organza","tag-the-met"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n
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Bodice and skirt of beige silk organza appliqu\u00e9d with mauve silk satin ribbon; belt of beige silk taffeta
Gift of Mary Pierrepont Beckwith, 1969.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Evolution of the Voluminous Silhouette<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Dress alongside Winterhalter\u2019s Portrait<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n
Countess Alexander Nikolaevitch
Lamsdorff (Maria Ivanovna Beck, 1835-1866), 1859
Oil on canvas
Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton de Groot (1876-1967), 1967.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
What I Look at as a Doll Clothes Maker<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Object Details<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Sources & Further Reading<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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