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Princess line

Summary

Princess line or princess dress describes a woman's fitted dress or other garment cut in long panels without a horizontal join or separation at the waist.[2][3] Instead of relying on darts to shape the garment, the fit is achieved with long seams (princess seams) and shaped pattern pieces.[4] A rarely used alternative name for the princess line was French-dart-line dress.[5][6]

1878-1880 Princess line dress. V&A, CIRC.606-1962[1]
A princess line dress is shown on the left. The other dress has a clear separation between bodice and skirt. September 1905

History edit

19th century edit

The princess line is popularly associated with Charles Frederick Worth who first introduced it in the early 1870s.[2][7] It was named in honour of the famously elegant Princess Alexandra.[7][8] By the late 1870s and early 1880s the princess dress was a popular style. It is considered one of the first "bodycon" (body-conscious) fashions due to its extremely closely fitted design, presenting the figure in a natural (or at least, corseted) form undistorted by either crinoline or bustle.[8] Princess-line polonaises were worn over long underskirts.[9] The princess line was also popular for young girls who wore it with a sash or, if slightly older, over a longer underskirt.[10]

20th century edit

The princess line was a staple of dress design and construction throughout the century. In 1951 the couturier Christian Dior presented a princess-line based fashion collection which is sometimes called the "Princess Line", although its official name was Ligne Longue or "Long Line".[11]

21st century edit

The princess line remains a popular style for wedding dresses and a design staple for both day and evening dresses.[2][4] More recently, the design principle has been applied to men's garments, which generally do not have waist seams.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ "Princess dress, 1878-1880, jacquard woven silk and ruched silk trimmed with machine made lace". V&A Search the Collections. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Delamore, Philip (2005). The wedding dress : a sourcebook. London: Pavilion Books. p. 34. ISBN 9781862057029.
  3. ^ Lewandowski, Elizabeth J. (2011). The complete costume dictionary. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 238. ISBN 9780810840041.
  4. ^ a b Camp, Carole Ann (2011). Teach yourself visually fashion sewing. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley Pub. p. 230. ISBN 9780470881316.
  5. ^ Farmer, Bonnita M.; Gotwals, Lois M. (1982). Concepts of fit : an individualized approach to pattern design. New York: Macmillan. p. 199. ISBN 9780023362606.
  6. ^ Shelden, Martha Gene (1974). Design through draping. USA: Burgess Pub. Co. p. 35. ISBN 9780808719069.
  7. ^ a b Reeder, Jan Glier (2010). High style : masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 41. ISBN 9781588393623.
  8. ^ a b Fukai, Akiko (2002). Fashion : the collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute : a history from the 18th to the 20th century. Köln [etc.]: Taschen. p. 246. ISBN 9783822812068.
  9. ^ Stamper, Anita; Condra, Jill (2010). Clothing through American History the Civil War through the Gilded Age, 1861-1899. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. p. 271. ISBN 9780313084584.
  10. ^ Ashelford, Jane (2009). The Art of Dress Clothes and Society, 1500-1914 ([New ed.?] ed.). London: Gardners Books. p. 283. ISBN 9781905400799.
  11. ^ Marly, Diana de (1990). Christian Dior. London: B.T. Batsford. p. 45. ISBN 9780713464535. For the autumn 1951 Dior announced his Long Line, [...] The main cut for dresses was the princess line, Worth's invention to avoid waistlines...
  12. ^ Kim, Myoung; Kim, Injoo (2014). Patternmaking for menswear : classic to contemporary. New York: Fairchild Books & Visuals. p. 197. ISBN 9781609019440.