The "Influencers: 1920s Fashion and the New Woman" Exhibit at Lyndhurst
A new and informative exhibit featuring the impact of three major fashion innovators of the 1920s is now on display at the Gothic Revival Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York.
Presented inside the mansion's exhibition gallery, the fascinating "Influencers: 1920s Fashion and the New Woman" show highlights how Coco Chanel, Irene Castle, and Edna St. Vincent Millay crossed racial, cultural, and global barriers to change the way women dressed and to help provide them with more creative control over the pieces they wore and how they presented themselves in public. The exhibit features the interesting progression from restrictive, elaborate, and heavy garments to lighter, more comfortable wear for both daytime and evening outings. It shows the shifts in design, fabrics, and body coverage, and details the history behind these fashion modifications. If you're in the area, I hope you stop to view this collection, which is open now through Monday, September 23rd.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- The “Influencers” exhibit showcases pieces on special loan from the Cornell College of Human Ecology Fashion + Textile Collection, Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Steepletop, Lyndhurst Collections, and Private Lenders. The show displays historic examples of how three fashion icons helped transition women’s wear in the 1920s and includes gowns owned by Lyndhurst’s last owner, Anna Gould, Duchess of Talleyrand. (Photo by Bruce M White © 2024)
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- Among the earliest pieces shown are these foundations – a chemise, pantaloons, cage crinoline, and corset from the 1880s, which demonstrate how much the undergarments influenced the overall exterior silhouette of the times. Women were required to dress in these layers in part because corsets were not washable.
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- By the 1920s, undergarments became less bulky and less heavy, but still maintained shaping qualities such as a stomach flattening girdle and chest suppressing brassiere.
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- The piece on the left is a bathing suit resembling a simple black dress and bloomers. Fashion designer Coco Chanel often used these styles in her collections – remember her “little black dress,” invented in 1926? On the right is a riding ensemble showing how women could wear tailored clothing and trousers during the 1920s. Silent film star and dancer, Irene Castle, wore a riding outfit in the film, Patria.
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- The headdress was a gift from the Irene Castle Collection. Castle was a pioneer in the creation of the ready-to-wear fashion movement. This black dance costume dates to around 1928 and is much more free and comfortable for the active wearer.
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- This day dress design shows another example of Irene Castle’s ready-to-wear line with the Corticelli Silk Company – very loose fitting and very detailed, similar to what was found in French couture houses.
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- The shoes had narrow toe boxes and medium heels, but these oxfords show a significant change, allowing women to wear shoes more akin to men’s comfortable and functional styles.
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- After 1926, the hemlines on dresses lengthens like on these day dresses. Notice the subtle detailing and interesting necklines.
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- The blue evening gown belonged to Anna Gould, which she wore in her 50s. The style elongated her silhouette with its dangling passementerie and train. This gown is one of five recently acquired by the Lyndhurst and inspired this exhibit.
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- The Chinese embroidered silk outfit on the right belonged to poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. They show her fondness for different cultures and styles. On the left, an American made garment featuring the influence of Chinese patterned textiles. This dress could have been worn in the afternoon or for dinner.
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- Hats were also popular with Edna. She owned these three. During the 1920s, women preferred bob hairstyles and smaller brimmed hats to show them off.
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- Edna also favored men’s tailored clothing and could often be seen wearing riding ensembles with pointed collared blouses and ties.
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- On the left – a simple, loose-fitting dress showing the use of dye resist fabrics. It was not unusual for women in the 1920s to tie-dye their own clothes at home. The other two evening dresses show the use of more luxurious materials and beadwork.
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- These evening pumps are also medium heeled, but with embellished leather straps that extended higher on the foot.
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- This seafoam green dance dress is made from rayon satin made to imitate silk and last longer than silk chiffons and silks weighted with metallic salts. Made in America, this dress shows the quality of dresses made in the US influenced by World War I and the inability to obtain European garments quickly.
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- This is another evening dress owned by Anna Gould. She loved this peach-colored heavily beaded piece – it was one item she personally brought to Lyndhurst in 1939.
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- This “Waterfall” dress was likely made in Paris. It features a fringe of beads in back and a base of glass beads and sequins.
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- Many evening dresses of this time were decorated with beads, sequins, and rhinestones and were made specifically to stand out, especially on the dance floor.
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- And this gray satin and metallic brocade dress was worn by Martha Van Rensselaer when she met the Queen of Belgium in 1923 when they were there as part of the Commission for Relief in Belgium after WWI.
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- Clutches and small purses became more popular in the 1920s. In 1921, Chanel invented her signature No. 5 fragrance. These handbags often carried makeup, money, and perfume.
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- The black faille purse has a top of rock crystal and cut steel. Made a little larger, these handbags could hold more personal items as well as a little money.
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- Chanel also created costume jewelry lines for both day and evening wear. Some of these pieces were featured Harper’s Bazaar in 1928. Women in the late 20s were heavily jeweled and were free to carry accessories. See this “Influencers: 1920s Fashion and the New Woman” exhibition at the Lyndhurst if you can – it’s interesting, informative and fun.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
