this is the bronze gauze gown with train and gatered sleeves
worn by Cate Blanchett in elizabeth (1998)
in the official portraits of elizabeth i showed her wearing stiff, heavily ornamented costumes, but in private, she would have worn simple gowns like this one. the costume designer for elizabeth chose flowing fabrics to prtray as a younger more caefree elizabeth. this open fronted gauze gown, worn over a pink silk kirtle undredress and cotton chemise is inpired by those worn during the 1560s, when rich, bright colours like scarler and tawny bronze were popular and fashionable dresses had long trains and narrow sleeves that tapered at the wrist and puffed out towards the sholders.
the empire line waist and simple silhouette of this dress show the influence of the french revolution on fashion during the 1790s as people began to distance themselves from the excesses of the eighteenth century. this new flowing shape meant that many women could abandon their tightly laced corset, although their arm movement was restricted by tight sleeves stitches to a narrow back. woven shawls imported from India were very fashionable during this time, and sometimes they were cut up and used to make dresses. the costume designer for becoming jane used a shawl embroidered with paisley motfs to make this dress.
woollen suit and blouse with hat
worn by renee zellweger in miss potter (2006)
towards the end of the nineteenth century social changes meant that some woman began to be able to break away from the confines of home and seek work in cities, gaining some independence and economic freedom. it also became acceptable for women to participate in physical activities like golf, walking and cycling. smart and fuctional,fitted suits were popular as day wear for active or working woman although worn over a corsets, they were not necessarily very comfortable. photographs of beatrix potter from around 1900 show her wearing practical woolen suits very similar to this one, finished off with a brooch at the neck.
