Day dress (bodice, skirt and peplum)
Monsieur Vignon (active 1860s to 1880s)
1869–70
Dresses were such an investment that they were often made with separate bodices for different occasions and for evening use. Extra pieces, like the peplum here, could be attached to the back of the skirt to allow for further variations. The fashion for crinolines required enormous quantities of fabric – the hem of this dress measures over five metres. Monsieur Vignon was a highly skilled couturier whose clients included Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III of France.
Paris
The bodice labelled, ‘FOURNISSEUR Breveté de S.M.L. IMPERATRICE/MON VIGNON, / 182 rue de Rivoli/PARIS’
Ribbed silk trimmed with satin, lined with silk and whalebone strips
Museum no. T.118&A to D-1979 []