Always in Style: Dresses from 1775 - 1969
Highlights from the collection at National Museum of Denmark
Always in Style
Highlights from the collection at National Museum of Denmark
Morning dress (front) (1775)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Morning dress
1775
The costume is of silk with quilts en piqué. It belonged to a member of the gentry, family von Arenstorff.
Morning dress (back) (1775)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Robe á Manteau (1778)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Robe á Manteau
1778
Manteau and skirt made of red silk, decorated with lace and flowers of the same fabric.
Robe á Manteau, 1778 (back)National Museum of Denmark
Robe á Manteau (1786) by Anna Maria GarthwaiteOriginal Source: National Museum of Denmark
Robe á Manteau
1786
Manteau in yellow silk. The design of the fabric could be the work of Anna Maria Garthwaite, one of the leading Spitalfield weavers in the 1740s.
Robe á Manteau (back) (1786)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
The "english" dress (1770)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Cotton dress
1780´s
A dress in "english" style with back and front quite similar. This comfortable style was becoming fashionable in Denmark in the 1770s. The fabric is white cotton with printed flowers.
Cotton dress (back) (1770)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
White dress a l’empire (front) (1820/1879)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
White dress a l’empire
1820
The dress is made of white mull decorated with yellow leaves. Such thin fabrics were considered quite revealing and leading the wearer to ‘dress in French and freeze in Danish’ . The by classical Greece and Rome inspired dress supposedly belonged to Hedvig Marie West, née Schumacher (1805-79).
White dress a l’empire (back) (1820/1879)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Knitted orange dress (1800)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Knitted orange dress
1800´s
The dress is knitted of orange wool, in a technique called "Ajour". Knitting became very fashionable in the beginning of the 19th centry. The dress belonged to a member of the gentry, family Cederfeld de Simonsen, Erholm.
Detail of knitted orange dress, beginning of 1800´sNational Museum of Denmark
Knitted orange dress (back) (1801/1890)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Purple dress (1860/1869)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Summer dress
1860
Summer dress made of purple cotton with print in white and mauve. In the mid- 19th. century,, dresses made of washable cotton or linen fabric became popular. The dress has so-called "gabrielle"-sleeves.
Purple summer dress (back) (1860/1869)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Green ball gown (1860/1869)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Ball gown
1860s
Green ball gown with train, which belonged to Danish Queen Louise (1817 – 1898). The dress is made in green satin, dyed with aniline, a novelty invented in the mid-century offering new colours and shades.
Green ballgown, 1860s (back)National Museum of Denmark
Dress in blue wool (1881)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Dress
1880´s
Formal day dress made of blue wool, with trimmings in black velvet.
Dress in blue wool (side) (1880)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Dress in blue wool (back) (1880)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Beige dress (1890)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Beige dress
1890
Dress in beige silk taffeta, highly fashionably trimmed with lace, frills and other effects. The dress was bought at the fashionable "Goldschmidt's Magasin" at Amagertorv in Copenhagen and belonged to Mrs. Anna Hechscher (d. 1917).
Beige dress (back) (1890)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Yellow evening gown (front) (1914/1952) by WorthOriginal Source: National Museum of Denmark
Yellow evening gown with train
1914
The yellow silk gown from 1914 is made by Paris fashion designer Worth and belonged to Danish Queen Alexandrine (1879 – 1952). It is decorated with pink roses, made out of silk fabric and two “waterfalls” in yellow chiffon with sequins.
Yellow evening gown (back) (1914) by Charles frederick WorthOriginal Source: National Museum of Denmark
“Charleston” dress (1926)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
“Charleston” dress
1926
Dress made of orange silk georgette, embroidered with pearls. Bought in the fashionable department store “Illum” in Copenhagen, 1926. The prize was then 300 kr. The dress belonged to Mrs. Nørlund, née Møller.
Summer evening gown (front) (1930)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Summer evening gown
1930s
Long, 2-piece gown made of cotton lace. The colour is ecru, decorated with gold stamp. It belonged to Mrs. Inger Schrøder.
Summer evening gown (back) (1930)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Evening gown (1950)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Evening gown
1950
Long evening gown, made of rust duchess satin. The dress belonged to Mrs. Alice Henriques (1904-85).
Evening gown (back) (1950/1985)Original Source: National Museum of Denmark
Balmain, 1969 (front)National Museum of Denmark
Evening gown
1969
Pierre Balmain’s spring collection 1969 featured this very typical A-shaped evening gown ’Vienne’ in ivory and rose coloured silk with underscored quadrangles, designed by Danish Erik Mortensen. The fashionable gown also served as model for Danish costumers in Magasin du Nord’s dress parlour that season.
Balmain, 1969 (back)National Museum of Denmark
Photos by Roberto Fortuna & Peter Danstrøm (CC-BY-SA).
All rights belong to the National Museum of Denmark unless otherwise stated. More photos of fashion in our collections can be found here
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