The opulent era

About this book

In the late nineteenth century, American women of wealth and style were dressed in Paris by three masters of fashion: Worth, Doucet, and Pingat. Responding to the lure of these great couture houses, many clients patronized two or even all three, lavishing money on clothes and expecting lavish clothes in return. Here is an enchanting survey of fin de siecle couture, with 52 color reproductions of the most sumptuous gowns. Coleman brilliantly discusses and compares the designs, fabrics, and clients of Worth, Doucet and Pingat, setting the work of the three couture houses in a larger social and cultural context and illuminating the complex role that fashion has always played in society.