DAY 74: Evening Gowns

Option two for the final dress change of the day: An Evening Gown.

Not to be confused with a Dinner Dress, or a Ball Gown. 

Evening Gowns were donned for receptions--which might be diplomatic, or official Royal celebrations of a signal event, or in honor of a celebrity. An Evening Gown would also be worn to the theatre or opera, perhaps even a concert, to convey elegance and recognition that a lady was not entertaining at home, but rather, was lending her brilliance to another's entertainment. The extraordinary number shown here, which belonged to a lady from the wealthy Philadelphia banking family of the Drexels, was probably Half-Mourning, a mix of black and white, which a lady could wear six months after the loss of a close family member. Notice that it has sleeves and a somewhat modest, though glittering, decolletage. Here are a few more:

This magnificent gown of damask and moire also has full sleeves; it was made by Worth in 1883 for a Chicago heiress, and is part of the Field Museum collection. The elaborate draping of the train would play to best advantage at a reception, where the lady stood for most of the evening circulating among her guests.

This teal-blue velvet gown with mid-length sleeves is from Worth and dates from about 1890. The gorgeous champagne silk one at right, with the elaborate feather embroidery on the train, has lace insets in the silk sleeves for transparency but still offers the more modest decolletage that distinguishes evening gowns from ball dresses.

Finally, an Evening Gown might be worn for a Court Occasion such as the presentation, by Queen Victoria, of the Order of the Empress of India--which Jennie Churchill received in the autumn of 1886, while her husband was serving as Secretary for India. Jennie commissioned the gown from the House of Worth, in a turquoise color that would complement the Order's turquoise and pearl embellishments. It was an honor accorded only to the spouses of Cabinet members or diplomats connected with the Indian Empire, and conveyed only by the Queen. Jennie must have borrowed every diamond star her sisters owned for this event. The order itself is pinned to her shoulder.

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