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Materials: Cream cotton net, cream
silk satin ribbon, embroidered net lace, faux pearls, brass beads, small
lace appliqués, ivory chiffon, ivory silk floss, mousseline de
soie sleeves and lining, champagne colored silk twill lining, brass
hooks and eyes, sleeve hoops, cream silk gros grain petersham.
Provenance: Couture piece came
from the personal collection of an important American collector. She
collected American and European clothing during the decades of the 1940s
through 1980. This peignoir was bought for her by legendary costume
historian Doris Langley Moore in England. It still has it original
Christies' auction tag dated 21 Oct. 1970.
Label: Woven cream on cream silk,
"BEER 7. Place Vendome, Paris 31.
Sackville Street, London. W. Nice
Monte Carlo".
Condition: Outer lace, net and
ribbon are in excellent condition, save for tiny holes and a large one
in the right silk mousseline balloon sleeve. Petersham is detached.
Original champagne colored silk twill lining is mostly missing - you can
still see a bit of it in the upper sleeve area. A replacement lining
could be remade and the petersham reattached. The silk mousseline lining
layer, sandwiched between the outer lace and the heavier twill lining,
has some damage as it is a very fragile fabric. Most of the damage is
found at the train's hem. None of these lining flaws detract from the
gown when displayed. It looks quite wonderful.
Measurements: Sh-Sh, 13.5"; B,
36"; Front L, 57"; Back L, 80".
Comments: Beer was a German
clothing designer who first opened his Paris salon in 1905. Wealthy
hotel patrons were avid fans of Beer's couture dresses and lingerie
creations. This breathtaking peignoir clearly illustrates why the house
was so successful in the early decade of the 20th C. Its design
elements have a romantic sensibility: intertwined ribbon garlands,
lavishly embroidered net lace, and ethereal flowing lines. The couture
house closed its doors when WWI broke out. After the war, the carefree
and opulent Belle Epoch lifestyle was no more. Of the House of Beer's
celebrated lingerie pieces, not many survive today. This rare Beer
peignoir transports one to a care-free age long gone, when wealthy women
floated through their homes in dreamy fairy-tale silks and laces.
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