(Newport, RI)   To be a fashionable lady of the Gilded Age in Newport required a grand wardrobe crafted by scores of seamstresses, a large budget, travel to Paris, and the poise, grace and confidence to wear the clothes well.   Join us at Rosecliff for The Preservation Society of Newport County’s 2010 costume exhibit, Newport Undressed:  Crafting the Gilded Age Wardrobe, providing a close-up look at the design and construction of the lavishly-made and labor-intensive clothing worn by the well-dressed Newport woman of the period.   Exhibit open from April 3 through November 19, 2010.

            The exhibition explores all aspects of the dressmaking process.  Among the highlights are gowns worn by Ella King of Kingscote and Ellen French, the first wife of Alfred Vanderbilt of The Breakers.  A circa 1880 gown by Paris designer Charles Frederick Worth will be displayed completely inside-out, allowing visitors a rare opportunity to view its elaborate internal construction.  The exhibition includes ten dresses plus various accessories.

            The well-to-do Gilded Age woman had several options when purchasing clothing.  She could commission garments from private seamstresses, or purchase read-to-wear items from department stores and boutiques.  But the pinnacle of high-end shopping was the Parisian haute couture house, which created fashion that was as costly and expertly-crafted as fine art.

            Designer Charles Frederick Worth, who opened his Parisian dressmaking business in 1858, is credited as the founding father of the couture industry.  He became a trendsetter—designing dresses based on his own personal vision.  As others followed suit, the couture industry was born and women flocked from around the world to purchase their designs.

            Each fashion house was backed by a huge staff that filled hundreds of orders per week. Most important were the seamstresses, who spent hundreds or even thousands of hours hand-stitching each unique garment.  These designer garments could range in cost from $100 to $500-the equivalent of approximately $3,000 to $13,000 in today’s currency.        

            Curated by Preservation Society Textile Conservator Jessica Urick, the exhibition will be on display in the Lesley Bogert Crawford costume galleries on the 2^nd floor of Rosecliff through November 19.  Admission to the exhibit is included with any Rosecliff tour ticket.  Tickets can be purchased online or in person at any Preservation Society property.

            The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island is a non-profit organization accredited by the American Association of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts.  Its 11 historic properties—seven of them National Historic Landmarks—span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.