1892
AMERICAN
Suit
American, 1892
Jacket and skirt of black wool serge appliquéd with black wool braid; blouse of pink cotton eyelet
Gift of Mrs. William R. Witherell, 1953 (C.I.53.72.9a–c)
1989
MARTIN MARGIELA
Ensemble
Autumn/winter 1989–90
Martin Margiela, Belgian, born 1957
Jacket of black distressed leather; skirt of black wool twill with ivory pinstripe
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Gift, 2018 (2018.387a–c)
In the 1890s, tailored suits were emblematic of the more active role women were beginning to play in male-dominated arenas such as sports and business. Here, practical wool serge, a staple of menswear, is fashioned into a smart daytime suit with a feminized jacket. The rounded lapels complement the shape of the burgeoning gigot, or leg-o’-mutton, sleeves. The accompanying shirtwaist blouse, which has elements of menswear tailoring including a band collar and buttonholed shirt cuffs, was the most celebrated garment of the time due to its association with Charles Dana Gibson’s popular illustrations.
The original Maison Martin Margiela jacket, featured in the designer’s debut spring/summer 1989 collection, referenced the emerging leg-o’-mutton shape of the early 1890s. As seen in this version from a season later, the puffed sleeve caps are placed well above the shoulders so that the wearer’s actual shoulders are outlined below. Margiela’s particular fascination with the shoulder led him to experiment with numerous treatments over the years—the shoulder line has been narrowed, broadened, flattened, sharpened, brought forward, extended upward, and even removed completely.
The original Maison Martin Margiela jacket, featured in the designer’s debut spring/summer 1989 collection, referenced the emerging leg-o’-mutton shape of the early 1890s. As seen in this version from a season later, the puffed sleeve caps are placed well above the shoulders so that the wearer’s actual shoulders are outlined below. Margiela’s particular fascination with the shoulder led him to experiment with numerous treatments over the years—the shoulder line has been narrowed, broadened, flattened, sharpened, brought forward, extended upward, and even removed completely.