GLIMMERS of a GILDED ERA

Impressionism is a form of art that is timeless. In Paris, where Impressionism first flourished in the 1860s, the style of clothing was elegant and dignified, reflecting the avant-garde artwork of the age.

Focusing on the everyday life of people and the natural world, artwork of this time was painted outdoors in nature, known as “en plein air” paintings (History.com Editors, 2017). This delicate artwork, which looks so intricate, reflects the fashion of the time. Women’s fashion used detailed fabrics including lace with detailed designs, featuring bell-shaped silhouettes, cuffed-sleeves, ruffles, and ruched skirts (History of Fashion 18401900, n.d.). High volume skirts were the most popular, giving a dramatic and eyecatching appearance to elite women of the time. Impressionist artists focused on snapshots of everyday life, yet the women’s fashion of the time reflected anything but practicality, signifying a glamorous world.

This dignified world of Parisian elite society is seen in the Impressionist painting Dance at Le moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Scott, 2018). In this painting, Parisian fashion of the time is clearly reflected through the women’s ornate dresses with pastel fabric, full skirts, and ruffled sleeves, creating a casual yet elegant scene. The painting itself is light, reflecting the romanticized world of elites congregating with one another in a vision of aimless beauty (Scott, 2018).

Rather than mixing colors, Impressionist artists used bright and bold hues in long brushstrokes to give the illusion of the shades blending into each other (Scott, 2018). Mirroring the outdoors, color palettes reflected natural tones of emerald, chestnut, and burgundy paired with pastels to provide a stark contrast against darker fabrics (Fashion Trends, n.d.).

How does this all tie into modern elite society? Fashion and artistic eras are still remembered and recaptured through the annual Met Gala, an event used to fundraise for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Last year, the gala’s theme was “Gilded Glamour,” reflecting the Gilded Age of the late 1800s, a time during which Impressionist art flourished.

Actress Blake Lively’s dress at the 2022 Met Gala highlighted both the brighter pastels used in the Impressionist era along with the darker earth tones. While the dress itself represented the Statue of Liberty’s transition from shiny copper to an oxidized teal, the copper also represented an earthy tone. Pastel blue notes highlighted the color contrast visible throughout the late 1800s in elite fashion and Impressionist art (Fernandez, 2022). The dress’ full skirt and dramatic train were common in the late 1800s’ full bottom silhouette, capturing an element of the time.

Singer Billie Eilish’s dress reflected the predominant style of the same time period, the elegance and cinch of her waist in the corset she wore complemented by the garment’s bustle and train (Rearick, 2022). Her lace sleeves paralleled the commonly used gossamer-like material, radiating an elegant aesthetic. The pastels she adorns in this outfit echo the pastel coloring used in the art and fashion of the late 1800s.

Impressionism also influences everyday apparel, including the Cottagecore movement. This movement, which became popular in 2020, captures a similar aesthetic to Impressionism art and Victorian Era fashion (Reggev, 2020).