Mantua clothing

Global Arts, Cultures and Design 7 min read.

Not on view. The late s saw a new development in the style of women's dress that would have a far-reaching effect throughout the following century. The stiff constricting boned bodice-and-skirt style previously worn by women was now replaced with the mantua, a more loosely draped style of gown. The mantua was thought to display silk designs to their best advantage, as they were draped rather than cut; as such, it is believed the garment was named after Mantua in Italy, where expensive silks were produced. However, it has also been suggested that the name derives from manteau , the French term for a coat. The mantua was a coatlike construction, with sleeves cut in one piece with the back and front. It was pleated at the shoulders and fell to the waist, where it was held in place by a sash.

Mantua clothing

This gown was worn over a pair of stays corset and an often contrasting petticoat. The draping and folding of fabric created a front-opening gown. After its invention in the s, the new gown became immediately popular among fashionable Parisian women. Although strict dress codes at the Versailles court of French King Louis XIV prohibited the wearing of mantuas, women at the English court helped popularise it in England. By the s, the mantua was widely worn in Western and Central Europe, as well as in European colonies around the world. Before the 17th century, outer garments were usually made by male tailors. Apprenticeships and membership of guilds — the organisations that controlled most craft trades — were restricted to boys and men. Women did participate informally in these professions. They sometimes worked alongside tailor family members and some were fined for doing so and widows were permitted to carry on the businesses of their deceased husbands. However, this began to change in the late 17th century during what came to be known as the consumer revolution — a period, beginning in the s, that saw a significant jump in the consumption of luxury goods. Due to the considerable influence of France on western fashions, women in London began to train under French dressmakers , giving rise to what were known in English as mantua makers. From the 18th to 20th centuries, dressmaking and other fashion or textile-related industries were the main source of formal employment for women in Britain, Australia and the United States alongside teaching and domestic service.

One of the earliest extant examples of this, dated to —, mantua clothing, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum 's collections. The bodice and the stomacher — the triangular insert of fabric which sits in the open front of the garment — was mantua clothing and pinned or sewn to the stays at the front. London: Macmillan

Mantua of damask silk with woven garlands and floral motifs. Courtesy GemeenteMuseum Den Haag. Introduced in Europe in the s, the mantua was in origin a loose coat for women, with a kimono-like cut. It was inspired by the clothes and robes recently imported from India, that were worn by Western men as dressing gowns. Court dress consisting of an embroidered silk mantua robe and petticoat, probably made in England,

During the 17th century, milliners and mantua makers were increasingly recognized as important fashion professionals. Milliners make hats and other accessories for women, and mantua makers made dresses. And increasingly, these professions were dominated by women in England. These craftwomen were often given titles that made clear that work was specifically for women, but it gave them an opportunity to break into the professional trade world in Early Modern England. Tailors had dominated the sewing professions prior to the 17th century, even though most sewing in the home was done by women. Tailors were overwhelmingly men, and they often excluded women from guilds the trade groups that controlled each craft. But increasingly, tailors were allowing women to apprentice in their shops, especially if they wanted to focus on making clothing and accessories for women.

Mantua clothing

A mantua from the French manteuil or 'mantle' is an article of women's clothing worn in the late 17th century and 18th century. Initially a loose gown , the later mantua was an overgown or robe typically worn over stays , stomacher and either a co-ordinating or contrasting petticoat. The mantua or manteau was a new fashion that arose in the s. Instead of a bodice and skirt cut separately, the mantua hung from the shoulders to the floor like dresses of earlier periods. It started as the female version of the men's banyan , worn for "undress" wear. Gradually the mantua developed into a draped and pleated dress and eventually evolved into a dress worn looped and draped up over a contrasting petticoat and a stomacher. The mantua-and-stomacher resulted in a high, square neckline in contrast to the broad, off-the-shoulder neckline previously in fashion.

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But several male tailoring guilds in Europe attempted to stop women working as mantua makers, claiming they were taking away their business. From the 18th to 20th centuries, dressmaking and other fashion or textile-related industries were the main source of formal employment for women in Britain, Australia and the United States alongside teaching and domestic service. Accession Number: The late s saw a new development in the style of women's dress that would have a far-reaching effect throughout the following century. This in turn is supported by an acrylic structure made for us by The Museum Workshop at the same time as the bespoke acrylic mannequin. From this garment arose the term mantua-maker , an early term for a women's dressmaker. Early mantua and petticoat of striped wool, with metal thread embroidery, British, late 17th century MET. Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded. Mounting historic garments for display reveals much about the body shape of the original wearer. This gown was worn over a pair of stays corset and an often contrasting petticoat. Gradually the mantua developed into a draped and pleated dress and eventually evolved into a dress worn looped and draped up over a contrasting petticoat and a stomacher. Collar late 19th century.

A mantua from the French manteuil or 'mantle' is an article of women's clothing worn in the late 17th century and 18th century. Initially a loose gown , the later mantua was an overgown or robe typically worn over stays , stomacher and either a co-ordinating or contrasting petticoat.

The fashionable shape of the torso at this time was much more conical with a flatter, smoother bust line, fashioned by the rigid stays worn by ladies in the 18th century. Additionally, many women who worked in the garment-making industries were poorly paid and often worked in cramped conditions. Although strict dress codes at the Versailles court of French King Louis XIV prohibited the wearing of mantuas, women at the English court helped popularise it in England. French mantua makers were particularly popular, with women in London paying substantially more for gowns made by French women with access to the latest fashion knowledge in Paris. By the 19th century, senior dressmakers and milliners called modistes often ran their own luxury fashion houses in the West End of London. It was pleated at the shoulders and fell to the waist, where it was held in place by a sash. The dress dates to when Thomas, 7th Earl of Haddington held the title and estates. Mantua British ca. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. Draped and pleated woman's dress. Tools Tools. Gradually the mantua developed into a draped and pleated dress and eventually evolved into a dress worn looped and draped up over a contrasting petticoat and a stomacher. Lace 18th century. Perhaps the only known extant adult-size example is an embroidered wool mantua and petticoat [12] in the Metropolitan Museum of Art 's Costume Institute.