A Most Beguiling Accomplishment

Boston MFA 44.1536 Coiffure from  Iphigénie en Tauride Hat à la Pennsylvania  or the New Clarisse* Hat à la Zinsarra Riding hat * Probably a reference to Dereste's Emilie, ou, la Nouvelle Clarisse  or a different version of the same story Hat à l'économie du Siècle Hat à la Printemps Hat à la Grenade  or the Glorious Destiny Hat au désir de plaire Hat à la brunette Anglaise Hat à la Redoute Chinoise Hat à l'Indolente Hat à la Vache  ( 1783 )

Boston MFA 44.1535 Coiffure à la Rethel-mazarin* Coiffure à la Villers Coiffure à la Veuve de Malabar** Coiffure à la Cleophile * The duchy of Rethel became the duchy of Mazarin in 1663 ** A tragedy by Antoine-Marin Lemierre originally of 1770 Coiffure à la Fleuricourt Coiffure of Venus's cape Coiffure à la Montmédy Coiffure au plaisir des Dames Coiffure of Mlle. Colombe in la Colonie* Coiffure à la belle Saison Coiffure à la Semiramis** Coiffure of Iris's cape ( 1783 ) * Mlle Colombe ( Marie-Theodore Thérèse Ruggieri)  was an actress; the V&A has two prints depicting her as Belinda in the play La Colonie ** An Assyrian queen who gave inspiration for many operas and plays

Boston MFA 44.1534 Coiffure à la Jeannette Coiffure à la Jamaique Coiffure with large Curls with a Hat decorated with flowers Coiffure à l'Enfance Negligé Cap Pouf of a new taste called à la Stradre* Reversed tapet  surmounted by a Pouf with box pleats, pearls, and two Tassels called à la Couronne Coiffure in rolled and hanging Curls surmounted by a Pouf à la Luxembourg * surname, unknown significance Streaked hat à la Pendilvaine* Coiffure with large Curls and a straw Hat Hat à la Grenade  called "the Conquest of Destaing " Hat à l'Anglaise * unknown significance, but used elsewhere in the GdM  so unlikely to be a typo for "Pensilvaine" Cap à la Lyonnaise  seen from the front Spotted hat trimmed with Ribbons, negligent Curls Hérisson  girded with a ribbon, with a Garland of flowers and three curls, called à la Printemps Hérisson  girded with a Ribbon with a diamond pin à la Nizarras (1783)

Practicality. This was a difficult topic for me, as much of my research is done through fashion plates and the like, and I had no idea where to begin. (There is the  Ouvrières de Paris  series of plates I posted to Tumblr, but I couldn't think of anything substantial to say about them except to note all the black aprons. Note all the black aprons!) But then I considered all the patterns from the Chapman that I still have to post about, and came across this one: Wedding suit, 1906;  CHM  1983.77.4a-d (The jacket has a skirt and a belt; the pattern for all pieces is available at the link.) This was worn by Elizabeth Callahan (1882-1953) on her marriage to Patrick Herlihy (1875-1958) on April 30, 1906. Doesn't look like a wedding outfit, does it? I admit that I wouldn't have guessed that this was worn to a wedding, and ordinarily I might have questioned the attribution and put it as the traveling suit, but the hard copy file contained the wedding announcement, w...