Dinner dress

First established in the 1890s by the four Callot sisters as a lingerie and lace business, Callot Soeurs evolved into a premier dressmaking house in the early years of the 20th century. The garments from Callot Soeurs in the Brooklyn Museum collections incorporate the signature elements of the house: antique lace trimming, Orientalist textiles, lavish embroidery that includes bead- or ribbonwork, or a combination of these elements. The materials used in this gown from 1906-1910 enliven a conventional silhouette. The overall design and varying scale of the embroidery parallels the shape of the dress, and the use of lace, in particular the charming animal and bird motif lace of the sleeves, sets this dress apart from others of the same period in the Brooklyn collection. While the dress lacks a label, these details and the overall quality of the design suggest a Callot Soeurs attribution.