Back in Print—High Style: Masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

High Style: Masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, by Jan Glier Reeder, features 355 full-color illustrations and is available at The Met Store and MetPublications.

«The perfect Valentine's Day gift for the fashion lover, High Style is now back in print as a paperback, with an updated cover that features the stunning "Clover Leaf" gown by Charles James. This lavishly illustrated volume presents some two hundred examples drawn from more than twenty-four thousand garments, accessories, hats, and shoes in the Brooklyn Museum's collection (which was transferred to the Met in 2009). A wide-ranging book covering garments from the eighteenth through the twentieth century, High Style provides a perfect introduction to the history of fashion.

In honor of Valentine's Day, read further to learn more about seven romantically hued ensembles featured in this publication.»

The vivid red color of this Civil War–era dress was achieved by using aniline dyes, synthetics which were first put into use in 1858. A cage crinoline below the skirt eliminated the need for several layers of heavy petticoats.

Left: Afternoon Dress,ca. 1865.American. Red silk faille; red and cream silk satin ribbon; gilt metal. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum 2009; Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Edward N. Goldstein, 1983 (2009.300.1000a, b)

This gown is one of the first created by the House of Paquin and does away with the dark colors and heavy fabrics of earlier decades while also embracing a slimmer silhouette made with lighter fabric.

Left: Jeanne Paquin (French, 1867–1936). Ball Gown, 1895. French. Pink and white warp print silk taffeta, floral and meandering ribbon motifs; pink mousseline de soie; cream machine-embroidered net lace; artificial lilacs and roses. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum 2009; Gift of Mrs. Frederick H. Prince, Jr., 1967 (2009.300.2115a, b)

This finely detailed garment was possibly worn by Caroline Schermerhorn Astor Wilson, daughter of prominent New York socialite Caroline Schermerhorn Astor. The double layers of fabric connected at knee level are skillfully manipulated into scalloped forms, making the seam a decorative element of the dress.

Left: Jacques Doucet (French, 1853–1929). Afternoon Dress, ca. 1903. French. Raspberry pink cotton voile underlaid with machine embroidered net lace; pink taffeta bands embroidered in black and cream; pink taffeta. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the Orme and R. Thornton Wilson in memory of Caroline Schermerhorn Astor Wilson, 1949 (2009.300.1153a, b)

This frock is the epitome of 1920s fashion, and features a boyish construction characteristic of the flapper aesthetic. The ribbon flower designs are reminiscent of the floral designs by Art Nouveau architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868–1928) and his wife, Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh (1865–1933).

Left: Jeanne Lavin (French, 1867–1946). "Roseraie" Evening Dress, spring/summer 1923. French. White silk tulle, overall pink ombré ribbonwork embroidery; pink silk crepe de chine. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum 2009; Anonymous gift, 1964 (2009.300.1318 a, b)

Minimalist by philosophy, Vionnet's construction details were often executed so as to create decorative effects. Dramatic cuts and wraps in this ensemble are used instead of excess trimmings and decorations.

Left: Madeleine Vionnet (French, 1876–1975). Evening Ensemble, ca. 1935. French. Magenta and fuchsia silk crepe. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. James Johnson Sweeney, 1968 (2009.300.459a–g)

Charles James made different versions of this dress for several of his famous clients—including Millicent Rogers, Barbara Paley, Gypsy Rose Lee, Austine Hearst, and Dominique de Menil. This design demonstrates James's talent for combining materials with different textures and reflective properties. The many-layered garment ends in a white organdy flounce which contrasts with the bright red of the rest of the garment and accents the asymmetrical drapery.

Left: Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978). Ball Gown, 1949–50. American. Ruby red silk velvet, satin, and white pleated organdy. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta Ramos, 1954 (2009.300.2786)

This garment was part of a time capsule made for the promotion of the movie Seven Days in May (1964) starring Kirk Douglas and Ava Gardner. In 1963 Ray Stark, producer of the movie, approached Eleanor Lambert to assemble seven key designers, each from a different country, to create a costume for 1970, when the capsule was to be opened. This particular contribution is prescient in its prediction of 1970s fashion, with a thigh-high skirt and long, thigh-high boots incorporated as part of the look.

Left: Simonetta (Italian, b. 1922) and Alberto Fabiani (Italian, b. ca. 1910). "The 1970 Look" Ensemble, 1963. French. Red wool tweed; red leather buttons; red ribbed cotton knit stocking boots, kidskin heels. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum 2009; Gift of Seven Arts Productions, Joel Productions and Paramount Pictures Corporation, 1964 (2009.300.344a–e)