11 details of the looks of the noble ladies of the past centuries that prove they had their secrets

No wonder we love historical films: dazzling dresses from past centuries are a real aesthetic pleasure. However, if we start to analyze how everything was made, we discover that each piece of clothing has its story. In Europe, for example, a lady could lose her pockets, while in Russia the color of her dress indicated her position in the royal court.

We, from awesome.clubwe love to analyze the attire of the nobility of bygone eras and share with our readers the fashion secrets we managed to uncover.

The 1839 portrait shows Princess Maria Kikina-Volkonskaya in a dress as a maid of honor of the Russian royal court. This style, inspired by Russian folk costume, was introduced by Emperor Nicholas I. The outfit consisted of a velvet dress with long sleeves and a train. The skirt should be white.

The color of the dress indicated the status of the lady: Her Majesty’s maids of honor wore the crimsonthe ladies-in-waiting, the green, and the mentors of the grand duchesses, the blue🇧🇷 These rules were in effect throughout Nicholas I’s reign and the slightest departure from the standard provoked his ire.

These amazing Chinese hair ornaments were not covered with nail polish. No enamel can present a blue color as vivid as the rays of light reflected from the feathers of a bird. For two thousand years, Chinese craftsmen created such fasteners by fixing kingfisher feathers to gilded silver. By the way, the name of the art, tian-tsui, can be translated as “speckled with kingfishers”. In China these hairstyle ornaments were in fashion until the 1940s.

The most expensive pieces were made from the feathers of Cambodian kingfishers and provided only to members of the royal family and high-ranking officials. We can notice these embellishments in the hairstyles of the empress and court ladies in the Yan xi gong lüe series.

Dresses of the Modern Age (15th-18th centuries) consisted of many separate details, and the fashion of that time demanded that the bodice look conical, and the upper part of the dress was rigid. For this, an elegantly decorated piece called a stomacher was attached to the bodice.

Then the woman put on the skirt and the dress itself, which was also attached to the stomacher. It was really hard to put on an outfit like that on your own.

In Russia, in the 1880s, the esclavage, a type of necklace that fitted perfectly around the neck, came into fashion. Often the esclavage was complemented by a multi-row collar. This is how the Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna used to wear it.

Russia’s dress code required court ladies to wear dresses with open shoulders. It was forbidden to wear capes to cover age-related changes, therefore women wore luxurious jewelry to divert attention from the particularities of their figures.

In the 17th-19th centuries, costumes were made up of many details. For example, pockets on voluminous dresses were attached to a ribbon and tied separately at the waist. The upper skirt had slits so that the woman could reach the pockets.

If the knot came undone, the lady could lose her pockets. In English there is even a children’s song: “Luci Locket lost her pocket” (in Portuguese: “Lucy Locket lost your pocket”).

In Russia, women of the royal family and some noblewomen wore military uniform. For example, Empress Catherine II, who adored him, wrote: “In my opinion, there is no costume more honorable and dearer than the uniform.”

Over time, to avoid rumors, in Catherine II’s wardrobe an adapted version of the uniform appeared: a dress with a cut of sleeves, back and collar similar to the male uniform, trimmed with the same buttons and embroidery as the military uniform.

Over the years, those dresses have changed, but the idea of ​​combining a military uniform and a skirt has remained. The female uniform was worn by Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Alexander III, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (wife of Nicholas II) and their daughters.

The photo above shows the Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana Romanov in the ceremonial uniforms of their “patronized” regiments. Tatiana wears the uniform of the 8th Cavalry Regiment. By the way, the distinguishing feature of the cavalry soldiers was the white adornment on top of the cap, falling over the head.

European ladies wore elegant lace shirts, which in the 18th century were buttoned up at the neck. But instead of buttons, the collar was fastened with a brightly colored ribbon.

In the 1820s, Russia began to demonstrate a passion for the Middle Ages, reflected in costumes for costume balls.

At first glance, Countess Yulia Samoilova is dressed in a typical evening gown of the early 1840s, with open arms and an accentuating bodice. But the costume does have some medieval elements: the ermine fur trim, the skirt sewn from colorful square pieces of fabric, and a long shawl.

In 18th century Europe, ladies invented a trick: to make a corset keep its shape, in the middle of it they put a wooden stick.

In addition, this stick kept the lady’s love secret, as it was often decorated with the initial letters of her lover’s name and some important dates.

In China, in the 6th century, they used to wear the yunjian, a special collar to protect clothes from stains. This piece was part of the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group. But during the Qing dynasty (17th–20th centuries), the collar became a symbol of nobility and served as a decoration. The cloak was embroidered with “auspicious” symbols: peonies, fish and bats.

Aigrette is a headdress resembling a brooch with a bird’s feather, which they used to attach to their hair or to a headband. The accessory was made of gold and adorned with diamonds. By the way, in the 2006 film with Kirsten Dunst, the ornament that appears in the portrait of Marie Antoinette was copied.

The popularity of the brooch is easy to explain: at the end of the 19th century, the tournure was in fashion, which added the back volume to the skirt. Therefore, Marie Antoinette, like other fashionistas, used such an ornament not only to embellish the look, but also to visually stretch the silhouette. By the way, that’s why women’s hairstyles became so high.

What costumes did you like? Tell us in the comments!