Recently a new term has peaked my interest: quarter back. I've gone about for a while now, thinking a quarter back gown was just another way of constructing a robe a l'anglaise, like there were two options, quarter back or en forreau. I asked Nicole over at Diary of a Mantua Maker and she has informed me that, at the millinery shop in Williamsburg, they refer to these as two different types of gown. She has also informed me that museums often categorize their collections in very broad terms, which is probably why I have never seen gowns called this before. I scanned through all the fashion plate books I have and still nothing, and in all the fashion history books I have, I have never come across this term. Only online. I'm so curious why this term is so hard to find information on.
From what I understand, here are examples of each:
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| A 1750's Robe a l'anglaise with it's en forreau back, which is cut as one with the skirt. From the Met Museum. C.I.68.52. |
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| A 1784-87 gown in the quarter back style, with a bodice cut in separate pieces from the skirt. This is listed on the Metropolitan Museum's website as a Robe a l'anglaise. 1991.204a, b. |
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| Another 1780's dress listed as an Robe a l'anglaise by the Metropolitan Museum, but cut in the quarter back style. 1982.291a, b. |
Does anyone have a book or any info that refers to this?
One theory that seems plausible is in regard to language and things getting "lost in translation." So many of the terms we use in fashion history, especially in the 18th century, come from the French language. Could it be possible that the French called both styles of fitted-back gown a l'anglaise, because they were adopted from the English? Then when people use the terms, they use the French, and certain terminology used by english-speaking countries gets lost? Is this why other english terms, like "round gown," "kerchief," etc are less commonly heard, but robe a la _______, fichu, etc are very commonly referred to?
So now I'm wondering if it's inappropriate to refer to both of these styles as a l'anglaise? Or if it is acceptable, and we can still call quarter back gowns an anglaise, like we call jeans, pants, but not all pants are jeans? Ooo I'm itching to find out!
And whatever do we call this one? It is both pleated and separate from the skirt!
So now I'm wondering if it's inappropriate to refer to both of these styles as a l'anglaise? Or if it is acceptable, and we can still call quarter back gowns an anglaise, like we call jeans, pants, but not all pants are jeans? Ooo I'm itching to find out!
And whatever do we call this one? It is both pleated and separate from the skirt!
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| 1780 -1790. Listed as a robe a l'anglaise on the LACMA site. M.59.25a. |
Ideas anyone???
