When examining an antique costume, what exactly are you viewing? A fashion plate, a painted portrait, and a vintage photograph could all be displaying clothing from the same decade, but each source will not offer the same type of evidence.
Fashion plates are intended to display the latest fashions and are most helpful for studying desired proportions, ensemble pairings, accessories, sleeve silhouettes, waist placement, and variations in fullness. On the other hand, these illustrations might feature stylized proportions. Exaggerated small waists, elongated torsos, and perfect postures are common ways to create the impression of a more fashionable garment. While it is important to keep in mind the style details a fashion plate provides, one should not expect all women of the era to wear their clothes just like the illustration suggests.
Similarly, a painted portrait has its own set of caveats. Portraits can provide valuable data regarding fabrics, laces, embroidery, fasteners, jewelry, and the way one’s attire relates to one’s social standing. Additionally, paintings can sometimes present garments with a greater degree of richness than earlier photographic prints. However, a portrait represents a particular moment created by both the artist and the subject. Depending on the commission, formal or court attire may have been worn to convey opulence, rank, or refinement. Although a portrait is historically significant, it does not necessarily represent everyday clothing.
Photographs may appear to be more reliable because they involve a camera, but they still have their limitations. Subjects often dressed for special occasions such as formal studio sessions, weddings, traveling, religious services, and work. In addition, the nature of photography itself often required posed appearances and relatively long stays in one place during the earliest stages of photography. A photograph can still provide important details about cut, layering, hemline, fabrics, and accessories, but it cannot be assumed to depict the typical clothing of the period.
Consider reviewing three pictures from the same time period, a fashion plate, a portrait, and a photograph, without reading their captions. Make a list of what you can clearly see in each source. Perhaps you will find the fashion plate illustrates the overall silhouette and styling of the garment quite well, the portrait depicts rich textures and ornamentation, and the photograph demonstrates the fit of the actual garment on the body. Notice the things that remain unknown.
Comparing three sources in this manner moves the focus from trying to determine which source is superior to considering the type of evidence that each source offers. This awareness is particularly helpful when creating a timeline. Should multiple fashion plates illustrate a dramatic shift in the shape of sleeves, compare the plates with photographs or surviving examples of the garment before determining if this trend spread as quickly as suggested by the plates alone. Or if a woman’s portrait depicts unusually ornate formalwear, compare it to daywear of the same era. Various types of sources can supplement each other, but they can also highlight differences between idealized fashion, formal wear, and regular attire.
When examining a piece of clothing you are unfamiliar with, consider identifying the source before making definitive claims about the garment. Is the image intended to showcase current fashions, present the individual, project status, or capture someone in a specific setting? Review the silhouette, waistline, sleeve shape, textile, and overall context of the clothing with this purpose in mind. This will not make a garment any less worthy of research; it will help you understand the nature of the question being asked.
