Coat 1900 - 1905

Editor: This object is simply called "Coat," and it dates from around 1900 to 1905. It's housed here at the Met. There is something rather theatrical about this black velvet garment – almost like something from a stage costume. What's your take on this piece? Curator: This "Coat," precisely because it lacks individualizing details, really makes us think about the socio-cultural role of fashion at the turn of the century. Notice the cinched waist, achieved by the belt. The Edwardian period was very controlling of women’s silhouettes. Editor: Controlling how? Curator: Well, think about it: what kind of body is valorized here? The high collar, the emphasized bust, the small waist...these all speak to an ideal of feminine beauty deeply embedded in the social structures of the time. Consider also how sumptuary laws, though formally defunct, still exert an influence through social expectations of dress. What kind of woman would be wearing this coat, and where? Editor: Perhaps someone of means, attending a social event? Is the lack of ostentation in its design itself a statement, maybe one of understated elegance within a particular social stratum? Curator: Exactly! And consider the politics of that "understatement." What does it conceal? What power dynamics are at play when some bodies are coded as appropriate and others are not? Editor: So much more than just a garment! It’s interesting to think about clothing as a marker of identity and social positioning. I definitely see more nuance now. Curator: Yes! By understanding its place within broader social and historical frameworks, we gain a much richer understanding of its cultural value.