Dressing Gown c. 1936

Jean Peszel made this watercolor drawing, titled "Dressing Gown," at some point in the late 19th or early 20th century. The gown's design, with its high collar and busy patterning, speaks to prevailing notions of domestic modesty. Consider the fashion schools that emerged at the time, like the École Guerre-Lavigne in Paris, which codified design principles and catered to the growing haute couture industry. Peszel's drawing would have been a crucial step in the industrial process of dress-making. Her emphasis on the gown's silhouette and pattern reflects how design became a specialized practice that demanded both technical skill and an understanding of current trends. The drawing suggests a shift in the social life of clothing design, as the process moved from home to the professional design studio. To understand this work more fully, we can consult fashion plates and garment industry records, to reconstruct the world of design at the turn of the century. This drawing shows us that even the most unassuming image can reveal a complex web of social and institutional relations.