The general outline of a dress as it hangs on your body is referred to as the “dress silhouette.” The empire waist silhouette, which is particularly common in wedding and evening dresses, is one that aims to lengthen and slim your figure. Different silhouettes are intended to emphasise or flatter various body types.
The bodice of a garment with an empire waist drapes out beneath the bustline as opposed to sitting at the natural waistline. The bustline cinch creates a high, thin waist and a longer line of billowy fabric from bust to hem than if you were to tighten the dress at your (lower) natural waist, which would lengthen and slim you. Empire-waisted dresses are particularly useful for petite or plus-sized women who want to draw attention away from their waist or hips and toward their bust because they lengthen the wearer’s frame. Empire-waisted dresses offer a tonne of styling options. The silhouette’s necklines can range from V-neck to turtleneck to halter top; its sleeves can be long, short, or sleeveless; and its hem length can be anywhere between floor-length and above the knee (often referred to as a babydoll or minidress). The most popular empire waist dresses have an empire silhouette, which is frequently used in party dresses, cocktail dresses, casual dresses, sundresses, bridesmaid dresses, and everything in between (they’re especially popular as pregnant dresses because they don’t have any cinching around the natural waist).
In late eighteenth-century Europe, during the Neoclassical era, when Greek and Roman culture gained popularity in popular culture, the empire waist silhouette first gained popularity. Thin ribbons were tightened just below the bust line of long, drapey dresses, and women started to imitate these flowing garments that were frequently represented in Greco-Roman art. Napoleon Bonaparte established French authority over a large portion of Europe shortly after costumes became fashionable. It was Joséphine de Beauharnais, his first empress, who made the “empire-style waist” fashionable. Ruffles, sequins, floral prints, pleated or ruched features, chiffon, and shawls and cover-ups all became frequent decorations as the gowns spread. Empire waists have been in and out of style since the nineteenth century, peaking in popularity in the 1960s. Today, empire waists are a common silhouette that is still used frequently in casual dresses but is most frequently used for wedding gowns.
At the time of Marie Antoinette, the first rumblings of the Empire style were already present. She was known to occasionally disappear off to her country estate, where she preferred to dress in looser, more laid-back gowns. She was herself a symbol of frivolous, garish Rococo. Fashion underwent a major transformation after the French Revolution. Less ornate gowns with new additions like bodices influenced by the gentleman’s Redingote were nevertheless characterised by narrow waistlines and broad skirts (an overcoat with a double row of buttons). A significant classical trend emerged in the fashion industry around 1790. Architecture, painting, and interior design are only a few examples of the many facets of cultural life that Antiquity touched. A la chemise, which comes from the French term for a shift, which they very much resembled, is a kind of simple, flowing gown that Europe started to buy in considerable quantities from India. The new style was an homage to the straightforward gowns of classical Greece and Rome that people were familiar with from classical sculptures, which looked a great deal like the stuff ladies had worn beneath their robes the previous year.
Although all materials were used to create empire gowns, lightweight cottons, linens, and silks were the most frequently used. Both day dresses and evening gowns were frequently made of light materials like muslin, lawn, and batiste. They were either made in Europe using imported cotton or native linen or they were brought from India (in which case they were made of cotton). Damask, satin, velvet, and wool all started to make a comeback after Napoleon’s coronation in 1804. Although the muslin craze mostly benefited importers while local production suffered, there were certainly other factors at play, like the harsh European environment, pure vanity, and the ultimately compelling desire to turn heads in a killer dress made of some exorbitantly expensive, luxury cloth. Empire clothing tended to be in solid colours with a little embroidery, shirring, or gathering sewn in. Simple designs like stripes and delicate florals were gradually introduced. Then, out of nowhere, richly patterned fabrics appeared, not only on white backgrounds but also on coloured backgrounds (red, blue, brown, and black), with floral and natural motifs being the clear favorites.
At the Fall 2016 Couture collections, the Empire silhouette was once again in vogue. Despite the fact that the style predates the First French Empire (1804–1814), from which it derives its name, it has come to be linked with Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon Bonaparte’s first wife, whom he divorced in favour of a new partner who may produce an heir. Empire dresses, which attracted attention to the bust rather than the waist at the time and were viewed as sensual due to their thin transparency, were popular. They were feminine-friendly and provided an alternative to the constricting corset while also denoting a return to more ideal times. They were distinguished from more extravagant pre-revolutionary sartorial excesses by their neo-classical fashion.
The historically obsessed designer John Galliano has repeatedly turned to this silhouette in wildly romantic collections that harken back to a bygone era. It is well known to Jane Austen fans. Alexander McQueen was also experimenting with the look. At the 2014 Grammy Awards, Rihanna performed a princess turn in a high-waisted pink pouffe by Giambattista Valli. That was a creation by Galliano, who was the silhouette’s ardent admirer at the recently concluded Couture shows. However, this time he modernised it with, of all things, the knotted sleeves of a leather motocross jacket.
A fitted bodice that ends just below the bust creates the illusion of a tall, long skirt that is loose and gathered but touches the body rather than being supported by voluminous petticoats in this style, which broke with the opulence and sumptuousness of the clothing that characterised women’s fashion in the previous century. The outline can conceal a large belly and a wide waist while emphasising the bust, making it especially flattering for pear-shaped bodies. Additionally, the dress’s design makes the body appear longer. The term “Empire silhouette,” which refers to the First French Empire, first appeared in Britain in the early 20th century, even though the style dates back to the late 18th century. Napoleon’s first Empress, Joséphine de Beauharnais, played a significant role in spreading the fashion throughout Europe.
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