Teagown
Paquin
Category
Costume
Date
1897
Materials
Chiffon, Lace, Silk velvet
Place of origin
Dover Street
Order this imageCollection
Kingston Lacy Estate, Dorset
NT 1258137
Caption
Henrietta Fraser (1867–1953) purchased this cream silk chiffon and guipure lace tea gown from the Mayfair store of pioneering French female couturier Jeanne Paquin as part of her wedding trousseau for her marriage to Walter Ralph Bankes (1853–1904) in July 1897. The House of Paquin also made Fraser’s wedding and bridesmaids’ dresses, as well as other fine day dresses and evening gowns for her trousseau. Tea gowns, fashionable from the mid-19th century, are loose, unstructured dresses, worn for the informal entertaining of close friends and relatives. Perhaps most significantly, they were worn without a corset – a level of comfort and freedom that was only acceptable at home. Tea gowns were often decorated with lace, ribbon and other trimmings. In this example, the dense pattern of the lace and the vibrant purple silk velvet ribbon contrast with the softness of the silk chiffon, adding interest and drama. The waistband of this gown has been let out several times, indicating that it was a favourite garment of Henrietta’s that she likely wore through periods of maternity. Kate Bethune
Summary
Cream chiffon and guipure lace trimmed teagown with purple silk velvet ribbon.
Provenance
Label written by Mrs R.J. Bankes; Chiffon and Guipure lace teagown made by Paquin of Dover Street for trousseau of Miss Fraser (Mrs R.J. Bankes) in 1897.
Makers and roles
Paquin, dressmaker
References
Antrobus and Slocombe 2025: Helen Antrobus and Emma Slocombe, 100 Things to Wear: Fashion from the collections of the National Trust, National Trust 2025, pp. 138-89.