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pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
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  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
  • pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.
pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.

pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.

$1,295.00
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Description

The label is the giveaway — and this a real piece of Paris haute couture.

The maker on your Petersham

says ELEONORE L / 32, RUE VIGNON.

That is Maison Eleonore Lelong — run by Camille Joseph Lelong and Éléonore Marie Lambelet, the parents of the famous couturier Lucien Lelong. Their first shop was established rue Vignon in Paris. In 1898, they moved to 18 place de la Madeleine. 

The house was registered with the young Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture alongside names like Paquin and Poiret. We know they were at 38 Rue Vignon around 1890 — one museum example is cataloged as "Eleonore LeLong - 38 Rue Vignon - Paris on waist cincher / with matching skirt" dated circa 1890 and circa 1890. Your address of 32 Rue Vignon is the earlier address on that same street, which puts your skirt in the early-to-mid 1890s, roughly 1893-1897, before the move. 

 Petersham — the interior waistband ribbon.marked

A strong, closely woven woolen or rayon ribbon with a ribbed texture, used for hatbands, waistbands, or millinery trimming. 

On couture of this era the weaver wove the house name right into the Petersham. It's exactly like the Worth examples of the period: "with petersham waistband woven in brown C.Worth and in white Paris - 1890s". If yours says ELEONORE L 32 RUE VIGNON in the weave, that's the original waistband and the strongest proof it's not a copy. White skirt sold USA only

The skirt itself

What you're looking at is a classic 1890s evening skirt:

•  Cut: 7-9 gores, very fitted at the corseted waist, flaring dramatically to a full, slightly trained hem. That's the post-bustle, Belle Epoque silhouette — no bustle pad, but a long back sweep for effect.

•  Fabric: Alternating panels of black silk velvet and an iridescent oyster / olive- silk brocade / lampas. The light panels are a jacquard with a black chenille-like floral arabesque — palms, scrolling vines. That high-contrast stripe of matte velvet vs. shiny brocade was extremely fashionable for 1894-96 ballgowns and was meant to catch gaslight.

•  Construction: Hand-finished, lined in glazed cotton or silk, with a deep hem facing and a balanced train. The exterior velvet will show some crush, and that gold brocade is prone to shattering along fold lines — that's normal age wear for this cloth. The waist would have closed with hooks over the Petersham.

This kind of striped combination was expensive to produce because each brocade gore had to be cut on grain and matched. It's the type of skirt that would have been worn with two different bodices — day and evening.

The black bodice mutton sleeved Velvet bodice wit stripes with it

The bodice  is the evening top that was paired with it for the shoot:

•  High standing collar, long sleeves — in one shot it's worn with a separate black velvet bolero with enormous 1895 leg-of-mutton puffs and revers cut from the same gold brocade as the skirt.

•  At the neck you've got a cream silk jabot bow with a black beaded tassel — very 1890s available on another listing.

In short: you have a pre-1898 French couture trained skirt by Eleonore Lelong, mother of Lucien Lelong, with its original labeled Petersham, plus a period-correct black lace evening bodice. It's a museum-grade piece.

If you're storing it: keep it flat or rolled, not hung, out of direct light, with acid-free tissue in the folds — velvet and that metallic brocade hate hanging weight and humidity.


It does want to tear down the back seam of the bodice and the back seem of the skirt which has been repaired at some point. That said oddly no shattering . Sturdy other than those area the seams on the cuff are ripping on the seam. Easy fix. Ribbon is added at the waist which makes it nice and can be easily removed or worn. Doesn't take away from the value. This two piece set is Small on the bodice. The mutton gives shoulder room but this is really for the collector. All sales final USA only as-is ask questions Ive researched to the best of my ability all sales final Belt and collar not included
Care

To maintain the beauty and integrity of your purchase, we recommend treating it with care. Simple maintenance practices, such as gentle washing and proper storage, can effectively preserve the longevity of your favorites. We encourage you to refer to the care instructions included with each item, designed to help you keep your purchase in top condition.
Design

Our dedication to excellence extends beyond materials; it encompasses the artistry and craftsmanship illustrated in every piece we create.

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