What better way to spend a sunny summer afternoon than in
the park? The Victorian aristocrats certainly agreed with the notion, treating
the park as the perfect leisure destination.
"Flowers and Butterflies"
Still dressed in proper attire, families would descend upon
the park’s open green spaces for quality time, and of course, to see and be
seen.
Maurice Prendergast captured many of these moments with watercolors,
pencil, pen and ink during his time in the Boston Public Garden between 1895
and 1897. His quick sketches and watercolors captured the mood and style of the
late-Victorian wealthy inhabitants of the city.
"A Woman in a Veiled Hat Decorated with Poppies"
A couple hundred years
later, Alexander McQueen captured bits of the same Victorian spirit with his
Spring 2007 collection.
"Four Vignettes of Fashionably Dressed Women"
This period of the Victorian era saw a transition in female
dress and form. Queen Victoria was still on the throne of England, but there
was a gentle relaxation in female dress that mirrored artistic movements of the
preceding years. The rigid corsets and bustles began relaxing into a frothier
look layered with lace and soft edges that mimicked the softer qualities of
Impressionist paintings.
Sport clothing would soon be making its way into the wardrobes
of both men and women, with the rise of the Gibson Girl and new types of
athleticism and leisure activities. However, nighttime formal attire would
still include suits and hats for the gentlemen and a glimpse of skin for the
ladies.
For a day in the park, the fashionable lady would don the
latest style that included leg-o-mutton sleeves that emphasized volume at the
shoulder before tapering to the wrist. 
"A Woman Reading a Book"
Or she might ensure that the lines of her dress were like
those of an hourglass, hugging the waist before flaring outward. With high
collars and a long hourglass figure, the silhouette was tall and slim.
Each watercolor Prendergast put on paper caught a moment in
a time, a glimpse of a world that would quickly fade into the next era. Just as
the throne transitioned to a new ruler, innovative art movements made their way
onto the world’s stage and styles and values evolved with the passage of time,
there is a reminder in these sketches that each moment must be lived...captured
with the colors, movements and spirit it has to offer before it passes you by. 
"The Streetcar on Tremont Street"
Runway Photos: Vogue.com
Artwork: Met Museum
