Rustling silk, breathtaking embroidery, frills and flounces, vast crinolines. Sharply tailored suits for dandies and elegant ball gowns for ladies. This autumn’s major 19th-century fashion exhibition "Romantic Fashions" at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag features costumes from the time of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Eline Vere and Downton Abbey. In addition to entire costumes in all their glory, the show will include glamorous accessories, tightly laced corsets and original fashion prints and photographs. With the help of the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund, many items have been restored especially for the occasion and will be on show to the public for the very first time. The inclusion of contemporary creations shows how the 19th century still influences life today, as modern designers continue to draw inspiration from its forms, silhouettes and techniques. Famous examples include the magnificent embroidery of Jan Taminiau, the dandyism of Vivienne Westwood, and the (often dark) romanticism of Jean Paul Gaultier and Edwin Oudshoorn.

Romantic Fashions - Mr Darcy meets Eline Vere Oct 11 2014 - March 22 2015
Gemeentemuseum Den Haag

Credits A film by Roel van Tour
Special Thanks to:
Ileen Montijn
Dhr. van Beijma thoe Kingma
Koen Hauser
César Rodriguez
Maarten Spruyt
Tsur Eshef
Maartje van den Heuvel
University of Leiden
Madelief Hohé