Aigrette Collection

HORATIO NELSON (1758-1805). British naval officer. As Vice Admiral of the White. Oil on canvas, 1800, by Lemuel Francis Abbott

Evening clothing with pearls and lace 1912
Fashionable evening clothing using detailed embroidered lace and decorative pearls. 1912

Womens clothing for May 1913
Women models wearing the latest fashionable garments for evening and walking. Date: 1913

Evening Dress / Doucet
Doucet sleeveless Empire-line tunic dress: bouillonnee / puffing at the hem, a gathered tunic with beaded fringing; worn with a vibrantly patterned fur-trimmed coat

Evening Dress / Zimmerman
Back view of a high waisted draped gown with train by Zimmerman. An embroidered floating panel hangs from the shoulders. Worn with a toque & aigrette

Berets by Rose Valois
Two hats by Rose Valois described as berets. Both are close-fitting and brimless

Claude Alexandre count of Bonneval (1675-1747) French officer who later went into the service of the Ottoman Empire
1757185 Claude Alexandre count of Bonneval (1675-1747) French officer who later went into the service of the Ottoman Empire

Poiret fashion in the 20's colourized document
1745564 Poiret fashion in the 20's colourized document; (add.info.: Poiret fashion in the 20's colourized document); Photo: Tallandier.

sultan Selim III (1761-1808) ottoman emperor in 1789 - 1807, engraving
1708546 sultan Selim III (1761-1808) ottoman emperor in 1789 - 1807, engraving; (add.info.: sultan Selim III (1761-1808) ottoman emperor in 1789 - 1807, engraving).

The queen of Saba, c. 1920 (illustration)
1830248 The queen of Saba, c. 1920 (illustration) by Barbier, Georges (1882-1932); (add.info.: The queen of Saba, Illustration by Barbier c. 1920); Photo © CCI

Maria Letizia Bonaparte (engraving)
1721840 Maria Letizia Bonaparte (engraving) by French School, (19th century); (add.info.: Maria Letizia Bonaparte, nee Maria Letizia Ramolino (1750-1836) mere de Napoleon1er

Woman adjusts her aigrette, c. 1590 (opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper)
5932672 Woman adjusts her aigrette, c.1590 (opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper) by Persian School, (16th century); 28.7 x 17.8 cm; Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution

Indian lady at her toilet dressing her hair (gouache on paper)
CHT277842 Indian lady at her toilet dressing her hair (gouache on paper) by Indian School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Fashionable man walking past bouquinistes on the Seine, 1913
Man in suit, bowler hat and cane walking past bouquinistes on the Seine. Tenue du matin. Handcoloured pochoir (stencil) etching after an illustration by Bernard Boutet de Monvel from Tommaso

Woman in dress and long jacket of blue wool velvet decorated with checkerboard velvet. Robe en velours de laine bleu avec longue jaquette de meme etoffe double et garnie de velours a petit damier

Woman in straw hat and dress of printed taffeta
Woman with basket of autumn fruit in straw hat and dress of printed taffeta. Toilette de taffetas imprime, Chapeau de paille

Design for sprays of flowers
BAL18548 Design for sprays of flowers by Italian School, (18th century); Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK; Italian, out of copyright

Designs for aigrettes
BAL18547 Designs for aigrettes by Italian School, (18th century); Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK; Italian, out of copyright

Crab-eating macaque or egret, Macaca fascicularis. Copperplate engraving by P.F. Tardieu after an illustration by Jacques de Seve from Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffons Histoire Naturelle

Selim I (1466-1520) called Yavuz the Grim, Sultan 1512-20 (colour litho)
CHT220318 Selim I (1466-1520) called Yavuz the Grim, Sultan 1512-20 (colour litho) by French School, (18th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Ottoman Crown Prince with his Favourite Sultana, c. 1813 (colour engraving)
CHT231053 Ottoman Crown Prince with his Favourite Sultana, c.1813 (colour engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Aigrette, Transylvania, late 17th century (silver-gilt, enamel & precious stones)
3434819 Aigrette, Transylvania, late 17th century (silver-gilt, enamel & precious stones) by Hungarian School (17th century); length: 24.1 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

Farrukh Siyyar seated at a window, holding a gold sarpech, c
874346 Farrukh Siyyar seated at a window, holding a gold sarpech, c.1715 (opaque w/c & gold on paper) by Indian School, (18th century); 18.8 x11.9 cm; San Diego Museum of Art

Hat with aigrette C1913
Blonde woman wears a soft hat with an aigrette, a blouse with a scallop edged turn down collar, a large green pendant & a wrap-over garment in an eastern style print. Date: circa 1913

AT THE RACES 1912
A bright orange tunic dress with a narrow hobble skirt, sleeves with volans, a V neck bodice & pannier or polonaise over-skirt & a soft brimless hat with a plume. Date: 1912

Design by Paquin - black hobble skirt, fur-trimmed jacket
Design by Paquin: black hobble skirt, fur-trimmed jacket in a bright floral print cut-away at the front & creating a tunic effect, cocked brim hat with aigrette & buckle shoes. Date: 1912

ERMINE STOLE, SCARF, HAT
A young woman wears an ermine muff, hat and scarf to keep out the winter chills while out foraging for fir tree branches to decorate her home at Christmas. Date: 1915

EVENING DRESS 1816
Gown with high waist situated just below the bust. The sleeves & hemline are lavishly adorned with flowers & foliage. Lace edged gloves & a turban with aigrette are worn. Date: 1816

The Buckingham and the Florissant, c1760. Artist: Richard Paton
The Buckingham and the Florissant, c1760. British warship HMS Buckingham, commanded by Captain Tyrrel, engaging the French ships Florissant, Aigrette and Atlante off St Eustatius

Aigrette, Scarlet-bush (Cristaria coccinea), Signed: P. Sonnerat pinx, Milsan sculp, Pl. 140, before p. 247 (Vol. 2), Sonnerat, Pierre M. (pinx.); Milsan (sculp.), 1782, Sonnerat, Pierre;

Costume / Bourgogne C15
Man: very short houppelande or jacket with dagged epaulettes & hanging sleeves, parti- coloured hose, piked shoes & a bandeau. Woman: Hennin & veil headdress, gown & kirtle. Date: 15th century

Aigrette Scarlet-bush Cristaria coccinea Signed
Aigrette, Scarlet-bush (Cristaria coccinea), Signed: P. Sonnerat pinx, Milsan sculp, Pl. 140, before p. 247 (Vol. 2), Sonnerat, Pierre M. (pinx.); Milsan (sculp.), 1782, Sonnerat, Pierre;

Advert for Mandel Brothers department store 1913
Announcement for the opening of the new spring collection at Chicagos Mandel Brothers department store. Advert showing some well dressed women and a men being welcomed by a Sikh boy. Date: 1913

Costume / Seal Gloves 1935
Schiaparelli design: seal fur gloves, cellophane blouse, long light coloured coat with piped seams, velvet hat with aigrette & snood & a handbag with a lock shaped clasp. Date: 1935

Harem Pants 1910
Exotic eastern style: high waisted Turkish trousers / harem pants, decollete blouse, bolero, fish-net stockings, Louis heel shoes & a turban with aigrette

Advert for Peter Robinsons summer fashion 1913
Fashionable clothing for women available in Peter Robinson s, Oxford Street, London 1913

Beautiful evening dresses 1913
Latest evening wear for women from Paris. 1913

Dagged Costumes C15Th
Male & female costumes ornamented with dagging: short cape, jackets with full sleeves or epaulettes, hose & garters, broad brimmed hat; gown with hanging sleeves. Date: 15th century

Tunic dress circa 1912
Exotically patterned & brightly coloured tunic dress: narrow skirt, over-skirt draped to form a polonaise & a pleated tunic with a wrap over corsage. Worn with a soft hat. Date: circa 1912

Plum Coloured Dress 1899
Side buttoning dress: yoke, cuffs & hem in a contrasting colour. Skirt fits tightly & flares at the back & has a scallop design at the hem. N.B mink faces on muff & fur boa. Date: 1899

Green Velvet Coat 1899
Long dark green velvet single- breasted coat with large gold buttons & fur yoke, cuffs, collar & epaulettes. Accessories: felt hat with feather trim & parasol. Date: 1899

Purple Ensemble 1899
Open bodice, velvet revers, cuffs & trim, tight sleeves with slight puff at shoulder, skirt with lace ruff collar & cravat, gored skirt with tablier trim, velvet belt. Date: 1899

Racegoers Fashions 1899
Blue: tucked front & sleeves, wrap-over front, high pointed collar. Lilac tunic dress: dentate wrap over body, pointed & curved hems, flat braid trim, lace & belts. Date: 1899

Afternoon Dress 1800
One lady plays the mandolin while the other listens: both adorn their hair with plumes. The waists of both gowns are almost at the natural level or medium low. Date: 1800

COSTUME / MUFF / 1799
An extremely long tubular fur muff. Date: 1799

Advert for Peter Robinsons autumn tailor-mades 1913
Two stlyes of autumn coats tailor-made in Peter Robinson for 1913. 1913

Women hats 1914
A selection of 1914 women hats. 1914

Women with feathered hats 1913
Three women with fashionable feather hats. 1913

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Aigrette: A Timeless Fashion Accessory" From the elegant berets worn by Rose Valois in 1912 to the opulent evening clothing adorned with pearls and lace in 1913, aigrettes have long been an essential element of women's fashion. This delicate ornament, often made from feathers or precious gems, adds a touch of glamour and sophistication to any ensemble. Dating back centuries, the allure of aigrettes has captivated both royalty and commoners alike. In fact, even Horatio Nelson himself, the esteemed British naval officer known for his heroic exploits during the Napoleonic Wars, was said to have donned this exquisite accessory as Vice Admiral of the White. The versatility of aigrettes is evident throughout history. From Maria Letizia Bonaparte's enchanting engraving depicting her regal presence to illustrations showcasing The Queen of Saba in all her splendor during the 1920s - these accessories have always been associated with grace and refinement. Intricate works such as "Woman adjusts her aigrette" from c. 1590 showcase not only their beauty but also their significance in personal grooming rituals. Even Indian ladies were depicted dressing their hair while wearing these captivating ornaments in vibrant gouache paintings on paper. Not limited to women alone, fashionable men strolling along the Seine River in 1913 would catch glimpses of stylish ladies sporting dresses crafted from blue wool velvet or printed taffeta - perfectly complemented by straw hats adorned with carefully placed aigrettes. As we delve into history through art and fashion archives, it becomes clear that they are more than just decorative pieces; they are symbols of elegance transcending time and culture. Whether it be costume designs inspired by Bourgogne C15 or women's clothing showcased for May 1913 - one thing remains certain: an outfit can never truly be complete without an aigrette to elevate its allure.