Charles James: Designing for the Female Form

Left: Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978). "Four Leaf Clover", 1953. Silk. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Josephine Abercrombie, 1953 (2009.300.784). Right: Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978). "Swan", 1951. Silk/synthetic, synthetic. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., 1961 (2009.300.850)

«Charles James: Beyond Fashion features the works of revolutionary fashion designer Charles James, known for his avant-garde concepts and architecturally advanced structure and form. Upon coming into the gallery filled with ball gowns, you're greeted by these amazing dresses on circular pedestals. The whole room is so dimly lit that the dresses almost seem to be suspended in mid-air in the semidarkness.»

These dresses are gorgeous and unique, and even today there isn't anything like them. Upon closer examination, however, they don't really belong in James's era either. Charles James's career took place as sex and sexuality were only just beginning to be explored scientifically. It was an era of suburban housewives and bring-home-the-bacon husbands, and the Kinsey Reports on the sexual behaviors of both males and females broke the taboo of discussing sex and personal matters. For the first time, not everything related to sex was kept silent.

I believe part of the reason Charles James was so revolutionary and unforgettable, apart from his flawless workmanship, was his ability to capture the essence of sexuality in his dresses. He was unafraid to explore and display the taboo subject of sex, but he did this subtly, focusing on a specific part of a woman's body: the small of the back, right above the buttock. This is known as an erogenous zone, and in many of his pieces he accentuates this area and gives it special detail. For example, in the "Four Leaf Clover" gown, the small of the back is highlighted by the white and the absence of black lace, as if giving an outline where a gentleman's hand is to go and inviting a gentle touch. This same motif is seen in the "Swan" gown. The gown is gathered in the back, making a diagonal V shape right above the buttock. This is the only part of the dress that is not ruffled or covered in pleated tulle—it is smooth and simple satin, evoking the idea of nakedness.