History's Runway: The Liberty Rose Evening Cloak, 1920

Evening Cloak of Velvet, Satin, Silk and Maribou
Liberty, London, 1920
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This luxurious evening cloak, meant for use in winter, was made by Liberty's—the celebrated London store—around 1920.  It was purchased by one Mrs. R. Scraggs.  While clearly of the Jazz Age, the cloak is reminiscent of the styles of earlier cloaks which were produced by the Liberty workshops in the “Aesthetic” taste.

The dark rose-pink velvet cloak features a hem trimmed with appliqué motifs above a dramatic band of marabou feathers meant to resemble fur. The applied shapes are made of gold satin and have been padded to give them depth in the manner of Renaissance garments where the silk or velvet was slashed, revealing a colorful lining beneath.  Tassels adorn each side and the glitter of gilt thread gives an element of shimmer to the garment.