Style & Splendor: The Wardrobe of Queen Maud of Norway 1896-1938

by Anne Kjellberg, Susan North

Queen Maud of Norway was renowned for her stylish dress. Daughter of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, she was born a princess and became Queen of Norway in 1905. She had exemplary taste and a strong interest in fashion, and her royal lifestyle required appropriate dress for every occasion. Her wardrobe includes a range of stunning creations dating from her wedding trousseau of 1896 to the latest Worth designs purchased just months before her death in 1938.
Queen Maud's clothes document an extraordinary era of fashion history, from the decorative but elaborate dress of the Victorian era to the streamlined chic of the 1930 clothes for the modern working monarch. Her wardrobe encompasses the public and private like no other collection, from sumptuous state gowns and elegant evening dresses for official occasions to riding habits, winter sportswear, and simple tailored suits for afternoons in the garden with her grandchildren.
Maud engaged with contemporary fashion throughout her long life, and commissioned many of the great designers of the day, notably, Worth, Blancquaert and Morin-Blossier. Her wardrobe illustrates the impeccable standards of couture dressmaking and tailoring of the period. Flawlessly beaded gowns, perfectly cut and hand-finished suits, beautifully embroidered and appliqued dresses all exemplify the superb workmanship of the era. Style and Splendour showcases some of the most spectacular garments now in the collection of the National Museum of Art/Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Oslo, and sets them properly in the context of Queen Maud's life and times.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Fashion History, History, Historical, Royalty

112 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2005

Reviews

[Pancha · Rating 4 out of 5]

These dresses are absolutely gorgeous. My only complaint is the photos only whetted my appetite. I wanted more angles of each gown, close ups, construction details, etc.

Side note: this book came to me via Link+ from the Loyola Marymount University library.

[Rebecca Huston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous collection of photographs detailing the clothing and fashions of Queen Maud of Norway, and her times. The photography here is stunning, and the clothing a beautiful sampling of styles of the Belle Epoque through the Art Deco periods. The coronation gown that she wore is simply amazing, and beautifully detailed.

[Alisa Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a mixed bag for me. Some of my favorite Edwardian gowns are in this, along with a few very garish 1920s and 1930s dresses that I didn't like at all.

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fashions in this book Re exquisite.

[Goldkehlchen20 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely collection, and one can learn a lot about the person of Queen Maud from this detailed look into her wardrobe.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good photographs and great dresses. Wish there were more pictures of Queen Maud in them.

[Edie Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is remarkable about this collection is that we have a good chunk of Queen Maud’s wardrobe in excellent condition. Some dresses were only worn once or twice or not at all. They range in age from 1896-1938. Needless to say, that covers a lot of ground. They also suit a variety of purposes from coronation gowns to skiwear. The text gave the purpose of the items, a description of it, and something about the makers of these creations.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to order this off eBay and eventually ended up buying an old library copy, but it was worth every effort. Gorgeous photos of a gorgeous wardrobe. My favourites are the Edwardian gowns, but the others are lovely too.

I hope they do another exhibition again soon and bring out another book. :D

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book & worth every penny it cost me!