Jacket

Capsule Collection: Three Victorian haute couture jackets in velvet and lace, Madrid, 19th century
Workshop of Doña Pilar Pérez, Plaza del Ángel 22, Madrid.

Gathered like a small treasure of historical fashion, these three jackets form a coherent, intimate, and exceptionally well-preserved ensemble, born from the refined Madrid workshop of Doña Pilar Pérez, a designer whose signature —though now almost secret— reveals a sensibility ahead of its time. Each piece embodies a different facet of women’s dress in the last third of the 19th century, when the silhouette was refined, the torso structured, and ornamentation spoke its own language.

The first jacket, in a deep mineral-green, presents meticulous work of appliqué and embroidery that run across the chest and up the high collar, creating a textile jewelry effect. It is a garment designed to impress in interiors lit by gas lamps, where the relief of the thread and the sheen of the fabric came to life. Its state of preservation allows us to appreciate the firm, elegant hand of the workshop, as well as the precision of the patterning.

The second, in striped brown and black velvet, is perhaps the most theatrical: a fitted body, decorative buttons, and a play of textures that alternates velvet’s softness with a stiffer, more structural fabric. It is a jacket with presence, conceived to accompany full skirts and cinched waists, and today it retains its aesthetic power intact. The velvet, still vibrant, speaks of quality materials and careful use over more than a century.

The third piece, in deep black, is a study in sobriety and sophistication. The ruffles and lace that frame the front add movement and delicacy, while the body’s structure preserves the elegance characteristic of late Victorian fashion. It is the most versatile of the set, capable of suggesting both an afternoon outfit or a more formal wardrobe. Its conservation is remarkable: the lace maintains its pattern, and the fabric preserves its original drape.

As a lot, these three jackets form a small archive of Madrid haute couture from the 19th century, bearing witness to Doña Pilar Pérez’s talent and to women’s fashion at a moment of aesthetic transition. They are pieces that dialogue with each other: color, texture, ornamentation, and silhouette complement one another, creating a capsule collection that could have been found in a bourgeois wardrobe of the era. An ideal set for collectors, museums, or lovers of historical fashion seeking authenticity, rarity, and a well-woven story.

Includes spares for one of the jackets, the blue velvet one. A rarity in the market.
Certified shipping and good packaging.