The Most Glamorous Gilded Age Costume of All (coming 10/27/26)

Outdoing one another was a kind of sport for some in the Gilded Age, who had the grandest home, could throw the most outrageous party, and could wear the most glamorous gown to Mrs. Astor’s annual Opera Ball. But of all the contenders, the winner was Alice Vanderbilt, hands down, and the gown she wore to Alva Vanderbilt’s famous costume party in March 1883. Alice showed up in a gown by Charles Frederick Worth in Paris, representing “Electric Light.” Electricity was a new phenomenon at the time, and Alice’s stunning gold-and-silver gown, accented with tinsel and rich embroidery, literally sparkled as she walked. The press and the ball guests had never seen a costume like it. Astonishingly, Alice’s gown exists to this day, miraculously preserved in the Museum of the City of New York’s collection. Join The Gilded Gentleman for the story of this gown, and join Carl for a special visit to see it.