A Slight Detour: Worth's and the Five O'Clock Hour

As Chapter 7 opens and we once again find ourselves in the Douvry's sitting room, two interesting tidbits of the time period are brought up: Worth's and the five o'clock leisure hour. (Actually, I added "leisure hour" to the text because it doesn't make much sense without that bit of information.)

Charles Frederich Worth

House of Worth

The House of Worth was established in 1858 by Charles Frederich Worth. If you've ever wondered who is considered the father of haute couture, well, this is your man. A few other things he's credited for creating or doing first:

• Revolutionized the business of fashion (made it more suited to everyday life),
• First to replace fashion dolls with live models,
• First to sew branded labels into his clothing (kind of crazy, since it's still done today),
• Credited with inventing the hoop skirt and the bustle,
• Became a dictator of French fashion long before any other designer.

              

In 1846, the British-born Worth moved to Paris and started working as a sales assistant at Gagelin-Opigez & Cie, a supplier of shawls and ready-made mantles for women. Eventually he was allowed to open a dress department to sell his simple designs of shawls and dresses. Success for Worth came not long after. European royalty soon discovered his talents; Empress Eugénie was his most prestigious client. 

In Suzy's Dream, Lady Graham takes Suzy on a dizzying day of shopping, making sure to stop at Worth's at some point during the day, "Together, Lady Graham and Suzy had made a long stop at Worth's, where Suzy herself had been called upon to give her opinion on the designs proposed by M. Jean, the great courturier" (Nissen). (The M. Jean mentioned here is actually Worth's son who took over as lead designer in 1895.) Considering the fact that Lady Graham is a lady and that Worth's was still a heavily sought after hauter couture house in the early 1910s, it's no wonder that she makes her rounds there when it comes to her wardrobe. Take the images provided above of some of Worth's creations and try them on Lady Graham and Suzy as they take off for Cannes (except the one in the middle is ca. 1875 and, therefore, a little dated for Suzy's time frame)!

Although the House of Worth originally closed in 1956, it was revived in 2010, sticking to its high-end, limited-edition collection roots. You can visit their website at Worth, Paris.

Other helpful links:

• House of Worth
• Charles Frederick Worth
• The Fashion Historian
• House of Worth Exhibit in Paris
• The Metropolitan Museum

The Five O'Clock Hour

Unlike the treasure trove of information I tried to share on the House of Worth, this one will be brief!

Traditionally, five o'clock marks l'heure de l'apéro (apéritif hour), which is the start of the evening wind down that runs into the dinner hour. Five o'clock isn't necessarily a strict time to begin. It could start at six or seven depending on where you live or your preference. 

At this time of the day, the French enjoy a light drink or two along with some light snacks like nuts, olives, chips, or even some cherry tomatoes. The idea is to settle into the night and ease into the dinner hour, not fill up beforehand. Alcohol isn't mandatory, since this time is meant to be enjoyed by children and other friends and family at the same time. The ever popular pineapple juice and even Coca-Cola are enjoyed at this moment of the day. Apéritif hour can run anywhere from one to two hours.

In Suzy's Dream, "they returned for the five o'clock hour of leisure at Lady Graham's, where Suzy had found Georges de Flers—one of the frequenters of the young woman's drawing room—in the midst of the half-French, half-English society, which had kindly welcomed Suzy" (Nissen). Taking what you know now about the history behind l'heure de l'apéro, imagine Suzy winding down her busy day with Lady Graham in the young woman's drawing room and engaging in French and English society alike. Oh...and Georges de Flers also happens to be there!

There is one last thing I came across pertaining to the five o'clock hour, which may or may not exist to this day (see the 5 to 7 link below). This was also the time of day, between the hours of five and seven, when men would visit their mistresses before heading home to the family for dinner. So, yeah, there's that too...

Other helpful links:

• Apéro Rules
• 5 to 7
• French Time Etiquette