Early-nineteenth-century fashions served as a reference in McQueen’s form-fitting light purple dress with empire waistline from Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, as well as two women’s coats for No. 13 that were modeled after period men’s tailcoats. One look, with deconstructed lapels that button to the front collar at left, has a skirt that may be buttoned in back into a tail or buttoned in front to create the skirt of a frock coat—two styles that prevailed throughout the 1800s.

Rudolph Ackermann
Fashion Plate, 'Evening or Full Dress' for 'The Repository of Arts'
England, London, June 1, 1810
Hand-colored engraving on paper
Sheet: 11 x 8 1/2 in. (27.94 x 21.59 cm); Composition: 8 1/8 x 5 9/16 in. (20.64 x 14.13 cm)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Charles LeMaire
(M.83.161.148)
Photo © Museum Associates/ LACMA