Siegfried David & Béchoff-David: Parisian Fashion Innovation and Ocean Travel Elegance (1900–1925)

A Charmingly Finished Taffeta Gown by David. (Garment Manufacturers' Index, April 1921) | GGA Image ID # 1a362509c9

✨ Review & Summary – Siegfried David / Béchoff-David

🎀 Introduction & Relevance

The House of Siegfried David, later in partnership with Émile Béchoff as Béchoff-David, was a Parisian fashion establishment that spanned the Belle Époque into the 1920s. Their couture bridged East and West, combining French tailoring with motifs such as dragons and lotus flowers.

For teachers and students, this fashion house offers a lens into the way clothing responded to new social norms: health-conscious silhouettes, artistic collaborations, and ocean-travel wardrobes.

For genealogists and historians, identifying these styles in photographs or passenger ephemera can help situate individuals in the shifting fashion currents of the early 20th century.

David's collection, with its exciting and varied pieces, is a testament to his unique vision. Despite its diversity, all the central tendencies of fashion find an echo, resulting in an excellent spring exhibition that will captivate fashion enthusiasts.

However, as every house unconsciously specializes, David's afternoon taffeta frocks stand out for their exceptional craftsmanship. The ample and straight lines are meticulously shown side by side in embroidered or striped silks, a testament to David's skill and attention to detail.

This crisp material is delightful in black, woven in large regular Chinese motifs such as dragons and lotus flowers. The loose back and shirred sides are gathered into a belt depending on a wide tunic apron, creating a unique fusion of Western and Eastern design elements.

The Striking Dinner Gown Is of Blue Brocade With an Overdress of Black Satin Trimmed With Fur. One of the Most Recent Creations of Bechoff-David. (Silk, January 1910) | GGA Image ID # 217caf544d

Béchoff-David Black Liberty Evening Robe Covered With a Network of Pearls. The Corsage Fashioned of Flesh-Colored Ribbon. (Silk, April 1910) | GGA Image ID # 217c9b16fb

Bechoff-David. Black Satin Dinner Gown With Corsage and Front of Skirt of Sapphire Blue Tulle Embroidered in the Same Tone. (Silk, January 1910) GGA Image ID# 217cded137

Perhaps the striking feature of the Béchoff-David models is the shortened waist, best explained by the accompanying illustration. "What is more logical," said M. David to me, in discussing this matter, "in an epoch in which hygiene has become so great an influence than the banishment of the former unnaturally close-fitting designs.

It is quite obvious that women are better habited without the use of the belt and other tight-lacing devices which, while they abnormally diminish the Waistline, are certainly the cause of discomfort and disease." And this is very true. What could be prettier than a modified line produced by the natural falling of the garment over the hips?

M. David and M. Béchoff embark on a creative journey, a testament to their collaborative and inclusive process. They begin by curating a range of novelties for the season. Through thorough inspection and discussion, they meld their ideas to create designs that are the true triumphs of the season. 

It's important to note that each of these craftsmen holds their conviction, which, once shared, allows for slight contradiction or alteration, a testament to their creative partnership. This process is not just about fashion but about the art of collaboration and the power of shared ideas.

"It is true," M. David said, "that we are not responsible for the Empire style. In reality, did the Empire ever possess a style? Ever since women draped their forms with clothes, they have found that they could use but two points for support—the hips and the bosom. By arranging the robe tween, these two points have evolved our fashion of the present day."

The collection of this house is comprised mainly of shantung and printed foulards, from which they have created a variety of most alluring and chic tailored costumes. Few of them, however, are more effective than those fashioned of very light linen, either black and white or veiled with black mousseline de soie.

The jackets of these costumes are cut to give the lines of the figure beneath which the garment is caught at the waist by a soft draped belt of wide ribbon. The colors employed by the house run the gamut of reds, and many of the same new blue tones are used with which these artists met with such great success last season.

In passing, it should be mentioned that great credit should be given to this establishment for the gown now being worn at the "Gymnast" by the charming Mlle. Mona Delza. A robe of crimson mousseline de soie over a foundation of crepe de chine created more than an ordinary sensation and probably did much to bring into favor of the tie-back effect, which so sharply accents the prevailing fashions.

A different type is an equally beautiful black taffeta striped in bright pink with a straight skirt; it has a tight "peasant" bodice laced in front of a white Georgette chemisette.

I noted an amusing muslin kerchief collar on another model of pink taffeta. It was knotted sideways, the ends dangling carelessly to one side.

The combination of black and white is very much liked. White stitching on black with an organdie waistcoat or chemisette gives a chic "magpie" effect.

One of Rodier's newest stuff, "Les Couronnes Zingannes," is a white voile embroidered in Saxe blue designs, which gives a good model prophesying better and warmer days.

Spanish Cape of Circular Cut. Navy Blue Serge with an Inner Cape of Hunter's Pink Taffeta. (Garment Manufacturers' Index, April 1921) | GGA Image ID # 1a362d838c

Fancy tailleurs, many of which are taffeta or poplin, are extremely chic. They are relieved by delicate embroidery that is not too heavy, usually in a contrasting tone, orange on blue, for instance.

An attractive coat dress attracted my attention with its excellent line. It is a plain blue serge combined with a "point de tapisserie" serge, the same material embroidered on coarse brick red tapestry squares. The gown is effortless, with gores at the back and sides fitting it to the figure. At the same time, a deep low belt of the embroidered serge opens over each hip, simulating pockets.

Afternoon Gown by Bechoff-David. Paris. (The Delineator, November 1911) | GGA Image ID # 217c937160

When one's creations are in a state of evolution, it's hard to feel expansive. The future success or failure is a complex interplay, influenced by the caprice of an uncertain public and one's inherent worth. However, as the season progresses and specific designs establish themselves as 'successful models,' one can confidently predict the styles for the next six months.

It's not a matter of prophetic vision but rather an observation that the trends embraced by the chic Parisienne and showcased at the most notable gatherings in the capital will not only have a significant following today but will also shape tomorrow's fashions.

TAKE, for example, the crinoline sleeve - that we, the house of Bechoff-David, introduced last Spring. It was shown first at Longchamp's at one of the May reunions, attracting considerable attention.

It only became a fundamental factor in fashions in the August openings. Yet even in May, a close observer of the style trend would have seen an indication of a coming change in the new sleeve, breaking away from the small, close sleeve that has held such a long tenure of popularity.

The crinoline sleeve itself might not have lived—in the Spring, it would have been impossible to predict its length of life. Even now, when seen here, there, and everywhere, its significance from the point of view of fashion does not lie as much in its present popularity as in the fact that it points the way to a distinct change in styles.

Not only in this bell sleeve of ours but in the sleeves shown by other French houses, there is a tendency to increase the size at the elbow and to introduce more width and fulness Sometimes the effect is produced by a ruffled undersleeve, sometimes by a variation of our crinoline model. But whatever form it takes with them, there is a strong feeling among the Paris dressmaking houses that the following significant change in styles will come in the sleeves.

The narrow skirt, the slender silhouette, and the whole general line of fashion are too firmly entrenched to make any radical change of style possible for the present. The new sleeve is an entering wedge.

Once accepted, women will realize the necessity for a gradual re-adjustment in dress. The waistline will be shifted, the shoulders will require a new treatment, and the width of the skirt will have to accommodate itself to the new régime.

But I am speaking of futurities. These changes will not come today or tomorrow—indeed, not this season and possibly not next. I mention them in connection with the crinoline sleeve to illustrate that fashions have a ghostly aftermath of influence that lives on and is active even after the original fashion is dead and forgotten. It is proved beyond a shadow of a doubt every year. I could go on and give you endless instances of it.

Even poor ideas are too valuable to be entirely cast aside. Do you remember the pantaloon skirt of last year? There was an idea for you! New. Dynamic, revolutionary, and guaranteed to entirely change the current of fashions for the next decade!

The only trouble with it was that women wouldn’t wear it! It was like a car with a perfectly good motor, except it wouldn’t go. So the pantaloon skirt died without ever having lived except in the showrooms of the dressmakers.

But the pantaloon skirt, you recollect, was lashed at the bottom and showed the instep and the ankle very prettily. In that slash was a possible idea for a new skirt. The Paris dressmakers seized on it, cultivated it, introduced it as something new, and had the satisfaction of seeing it accepted where the more daring style had failed. We use it on almost all our evening gowns, a short slashed skirt showing the ankle in front and cut with a long train behind.

As far as the lines in skirts are concerned, we use draperies to a great degree. We make most of our afternoon and evening dresses with tunics or draped overskirts; of course, the bodices are also draped. We use tunic effects or actual overskirts in our street suits and afternoon coat costumes. The underskirt is usually self-colored. In lightweight fabrics, it is frequently the skirt material. In some cases, it is of satin. The waistline is still a little high.

We use light materials for afternoon gowns—silks, chiffon velvets, taffetas, etc. We use short sleeves for afternoon dresses and suits and long sleeves for morning tailoring. The collarless waist is still trendy in Paris. I fancy that women with white, pretty throats will only give it up with the greatest reluctance. We do not advocate it for all women or all occasions. Still, where it is becoming suitable, it is undoubtedly one of the most attractive and feminine fashions.

In our silk dresses, brochés, and taffetas, we use frills mainly as trimmings. They are consistent with the material—one always associates frill, puffing, and ruchings with taffeta—and part and parcel of the 1860 fashions that show signs of coming into vogue.

One must strain one's eyes, I have to confess, to see any marked similarity between the ample, flowing styles of the sixties and the narrow, pipe-stem fashions of today. Still, when you compare the two, you will find a certain likeness between the long-shoulder line: the fichu and the gathered skirt of 1911 with the earlier fashions of fifty years ago.

When asked for the names of the new materials of the year, we have to confess that the list ends abruptly with a brief recital of wool velvets, double-faced materials, and certain forms of brocaded silks. The other materials have been carried over from a previous winter and owe whatever interest is attached to them as novelties mainly due to their use.

Velvet, for instance, was used extensively last year for suits and will be used again this winter. But we have struck out along a new line by using it for evening dresses. I prefer transparent materials that have been in vogue for a long time. The use of velvet for evening bodices dovetails very neatly with the popularity of lace. We also use fur on evening gowns, velvets, chiffon, veiling, etc.

One of our most successful dinner dresses is made of black velvet and trimmed with rose satin, jet, gold, and écru filet lace. The bodice's upper part is dyed filet lace, and the lower is velvet. A drapery of the rose-colored sating crosses the front and forms coat-tails in the back after the postilion fashion.

The skirt opens over a lace tunic mounted on a trelliswork of jet, and turns back from the lace with facings or revers of the pink satin. A band of the jet trelliswork forms a belt at the high waistline. In the back, the skirt is made with a slit or double train, rather long and decidedly narrow.

It makes a beautiful gown, and we are confident that our use of velvet for evening wear will receive the endorsement of a public already a little weary of chiffons and tissues. And looking expectantly to the dressmaker to furnish them with something novel and unusual.

Some of our new trains are square, some round, some pointed, but all are narrow and start at the back of the skirt. Sometimes, they are in the form of a panel from the waistline, and sometimes, they are in a separate tablier tacked to the skirt wherever it best suits the design.

Brief History

The Bechoff-David & Cie fashion house was born from the association of Emile Bechoff, Siegfried David and Philippe Hecht. It was on February 17, 1900 that Béchoff-David & Cie was created as a limited partnership whose purpose was ladies' clothing. The Bechoff-David fashion house was first installed at 7 avenue de l'Opéra then moved to 20 place Vendôme around 1906. Major works were then carried out in the premises of place Vendôme, the fashion house notably installed a tea downstairs. The partners created new fashion houses in 1922. Thus, Émile Bechoff created a house in his name at 9 Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The same year, Philippe Hecht creates with Gaston Kauffmann the house Philippe and Gaston.

An Elegant Afternoon Gown Crafted From Crêpe Charmeuse Features a Slightly Draped Skirt, Long Sleeves, a Short Train, and Delicate White Lace Finishing Touches. The Model Is From Béchoff-David. Photo by Talbot, Paris. (Dry Goods Economist, 1 June 1912) | GGA Image ID # 22558d3fc2

🖼️ Noteworthy Images

• Taffeta Gown (1921) – Crisp afternoon wear with Chinese motifs (dragons, lotus), highlighting cross-cultural influences.
• Dinner Gown of Blue Brocade & Black Satin (1910) – Trimmed with fur, it shows the opulence favored in ocean-liner salons.
• Black Liberty Evening Robe with Pearls (1910) – Embellishment at its finest, with pearls draped over satin and ribbon corsage.
• Spanish Cape (1921) – Circular cut in navy serge with pink taffeta lining, perfect for travel wardrobes.
• Afternoon Gown in Crêpe Charmeuse (1912) – Subtle draping and lace, illustrating the move toward comfort and elegance.

These garments were precisely the type worn by first-class passengers on voyages between Europe and America, serving as both status markers and functional attire.

📚 Why This Matters

For Fashion History 🧵 – David and Béchoff introduced waistline reform and healthier silhouettes, moving away from tight-lacing.

For Ocean Travel Scholars 🚢 – Their collections highlight what society women packed for transatlantic journeys: durable coats, evening gowns, and adaptable capes.

For Genealogists 🧬 – Spotting a Béchoff-David gown in an ancestor’s portrait provides evidence of status, taste, and even travel habits.

For Students 🎓 – Ideal for essays on how fashion intersected with modern health reform, global trade, and women’s independence.

📖 Brief Dictionary of Terms

• Fichu – A lightweight triangular scarf or shawl worn around the shoulders.
• Mousseline de soie – A fine, soft silk muslin fabric.
• Tunic / tablier – Over-skirt or apron-style drapery, common in early 1910s gowns.
• Point de tapisserie – Tapestry-like embroidery used in coats and dresses.
• Crinoline sleeve – Wide, bell-like sleeve that foreshadowed fuller fashions.

Bibliography

Text based on the Following Articles:

"Béchofi-David Creates the Waist Line of Robes for 1910." in Silk, April 1910;70

"David," in Garment Manufacturers' Index, New York: The Allen-Nugent Company, Vol. II, No. 9, April 1921, p. 29

Bechoff-David, "The Whole Duty of Dressmakers: To Furnish New Models Which Women Question. Criticize. and Finally Follow Slavishly," in The Delineator, Vol. LXXVIII, No. 5, New York: The Butterick Publishing Company, November 1911, p. 334.