Object: Evening dress
Date: c. 1830
Medium: Silk, silk gauze, and silk thread
Country: England
Credit Line: Museum purchase
Object number: 2013.3.4
DescriptionIvory evening dress with short puffed sleeves in Chinese export silk with tiny diamond pattern, full skirt with silk thread satin stitch embroidery at CF in a floral bouquet pattern and foliate trail with floral sprays at faux upper skirt border - skirt panels stitched down at open CF and hem, ribbon bows in semi sheer silk gauze with woven satin stripe at shoulders, front and back sleeve, note: one loose possibly attaches at CF neckline; wide scoop neckline; semi loose chevron pleated front bodice panel in a triangle shape with CF point at waist attached at CF neck and shoulder seams, narrow vertical band at CF with two rows of bias cord trim at side edges, same band trim at shoulder, double chevron angled darts at fitted front under bodice; CB closure - metal hooks and hand stitched eyelets, princess seams at back bodice, drawstring at neckline with CB closure; above waist line with waistband panel; shirring at sleeve cap, deep pleats at lower sleeve with double bias cord trim finished edge; ankle length skirt, deep side pleats at waist side front and back, shirring at CB, narrow band with bias cord trim at top skirt finished edges, stiffened silk interlining;
Label Text:During the 1830s, both women’s and men’s garments were cut to emphasize a narrow waist. Men’s jackets were tightly tailored, while women’s garments tapered at the natural waist and featured full skirts and voluminous sleeves. These proportions were exaggerated in fashion plates, in which bodies of both genders are heavily distorted, with the waistline often appearing narrower than a figure’s head.
Exhibitions:
- The Body: Fashion and Physique