Object: Robe
Date: 1860s
Medium: Printed wool
Country: USA
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Margaret Riggs
Object number: 70.15.16
DescriptionWool robe in brown, green, and red calico print
Label Text:This maternity robe was created for a pregnant woman to wear during her “confinement.” It includes fashionable details, but is cut loose around the torso. Aptly named, confinement was a 19th-century custom dictating that expectant mothers should remain inside their homes when they could no longer conceal their pregnant bellies, which were considered inappropriate for public display.
In Collection(s)
Exhibitions:
- The Body: Fashion and Physique