Object: Suit
Date: c. 1896
Medium: Linen
Country: USA
Credit Line: Museum purchase
Object number: P84.26.1
DescriptionSummer suit with middy jacket and long gored skirt in natural linen with navy blue cotton collar and lapels trimmed with beige braid; fitted jacket with notch collar and leg o' mutton sleeves; deep inverted pleat at CB skirt waist
Label Text:This woman’s suit draws inspiration from menswear in its color, pointed lapel, and tailored jacket. However, its puffed sleeves and skirt width place it firmly within the trends of women’s fashion. As women were increasingly involved in both leisure activities and the work force at the end of the nineteenth century, they took sartorial cues from menswear, particularly the suit—the emblem of civil society.
Exhibitions:
- Power Mode
- Untying the Bow
- His and Hers