Object: Dress
Date: c. 1865
Medium: Silk taffeta, satin, tulle, cording, tassels, and black silk ribbon
Country: Scotland
Credit Line: Gift of Mildred R. Mottahedeh
Object number: 75.227.41
DescriptionCream silk taffeta two-piece dress; cap sleeved boned bodice has wide V-neck trimmed with pleated cream satin, tulle, black ribbon, cord and tassels; attached overskirt has draped panels caught with looped cord and finished with tassels; matching skirt has slight train, satin edged ruffle and silk cord at hem; matching sash has satin edged taffeta bow at center back
Label Text:Bare shoulders were typical of 1860s evening gowns, as in this sumptuously adorned example. Full skirts created the illusion of a narrow waist. Cage crinolines had replaced layers of petticoats as the way to maintain a skirt’s fullness, and many women (as well as men) enjoyed the flirtatious, ankle-revealing swing of a crinoline.
Exhibitions:
- The Body: Fashion and Physique
- Seduction