Object: Dress
Date: c. 1878
Medium: Silk taffeta, lace, and mother-of-pearl
Country: USA
Credit Line: Museum purchase
Object number: P94.8.1
DescriptionDress in blue and white silk taffeta with mock princess underdress front in coordinating blue taffeta; pleated stand collar, mock robe front and 3/4 length sleeves with self ruffle and lace edging, white shell buttons CF, flared and trained back skirt; patch pocket with pleated trim on RS hip
Label Text:The distinct silhouettes and colors of the mid-1860's signaled the beginning of a transition in dress styles that conveyed a new feminine image. The fashionable circular skirts of the previous fifteen years, supported by the cage crinoline, began to change shape. As the skirt flattened out in front, the excess fullness was first draped to the sides and over the hips, then receded to the back. By 1868, the cage crinoline had disappeared, to be replaced by a bustle in back. Simultaneously, the bodice became more fitted and developed a slightly higher waist. The wide "pagoda" sleeves of the previous decade began to taper in to a more fitted two-piece sleeve with front and back seams. Necklines remained round, high and close to the neck.
Exhibitions:
- She's like a Rainbow: Colors in Fashion
- Trend-ology