Object: Afternoon dress
Date: c. 1878
Medium: Silk taffeta
Country: France
Credit Line: Gift of Bernice Margulies
Object number: 70.65.6
DescriptionTwo-piece dress in royal blue silk taffeta with blue and black silk brocade; hip length cuirasse boned bodice with high roll collar, brocaded front panel and long sleeves, carved mother of pearl buttons CF, small watch pocket LS; matching skirt with brocaded swag, box pleated hem trim, slight bustle and train
Label Text:The silhouette of ladies' dresses changed frequently during the 19th cenutry, and a new dress style, with a "cuirasse bodice" was introduced in 1878. Elongated and contoured to the body, it fit like a medieval body armor. The appearance of this style marked the end of the first "bustle period," during which excess fabric was bunched up at the back of the skirt, forming a voluminous "tournure." From 1875 to 1878, this fullness began to move down the back of the skirt to form a tiered and draped train. As seen in this example, the train was often decorated with elaborate frills, pleats, ruffles, poufs, ribbons, bows and trims - even in a day dress. The use of lace trim on the bodice, skirt, and cuffs is in keeping with the decorated aesthetic of the late Victorian period, and the trend for such ostentaious decoration was aided by the growing use of the sewing machine in the 1850s. The rich vivid royal blue of this dress is a perfect example of the new vibrant colors made possible by the development of aniline dyes in the late 1850s. Such colors were widely used in the last quarter of the 19th century. Once considered garish and vulgar, bright colors rapidly became fashionable.
Exhibitions:
- Pockets to Purses: Fashion + Function
- She's like a Rainbow: Colors in Fashion
- Fashion & Politics