Afternoon dress
c. 1892
Silk faille, damask, and feathers
Gift of Peggy Westerfield
Object number69.195.9
In the 19th century, women of modest means, such as governesses and shop clerks, tended to wear practical, respectable black dresses. Yet fashion journalists agreed that there was nothing as elegant and flattering as a black dress. Young, unmarried women were discouraged from wearing black, however, unless they were in mourning.
Descriptionblack and green silk dress of silk faille, damask and marabou feathersExhibitions