Dress
c. 1855
Grey silk taffeta with blue, white and green brocade and ribbon
Museum purchase
Object numberP86.66.6
Skirts widened throughout the 1850s, emphasized by fashionable tiered flounces. Such details could also speak to a woman’s social position. According to Godey’s Ladies Book (1855), “A handsome flounced dress is always more expensive . . . ladies of ample fortune are apt to give preference to what only a limited number can afford.” Fashion journals and etiquette handbooks were important resources for upwardly mobile bourgeoisie to navigate the evolving social landscape.
DescriptionDress in grey silk taffeta with blue, white and olive green brocaded stripes and coordinating ribbon trim; round neck, diagonal darts, fringed ball buttons CF; 3/4 length pagoda or bell sleeves; full cartridge pleated skirt with three striped ruffle tiersCollections
Exhibitions