Textile and Fashion Arts

dress
Nationality French
Creation date about 1760
Materials silk brocade with silk supplementary warp and weft
Dimensions L: 57 1/2 in.
Credit line Emma Harter Sweetser Fund
Accession number 81.290A-B
Gallery Label

The fabric of this gown was patterned in the Rococo style which was prevalent between the 1740s–1770s. Characterized by a retreat from naturalism, these fabrics with their rich colors and meanderings of flowering vines and patterned areas reminiscent of lace or white work were a favorite of predominately upper class women.

This ensemble consists of a floor-length dress that opens in the front to reveal a stomacher at the top and a petticoat below. Wide side hoops were worn under the skirt to create additional width. Gowns made in this style known as sack, where box pleated fabric flows from the nape of the neck to the floor, were fashionable for formal occasions.


Descriptive tags added by visitors:

blue, blue silk damask, child bearer, colonial, elegant, floral, male's interest, pleats, sack-back, silk, symmetrical pattern
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