Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
Although this dress was made in the mid-1860s, the silk fabric dates to a much earlier time. The expensive brocaded material was probably woven in either England or France in the 1770s. Crisp 18th-century silks were perfect for the fitted bodices and full-skirted styles that became popular in the mid-19th century, and many 18th-century gowns were picked apart and remade in newer styles. The only element of the original garment which remains is the skirt flounce with its scalloped edges, cut by striking a steel pinking iron with a mallet. When worn in the 1860s, the full skirt of this dress would have been supported by a spring-steel cage crinoline. The light-weight crinoline, or hoop skirt, made it unnecessary to wear multiple layers of heavy stiffened petticoats under the voluminous skirts of the era.