Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
Mantles were outdoor garments designed to be worn over the fashionable bustles of the 1870s and 1880s. This stylish silk taffeta example is trimmed all the way around with chenille fringe, but otherwise is relatively plain in the front. All of the decoration is concentrated on the back of the mantle where a heavy braided cord has been sewn into a complicated knot-like pattern ending in two large tassels that would have dangled over the back edge of the bustle. This was clearly a garment that was designed to call attention to the bustle itself.Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
This mantle is an outdoor garment designed to be worn over the exaggerated shape of a bustle. It is trimmed all the way around with a lush chenille fringe, but is otherwise relatively plain in the front. All of the decoration is concentrated on the back, where a heavy braided cord is sewn into a complex knot-like pattern ending in two large tassels that would have dangled over the back edge of the bustle. The silk of the mantle is lovely, but it is the rich matching tones of the chenille and cord that transform the garment into an eye-catching one.
