Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
The 1890s witnessed a return to the hourglass figure, which was achieved by reviving the large leg-of-mutton sleeves of the 1830s and using a gored skirt, which was made with triangular pieces of material to create a graceful A-line. Both the wide sleeves and flared skirt emphasized the waist and made it appear smaller in comparison. The dark band of velvet at the waist on this garment reinforces the illusion. The bodice of this dress is also deceptive. It was constructed to appear like two separate garments, a pleated shirt and a separate jacket, when it is in fact one. Worn with a hat and a pair of gloves in a coordinated color, this walking dress would have been the centerpiece of a very stylish ensemble for a promenade in the park or an afternoon of shopping.Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
The hourglass figure effect of this dress owes much to visual trickery. The large leg-of-mutton sleeves, broad lapels, and gracefully cut gored skirt made of panels cut narrower at the waist and flaring at the hem all make the waist appear smaller, and the dark band of V-shaped velvet at the waist reinforces the illusion. The rich chocolate velvet of the lower sleeves, collar, lapels, waist, and skirt hem form a lovely tone-on-tone composition with the ribbed silk-wool fabric of the main body of the garment, a simple yet effective note of visual interest.
This garment was stored in a trunk belonging to Mabel Hill (1875-1935), one of the eight children born to Edward Alonzo Hill and his wife Aphia L. Nason in Biddeford, Maine. While it is certainly reasonable that this dress belonged to Mabel, it could have also belonged to one of her five sisters; she would have been about twenty at the time this dress was made and it would certainly have been a stylish choice for a young woman to wear.