Label
Tea Gown, 1880-1890
Silk, steel
Likely owned in Fairlee, Vermont
1991.11.29, Gift of Merideth Wright
Tea gowns were garments made specifically for women to wear at home while entertaining women friends. While ostensibly informal, they were different from housecoats and robes in that they were purely fashionable. The slightly looser cut and lack of boning gave them the appearance of comfort and utility. However, as you can see in this tea gown, they were worn over corsets and bustles, maintaining the wearer’s fashionable silhouette. Additionally, they were made of expensive, stylish fabrics (like silk and velvet) rather than the easy-to-wash fabric of housecoats and chore clothes. Tea gowns hold a significant place in fashion history as one of the first garments created specifically for this informal social sphere. Unlike wrappers and earlier informal articles of clothing, they were not created to be worn while performing household chores or lounging alone with immediate family. They were created to show off.