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Robe

Robe

  • Place of origin:

    England, Great Britain (made)

  • Date:

    1775-1870 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Silk with boning and lined with linen

  • Credit Line:

    Given by Miss A. Maishman

  • Museum number:

    T.96&A-1972

  • Gallery location:

    Fashion, room 40, case CA1, shelf FIG3

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This gown is an example of a new style introduced in the 1770s called a polonaise. Using buttons and loops, the skirt of the gown was draped up to create the swathed effect at the back shown here. Also popular during this decade were a range of striped fabrics, often in a complex arrangement of colours with both sharp and shaded edges, as seen in this example.

Draping the skirt was not only a fashionable option. It also served as a practical method of raising the skirt above the dirt and dust on the ground.

Physical description

Robe and Polonaise of lustring striped in pale green, cream and two shades of purple.

The robe has a bodice which meets at the centre front trimmed around the square neck and at the pointed waist with a pinked gathered band of self material. The cuffs are shaped to the elbow and ruched. The skirt is tightly gathered and laid on top of the back bodice in a point. Inside there are two green silk looped cords to gather up the skirt which fasten to the silk covered button above the waist on each side bodice seam. The bodice and sleeves are lined with white linen. There are two bones down the centre back with a tape stitched at the centre back waist. The skirt is faced back with white silk.

The Polonaise is in matching material. It consists of a petticoat panel which has been converted into a ca. 1830 apron by shortening and mounting it at the waist on a figured blue green ribbon to which is added a long green tasselled cord.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (made)

Date

1775-1870 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Silk with boning and lined with linen

Descriptive line

Robe and Polonaise of lustring, linen and boning, made in England, 1775-1870

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Hart & North, ' Historic Dress in Detail' (V&A: V&A Publications, 1998)
Pietsch, Johannes. 2012. 'Naming a Woman's Gown dating to 1775-85' http://www.fashioningtheearlymodern.ac.uk/object-in-focus/naming-a-womans-gown/

Materials

Silk; Linen

Techniques

Weaving

Categories

Textiles; Clothing; Fashion

Collection code

T&F

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Qr_O110099
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