The style and decoration of this gown characterise women’s fashion of the early 1760s. Adorning the front are wide strips of silk, the raw edges pinked and scalloped. These have been gathered and sewn on in serpentine curves. A narrow strip of gathered silk and an elaborate white silk braid further enrich the decorative effect. The curvilinear arrangement of this appliqué reflects the principles of Rococo design.
The gown has been made from a floral patterned silk woven in Spitalfields, London. In the article on silk designing from a contemporary handbook to art and manufacture, George Smith's Laboratory or School of Arts, the author recommends that pattern-drawers should take advantage of the seasonal variety offered by nature. 'Every season of the year produces .... plants, flowers and shrubs, as afford greater varieties than we are able to imitate. Summer will in like manner furnish a manufacturer with a vast variety of new and beautiful objects...and the produce of flowers thereof...will charm the eye.' The naturalistic drawing of the flowers in this dress fabric, including honeysuckle and rosebuds, illustrates this characteristic of English silks very well.
Physical description
Woman's sack-back gown and petticoat of yellow and white woven silk, trimmed with white silk fly fringe. The silk has a yellow plain woven ground with a supplementary weft of white silk making the pattern, which is of floral trails including honeysuckle and rosebuds.
The front of the gown is decorated on each of the open sides with a long strip of silk about four inches wide which has been tightly gathered along one edge and pinked and scalloped along the other. Both edges are left raw. The gathered band has been arranged in a serpentine scroll by twisting the band backwards and forwards down each front. This has been rearranged at some stage. Additional trimming in the form of a fly fringe and narrower bands of silk add to the decorative effect.
The single ruffles on the sleeves and the waist seam at the front of the gown are typical of 1760s style. The narrowness of the front panels and the slight awkwardness of their join with the bodice may indicate that the seamstress was inexperienced in accommodating recent alterations in the style of the sack-back, adapting to a narrower hoop and the newly introduced waist seam.
Place of Origin
England, Great Britain (made)
Date
1760-1765 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Silk and linen, hand woven and hand sewn
Dimensions
[Sack back] Length: 178.0 cm overall, approx., Circumference: 87 cm waist, approx., Width: 19.75 cm silk, selvage to selvage
[Petticoat] Length: 94.0 cm approx., Circumference: 247.5 cm at hem, approx.
Object history note
Purchased. Registered File number 1990/2183.
Two lace borders that were attached to the gown as cuffs when it arrived were detached as they were not original to it. They have been given the numbers T.183:1&2-1991.
Historical context note
The flowing style of the sack-back, which was flattering to most women, dominated women’s fashions during the 18th century. It developed from a loose negligee but became a more formal type of dress.
The double box arrangement of the pleats at the back of this gown are typical of the construction of such gowns in the mid century. Almost all of this style were made of four widths of silk at the back and two at the front. The lengths of silk were cut to accommodate the height of the wearer. By adjusting the depth and placement of the pleats at the waist and shoulder, the gown would be made to conform to the shape and measurements of the woman for whom it was made.
This gown and petticoat would have been worn with a hooped petticoat, acting as a support to both the silk petticoat and the robe.
Descriptive line
Woman's sack-back gown and petticoat of woven silk, made in English, 1760-1765
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Hart, Avril and Susan North. Historical Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries. London: V&A Publications, 1998, pp. 34 & 50
Exhibition History
Princely Treasures: European Masterpieces 1600-1800 from the V&A (National Museum of Korea (Seoul) 02/05/2011-28/08/2011)
Two Centuries of British Fashion (Kremlin Museums 01/09/2008-30/11/2008)
Production Note
The silk is likely to have been woven in Spitalfields, and may predate the current construction of the gown by a short period.
Materials
Silk (textile); Linen (material)
Techniques
Hand sewing; Hand weaving
Subjects depicted
Flowers; Scrolls
Categories
Textiles; Fashion; Women's clothes
Production Type
Unique
Collection code
T&F
