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Evening dress

Evening dress

  • Place of origin:

    England (made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1818 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Machine made silk net, embroidered with silk, trimmed with satin decoration, wired epaulettes, hand-sewn

  • Credit Line:

    Given by Misses H. and M. Hague

  • Museum number:

    T.175-1922

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

Machine-made net was developed from the late 1760s. It became a popular ground for embroidery and machine-made laces. Its light weight and airy texture suited the simple style of early 19th century women’s dress. This example in black allows for a dramatic contrast when worn over a white under-dress. The applied satin rolls and rosettes at the hem and shoulders were a new decorative trend in women’s dress, which was moving away from the very plain styles of earlier Neo-classical dress. Between 1815 and 1820 the waist was very high, reducing the bodice to narrow strips of fabric at the front and back.

Physical description

The dress is trimmed at the hem with padded black satin rouleaux and rosettes. The bodice has a low, square neck and fastens at the back with tapes. It is very short-waisted with slight fullness eased in at the front. The gored skirt is attached smoothly except for a wide panel of tight gathering at the back. The epaulettes are wired and, like the cuffs on the long sleeves, made from satin with an applied cord decoration.

Place of Origin

England (made)

Date

ca. 1818 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown

Materials and Techniques

Machine made silk net, embroidered with silk, trimmed with satin decoration, wired epaulettes, hand-sewn

Dimensions

Length: 107 cm centre back, Length: 119 cm shoulder to hem, Circumference: 59 cm waist

Materials

Silk; Satin

Techniques

Hand sewing; Embroidering

Categories

Clothing; Europeana Fashion Project; Evening wear; Women's clothes; Fashion

Collection

Textiles and Fashion Collection

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