Not currently on display at the V&A

Dressing Gown

ca. 1880 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Dressing gown of cotton with a printed design of red and white floral sprays on a pale blue ground and trimmed with navy blue cotton collars, cuffs, buttons, pocket welts and trimming band on fronts and skirt. Full length with a closely fitting bodice and Princess line with a straight cut front. At the back it is gored and slightly trained. The neck is high and there is a turn down collar. The sleeves are full length, medium wide and straight. From neck to hip it fastens with concealed hooks and eyes, and large buttons stitched to the face form a false fastening. From knee to hem, the garment is roughly fastened together with stitching. There are pockets towards the back and there is a deep tuck at knee level. The garment is machine stitched and the workmanship suggests either amateur or cheap professional work.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Printed cotton with hooks and eyes, and machine stitched
Brief description
Dressing gown of printed cotton, made in England, ca. 1880
Physical description
Dressing gown of cotton with a printed design of red and white floral sprays on a pale blue ground and trimmed with navy blue cotton collars, cuffs, buttons, pocket welts and trimming band on fronts and skirt. Full length with a closely fitting bodice and Princess line with a straight cut front. At the back it is gored and slightly trained. The neck is high and there is a turn down collar. The sleeves are full length, medium wide and straight. From neck to hip it fastens with concealed hooks and eyes, and large buttons stitched to the face form a false fastening. From knee to hem, the garment is roughly fastened together with stitching. There are pockets towards the back and there is a deep tuck at knee level. The garment is machine stitched and the workmanship suggests either amateur or cheap professional work.
Credit line
Given by Mrs E. Beecham
Object history
Registered File number 1985/1308.
Information from the donor: said to have belonged to a Mrs Hodges of Minster, Kent, who had 'died very old, pre-war' and who was the wife of the headmaster of the village school. She called it a 'morning dress'.
Comparison with the quality of design in dress pattern periodicals (mainly 1890s) suggested that this garment was made from a paper pattern and would have been called a 'wrapper'.
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
T.200-1985

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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