Afternoon Dress thumbnail 1
Afternoon Dress thumbnail 2
Not on display

Afternoon Dress

1872-1875 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The influence of masculine tailoring can be seen in the cuffs and bodice revers of this woman’s afternoon dress. The overall effect is quite severe, with all the decoration based on the application of a darker blue silk. Fashion is moving away from the fussier trimmings of the early 1870s. This garment is well made, with cleanly cut and finished appliqué and seams, indicating the work of a professional dressmaker.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Bodice
  • Skirt
  • Train (Costume Component)
Materials and techniques
Corded silk, trimmed with corded silk, lined with cotton, faced with silk, edged with brush braid, machine and hand sewn
Brief description
Afternoon dress, 1872-1875, English; Light blue silk and darker blue trimmings
Physical description
Blue corded silk afternoon dress. The bodice is hip-length, darted to shape, has a front fastening, wide straight sleeves with deep cuffs, and a false waistcoat panel applied to the front. The long skirt is gored at the front and straight-cut at the back, with cartridge pleats at the waist. The train is mounted on a separate waistband and fastened to buttons concealed in the side seams of the skirt. It is gathered into deep graduated contrasting facings. The dress is decorated with contrasting bands of frogging with false buttons.
Dimensions
  • Bodice length: 60.9cm (back) (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • Skirt length: 105.4cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • Skirt waist circumference: 60.9cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
Credit line
Given by Miss M. Eyre-Poppleton
Summary
The influence of masculine tailoring can be seen in the cuffs and bodice revers of this woman’s afternoon dress. The overall effect is quite severe, with all the decoration based on the application of a darker blue silk. Fashion is moving away from the fussier trimmings of the early 1870s. This garment is well made, with cleanly cut and finished appliqué and seams, indicating the work of a professional dressmaker.
Collection
Accession number
T.112 to B-1938

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Record createdFebruary 19, 2003
Record URL
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