A woman's gown, 1760-1770, British, plain pale beige silk taffeta; altered 1775-80

A woman's gown of pale beige silk taffeta, in the English(tight-back) style, open at the front, with elbow-length sleeves. The bodice and sleeves are lined with bleached linen. The bodice front meet at the centre. The pleats at the back are stitched down and the centre back extends from neckline to hem. The skirts are cartridged pleated into the waist seam and held in place with stitching 4cm below the seam. The gown is made of 5 panels of silk.

It was probably first made as a sack in the 1760s, as indicated by remaining pleat marks. It was reconfigured in the late 1770s with a pieced bodice meeting at centre front. The sleeves were lengthened with a piece, shaped end. On the inside linen tapes at the waist and partway down the skirt, with a small loop to thread through half-way between, on either side of the skirts, were probably added for looping it up. The neck is edged with a pinked 'Van-Dyck' border of silk and a narrow ruching of the silk.

The original double, scalloped sleeve ruffles, edged with pinked ruched silk, were kept and may have been re-attached to the sleeves for fancy dress.

This gown, made of pale beige silk taffeta, is a typical style of informal dress for women in the 1770s. Such light, crisp silks were very popular in the 18th century and are frequently seen in the paintings of artists such as William Hogarth, Joseph Highmore, Arthur Devis and Thomas Gainsborough. However, few gowns in this type of material survive as plain silks were easily and frequently recycled into new fashions.

T.67-2008