Images(2)

Dress

Date1820s, from 1770-1780 silk

OriginAmerica or Europe

MediumSilk woven with striped and floral self pattern; trimmed with corded cream taffeta. Cotton bodice lining.

DimensionsOL: 53 1/2".

Credit LineGift of Tasha Tudor.

Object number1999-248

DescriptionWoman's gown of silk woven with striped and floral self-pattern in warp and weft floats and brocaded with multicolor floral clusters. Oval neckline trimmed with corded cream taffeta "leaves." Sleeve cap overlaid with larger overlapping leaves; sleeve ends below wrist. Apron front skirt; back fullness. Padded hem.
Label TextGown
Europe or America
Silk textile 1770-1780, remodeled 1820s
Silk brocaded with silk, trimmed with plain silk flaps and silk fringe, bodice lined with cotton
G1999-248, gift of Tasha Tudor
The brocaded silk in this charming gown was almost 50 years old when the dress was remade. After a period of neoclassic influence in fashion around 1800, skirts gradually became fuller again. By the late 1820s, skirts once again stood away from the body, often aided by padded hems. Crisp eighteenth-century silks, which had not been appropriate for draped neoclassic styles, could once again be used to good advantage. The seamstress added plain silk taffeta to make the leaf-shaped flaps around the neck and on the sleeves.

ProvenanceFrom the collection of Tasha Tudor.