Evening dress

1877–82

Not on view

With mechanized sewing becoming ubiquitous, as well as the Victorian penchant for machine-made trimmings such as braid, lace, and ribbons, women's dress became the foundation on which elaborate surface decoration was applied. This example was seen in its day as à la sirène, or mermaidlike, in outline. Its extended bodice, called the "cuirasse" since it encased a woman's torso like body armor, was the clearest nineteenth-century expression of the hourglass shape.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Evening dress
Date: 1877–82
Culture: European
Medium: silk
Credit Line: Gift of Aline Bernstein, 1937
Object Number: C.I.37.61.1a, b
Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

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