Dress

Unknown

1879–80 · wool, silk · Costume Institute

With the mechanization of 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 to which elaborate surface decoration was applied, not unlike the mass produced ornate trims added to the exterior of Victorian homes. These two examples poised in the brief period between the vogue for the lighter, puffed bustles of the 1870s and the more heavily upholstered bustles of the 1880s were seen in their day as à la sirene, or mermaid-like, in silhouette. Their extended bodices, called the "cuirasse" since they encased a woman's torso like body armor, were the clearest 19th century expression of the hourglass shape.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1879–80

Medium

wool, silk

Culture

British

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Miss Irene Lewisohn, 1937