Look C

Description:

By the late 1830s women’s dresses featured boned corsage fitted close to the body, a style of corseting that would continue into the coming decades. Gentlemen in the 1840s saw it as a mark of their social status that their wives “should do nothing at all.” This is reflected through the restrictive nature of bodices and corsets from this period. In addition to the boned structure of bodices and corsets, layers and layers of petticoats were worn to achieve full skirts. The wide, scooped neckline of this dress emphasizes diminutive, sloped shoulders, a desirable look in the 1830s-1840s.

Attribution:

Unknown

Date:

1840

Collection ID:

CCTC #76

Notes:

Gift of Mrs. H.S. Tarbert (Lucy Stronge)

Exhibit tags:

Garments