Object corner - 18th century dress

Object Corner Dress, c.1750-1760 H11875
This dress, from the mid 18th century, is made in a style known as an 'Open Robe and Petticoat'.
	It is made in two parts - an open-fronted robe, or gown, worn over a matching petticoat, or skirt. (In the 18th century, the word 'petticoat' meant a skirt, rather than an undergarment). The open bodice would have been filled with a separate panel, or 'stomacher'. This would be pinned or tied in place. The large skirt would have been worn over a hooped underskirt. At the back of the robe is a pleated train, falling from the shoulders to the hem. This style is known as a 'Sack-back' or 'Saque'. It was sometimes called 'Robe a la Francaise', or 'French Robe'. The dress is made from a figured, or patterned, silk fabric called damask. It is woven with a design of stylised leaves, flowers and exotic fruits. The bodice and sleeves are lined with linen. We don't know who made or owned the dress. It is one of two 18th century dresses found in an attic in the 1970's. Both dresses are very similar, suggesting they were worn by the same woman and made by the same dressmaker. See how the dress has been altered over the years .... and why!
More fascinating facts about how the dress was made and worn
A back view of the 'sack-back' dress



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