Historical Fashion Dresses

Elegant historical dresses and gowns from the 18th and early 19th century, showcasing elaborate fabrics and intricate designs, representing vintage fashion.

Woman's Dress. Matching alternative bodice and bag of textile fragments to 1952M29.1

Robe à l'Anglaise. Culture: British. Date: 1780-85.Large eighteenth-century rooms with their high ceilings could be very cold in the winter, even when a fire was blazing on the hearth. English ladies wore quilted petticoats to fight the chill and continued the fashion out of doors during the cool days of spring. These petticoats, sewn in brightly colored silks and stains, were elaborately quilted all over in fanciful patterns, not just in front, where the overdress was drawn away. This glazed chintz day dress is a rare surviving example of the elaborate floral chintzes loved by the English in the second and third quarters of the century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress. Culture: French. Date: 1796-99. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Robe à la Française 1765-70 French The striped textile here is indicative of the change in aesthetics around 1765 to a more neoclassical taste, less florid than the silks of the decades prior to them.Women with coquettish airs were imposing in robes à la française and robes à l'anglaise throughout the period between 1720 and 1780. The robe à la française was derived from the loose negligee sacque dress of the earlier part of the century, which was pleated from the shoulders at the front at the back. The silhouette, composed of a funnel-shaped bust feeding into wide rectangular skirts, was inspired by Spanish designs of the previous century and allowed for expansive amounts of textiles with delicate Rococo curvilinear decoration. The wide skirts, which were often open at the front to expose a highly decorated underskirt, were supported by panniers created from padding and hoops of different materials such as cane, baleen or metal. The robes à la française are renowned for the beauty of

Morning dress 1840-45 British. Morning dress 108064

Robe à la Française 1765-70 Italian. Robe à la Française 86917

Wedding dress 1776 American. Wedding dress 159294

Dress ca. 1842 American. Dress. American. ca. 1842. cotton

Robe à la Française. Culture: French. Date: 1765-70.The striped textile here is indicative of the change in aesthetics around 1765 to a more neoclassical taste, less florid than the silks of the decades prior to them.Women with coquettish airs were imposing in robes à la française and robes à l'anglaise throughout the period between 1720 and 1780. The robe à la française was derived from the loose negligee sacque dress of the earlier part of the century, which was pleated from the shoulders at the front at the back. The silhouette, composed of a funnel-shaped bust feeding into wide rectangular skirts, was inspired by Spanish designs of the previous century and allowed for expansive amounts of textiles with delicate Rococo curvilinear decoration. The wide skirts, which were often open at the front to expose a highly decorated underskirt, were supported by panniers created from padding and hoops of different materials such as cane, baleen or metal. The robes à la française are renowned

Woman's Dress. Matching alternative bodice and bag of textile fragments to 1952M29.1

Robe à la Française. Culture: French. Date: ca. 1760. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Wedding ensemble 1831 American. Wedding ensemble 108406

Dress 1825-30 British. Dress 84331

Dress ca. 1843 American. Dress 108069

Woman's Petticoat. China for the Western market, circa 1785. Costumes; principal attire (lower body). Silk satin with silk embroidery

Wedding dress ca. 1850 American. Wedding dress 108115

Dinner dress 1875-78 Mon. Vignon French Uncannily like the dresses in the wonderfully presumptuous portraits of John Singer Sargent and Thomas Eakins of the same time, this 1870s evening dress extracts the full glitz and glamour of eighteenth-century fashion for a new epoch. Ornament crowds out other ornament; the configuration of the open robe is renewed; its silhouette is bold and begins to connect the eighteenth century with its Belle Époque revival.. Dinner dress. French. 1875-78. silk, glass

Underskirt 1774-93 British. Underskirt 86906

Tea gown. Culture: probably American. Date: 1875-80.The teagown was intended to be worn at home while greeting receiving people. As with most other 19th century garments it did not require the wearer to don a corset underneath. This level of comfort was only permissible in one's own home. An interesting construction aspect of this teagown is the back, which resembles a redingote and adds a masculine touch to a highly feminine garment.The bustle silhouette, although primarily associated with the second half of the 19th century, originated in earlier fashions as a simple bump at the back of the dress, such as with late 17th-early 18th century mantuas and late 18th- early 19th century Empire dresses. The full-blown bustle silhouette had its first Victorian appearance in the late 1860s, which started as fullness in skirts moving to the back of the dress. This fullness was drawn up in ties for walking that created a fashionable puff. This trendsetting puff expanded and was then built up w

Female dress, 19th century. Museum: Museu Textil i d'Indumentaria, Barcelona.

Ensemble. Culture: French. Date: 1867-68. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Morning dress ca. 1844 British. Morning dress 84512

Dress ca. 1841 American. Dress 108067

Dress. Cotton canvas, wooden board printing, white background, five colors. 1790-1800. Galliera, fashion museum of the city of Paris. Feminine mode, female clothing, 18th 18th 18th 18th 18th 18th 18 century, dress, dress

Dress 1860s American. Dress 107626

Morning dress. Culture: French. Date: 1865-70. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress ca. 1872 Mon. Vignon French. Dress 101827

Evening dress. Culture: American. Date: 1828-29. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Afternoon dress ca. 1870 Austrian. Afternoon dress 107677

Afternoon dress ca. 1843 American. Afternoon dress 108428

Day dress. Silk shaped gold with rural patterns. Around 1850-1852. Galliera, fashion museum of the city of Paris. George Sand day dress Feminine, foliage, mannequin, champetre pattern, gold, day dress, second empire, faconnee silk, crinoline

Afternoon dress. Culture: American. Date: 1890-95. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress 1874 American. Dress. American. 1874. no medium available

Morning dress 1865-70 French. Morning dress 174236

Dress ca. 1885 American The bustle silhouette, although primarily associated with the second half of the 19th century, originated in earlier fashions as a simple bump at the back of the dress, such as with late 17th-early 18th century mantuas and late 18th- early 19th century Empire dresses. The full-blown bustle silhouette had its first Victorian appearance in the late 1860s, which started as fullness in skirts moving to the back of the dress. This fullness was drawn up in ties for walking that created a fashionable puff. This trendsetting puff expanded and was then built up with supports from a variety of different things such as horsehair, metal hoops and down. Styles of this period were often taken from historical inspiration and covered in various types of trim and lace. Accessories were petite and allowed for the focus on the large elaborate gowns. Around 1874, the style altered and the skirts began to hug the thighs in the front while the bustle at the back was reduced to a natu

Woman's Dress and Stomacher (Robe à la française)

Robe à la Française. Culture: British. Date: 1760-70. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dinner dress 1897-1900 House of Worth French Jean-Philippe Worth began as an assistant to his father, Charles Frederick Worth, in 1875. Gradually he was allowed to create his own designs and when his father died in 1895, he became the lead designer for the house. He was praised for making elaborate artistic gowns with intricate trimmings on unique textiles, much like his father had before him. Although the House of Worth was still favored by royalty and celebrities through the turn of the century, their styles were no longer the forefront of French fashion after 1900. Around 1910 Jean-Philippe limited his design work to important orders and hired his nephew, Jean-Charles Worth, as the new lead designer before leaving the company entirely after World War I.. Dinner dress 159433

Ensemble American ca. 1850

Wedding dress 1826 American. Wedding dress 108026

Dress 1750 British Whereas the nineteenth century was marked by regular changes in the placement of the waist, only very subtle shifts in the waistline occurred in the dress of the eighteenth century. While a low waist was in evidence at the eighteenth century's commencement and an extremely high waist took prominence at its end, the middle of the century was characterized by a waistline that hovered at the natural zone.. Dress 85312

Doucet, 1900, big canvas with parma reflections, black embroidery with points. White mechanical Valencian bodice, sleeves mounted with small folds. Belt made up of a large black velvet ribbon Palais Galliera, fashion museum in the city of Paris

Dress. Culture: British. Designer: Lucile (British, 1863-1935). Date: 1916-17.Although she had an old-fashioned sensibility for the feminine that defined waists in belts and cummerbunds in otherwise cylindrical silhouettes, Lucile was modern in her use of tissue-thin layerings and veilings. A modern-day Salome has to be envisioned in these dresses. If lingerie dressing was and has always been a modern impulse, Lucile managed to create its most conservative and proper version. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress 1879-81 American. Dress 107808

Dress 1837-40 American This girl's dress is a very good example of the change in style that began in 1837, the year that Queen Victoria became queen. The exaggerated gigot sleeve collapsed in that year, and the sleeve became tight on the upper arm, gradually losing its fullness over the next several years. This dress shows that transition well and is exemplary of dresses worn by a young teenage girl of the highest style of the period.. Dress. American. 1837-40. silk

Tabler, pleated with wide central fold from cream-colored silk in yellow embroidered with slender, wide-tempered flower and leaf refuel; Blue linen lining .. smooth tablet with deep pleats put on a tire; HORSEND AT A FAIT OF WHITE RIPS SIDE, Embroidered with yellow silk.

Chintz Sack Gown, anonymous, c. 1775 - c. 1780 Dresses of sits were usually worn indoors by the higher positions, as a Négligé. The bourgeoisie could also show itself out in a dress of sits. Although of modest quality, this ROBE SAC is relatively rare. There are many more sitsen yaws and skirts preserved than dresses. The body is closed at the front. The sleeves or heats and sabot end under the elbow and are trimmed with green silk. Robes Sac were worn from 1750 until the late years of the 18th century. NetherlandsIndia whole: Cotton (textile). Lining: Linen (Material). Passement: Silk painting Dresses of sits were usually worn indoors by the higher positions, as a Négligé. The bourgeoisie could also show itself out in a dress of sits. Although of modest quality, this ROBE SAC is relatively rare. There are many more sitsen yaws and skirts preserved than dresses. The body is closed at the front. The sleeves or heats and sabot end under the elbow and are trimmed with green silk. Robes Sa

Morning dress ca. 1903 American or European. Morning dress 106403

Cream -colored side with pleated sides strips, finished with narrow passement and light blue silk loops; The skirt is strongly pleated at the side splits., Anonymous, c. 1760 - c. 1765 See main record Netherlands silk See main record Netherlands silk

Dress, Holland or England in brochée silk, red, white, green and blue, lace patterns, round folds, flat folds, rectangular neckline (back view), between 1725 and 1735. Galliera, fashion museum of the city of Paris . 34755-12 England, lace, rectangular, female, woman, Holland, brooch silk, dress

Afternoon dress 1878-80 French. Afternoon dress 107815

Dress ca. 1865 American. Dress 108189

Dress 1760s French Western chinoiserie is often a compound of exotic elements, not all indigenous to China. This eighteenth-century dress exhibits such multiple allusions, but they have been assimilated by the technology and aesthetic of Lyonnais manufacture. Palm trees signify the foreign, and the pagoda-inspired folliesEastern architecture transplanted to the Westare posts with tented swags.. Dress 84062

Evening dress 1888 House of Worth French The love knot motif is elegant and lyrical representing the quintessential daintily fluttering bow which was an iconic motif of the 18th century. The treatment of the bust drapery by exposing the selvedge under the bust is a classic Worth design characteristic which was usually done on the skirt edges, but here is very prominently done on the bodice. The bustle silhouette, although primarily associated with the second half of the 19th century, originated in earlier fashions as a simple bump at the back of the dress, such as with late 17th-early 18th century mantuas and late 18th- early 19th century Empire dresses. The full-blown bustle silhouette had its first Victorian appearance in the late 1860s, which started as fullness in skirts moving to the back of the dress. This fullness was drawn up in ties for walking that created a fashionable puff. This trendsetting puff expanded and was then built up with supports from a variety of different thing

Afternoon dress ca. 1855 French This dress incorporates the romance of the buta motif in a fabric that has no similarity to the original Kashmir wool. The endemic Paisley-wool ligature is dissociated in the West, chiefly because of its extraordinary popularity as it becomes a design motif for all seasons.. Afternoon dress. French. ca. 1855. cotton

Evening dress ca. 1840 American. Evening dress. American. ca. 1840. cotton, silk

Wedding dress 1856-59 American. Wedding dress 108162

Afternoon dress. Culture: American. Date: ca. 1862.The female silhouette of the middle of the 19th century consisted of a fitted corseted bodice and wide full skirts. The conical skirts developed between the 1830s, when the high waist of the Empire silhouette was lowered and the skirts became more bell shaped, to the late 1860s, when the fullness of the skirts were pulled to the back and the bustle developed. The flared skirts of the period gradually increased in size throughout and were supported by a number of methods. Originally support came from multiple layers of petticoats which, due to weight and discomfort, were supplanted by underskirts comprised of graduated hoops made from materials such as baleen, cane and metal. The fashions during this time allowed the textiles to stand out because of the vast surface areas of the skirt and a relatively minimal amount of excess trim. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress ca. 1840 British. Dress 84523

Afternoon dress 1890s American. Afternoon dress. American. 1890s. no medium available

Town dress. Gray silk -printing water on chain of bouquets of flowers, silk fringes. 1850-1852. Galliera, fashion museum of the city of Paris. Corsage and skirt bouquets of printed flowers. Knots, fringes on the edge of the bodice. Flower, feminine bouquet, woman, silk of silk, pattern, town dress, second empire, gray silk, green water

Morning dress 1880s American. Morning dress 107828

Ceintuur with long slips with frills and decorated with small buttons, exaggerated with gold -colored fabric, anonymous, c. 1865 - c. 1870 Ceintuur with long slips with frills and decorated with small buttons, covered with gold -colored fabric. The belt belongs to dresses (A). Europe silk Ceintuur with long slips with frills and decorated with small buttons, covered with gold -colored fabric. The belt belongs to dresses (A). Europe silk

Summer day dress, around 1869-1872. Cotton canvas Cream printed with fine straw stripes and a sowing of multicolored flowers. Galliera, fashion museum of the city of Paris. 76518-4 Cotton cream, fine strawing stripe, multicolored foil, haute couture, female mode, day dress, summer dress, canvas

Dress. Culture: American. Date: ca. 1838. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Evening ensemble. Culture: American. Date: 1845-50.The female silhouette of the middle of the 19th century consisted of a fitted corseted bodice and wide full skirts. The conical skirts developed between the 1830s, when the high waist of the Empire silhouette was lowered and the skirts became more bell shaped, to the late 1860s, when the fullness of the skirts were pulled to the back and the bustle developed. The flared skirts of the period gradually increased in size throughout and were supported by a number of methods. Originally support came from multiple layers of petticoats which, due to weight and discomfort, were supplanted by underskirts comprised of graduated hoops made from materials such as baleen, cane and metal. The fashions during this time allowed the textiles to stand out because of the vast surface areas of the skirt and a relatively minimal amount of excess trim. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress ca. 1810 American This historical dress served as an inspiration for a 1950's muslins designed for Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., by Charles James (2009.300.2777, 2009.300.2778). The donor, who was a life-long muse and friend of James, often brought him historical fashions to reinterpret. The results were imaginative and unique although it is unclear of the final results were ever worn.The Empire silhouette is readily identified with its origins in the chiton of ancient Greco-Romans, which was a tubular garment draped from the shoulders and sometimes belted beneath the bust. Several re-interpretations have occurred throughout costume history but none have been as notable as the period bridging the rectangular panierred skirts of the 18th century and the conical hoop skirts of the 19th century. The neoclassic style was adopted in all forms of decoration after the French Revolution and was upheld during the Napoleonic Wars partly due to Napoleon Bonaparte's (1769-1821) alliance

Dress. Culture: American. Date: 1885-89. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Afternoon dress. Culture: American or European. Date: 1858-63. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Afternoon dress 1888 House of Worth French This is a prime example of the bustle skirt, which came back in the 1880s largely due to Worth's influence in fashion and his desire to stimulate the silk manufacturing industry in France. This dress is an example of the Worth design aesthetic of using celestial motifs. The selvedge edges were exposed and used as a decorative device, a practice that continued through the 1910s, which was a way of utilizing the full width of these expensive textiles. The fact that the selvedge is woven of the same quality of silk and color emphasizes the refinement of these custom luxury fabrics. The bustle silhouette, although primarily associated with the second half of the 19th century, originated in earlier fashions as a simple bump at the back of the dress, such as with late 17th-early 18th century mantuas and late 18th- early 19th century Empire dresses. The full-blown bustle silhouette had its first Victorian appearance in the late 1860s, which started a

Dress 1804-14 French. Dress. French. 1804-14. no medium available

Christening dress. Culture: American. Date: 1868. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Afternoon dress. Culture: French. Designer: Jacques Doucet (French, Paris 1853-1929 Paris). Date: 1900-1903.Jacques Doucet was first, and foremost, a connoisseur of art. Additionally, his passion for the refined and exquisite overflowed into his dealings with fashion, making him one of the finest French couturiers during the Belle Époque. The House of Doucet began as a family business, specializing in women's lingerie and laces, as well as articles of clothing for men. Founded in 1817, the company rose to fame under the hand of Jacques. The house was known for its luxurious offerings, which were worn and coveted by royalty, members of the elite society in both Europe and America, and actresses of the stage.This is an elegant afternoon dress that would be suitable for afternoon events, such as the races and other promenade activities. The dress is an excellent example of Doucet's penchant for lingerie-like garments, which is represented by the delicate ruffles and rose printed chiffon

Strik of yellow -green velvet, part of dress, anonymous, c. 1894 - c. 1895 Evening gown of white satin with pink florets and light -green green velvet. Great gala of a ministers sleeve. Europe Evening gown of white satin with pink florets and light -green green velvet. Great gala of a ministers sleeve. Europe

Evening Gown, Van Kerm, c. 1894 - c. 1895 Jellon, consisting of a body (a) composed of gray beige launched silk with pink roses and yellow -green velvet and a skirt (B) with the same satin drag. Association (C) of yellow -green velvet. Model: (a) blooming body at the front and back ending in a point with a low boat neck and poffing half -length sleeves. Body is composed of Gaze de Lisse, launched silk, velvet and band velvet. The body is lined with pink taf side and foresis of ribs. Thread in the middle behind. Four square shoulder pieces made of double folded and with light green satin lined velvet on the paped sleeves. The pointed lap is entirely of velvet. A large, long-ended collar of Etskant in Neo-Renaissance style has been attached to the body. Because of the complicated process, it was very expensive in the course of the 19th century. (B) Rucking skirt with drag. Set up in front of smoothly, three deep folds laid forward on the widened hips, two more deep bell pleats behind. (C

Dress ca. 1865 American. Dress 173598

Woman's Dress (Robe à transformation). France, circa 1865. Costumes; principal attire (entire body). Silk plain weave (taffeta) with printed warp, moiré finish

Ball gown ca. 1869 British. Ball gown 108198

Wedding dress 1884 American. Wedding dress 107021

Dinner dress 1890-95 House of Worth French Charles Frederick Worth was born in England and spent his young adulthood working for textile merchants in London while researching art history at museums. In 1845 he moved to Paris and worked as a salesman and a dressmaker before partnering with Otto Bobergh to open the dressmaking shop, Worth and Bobergh, in 1858. They were soon recognized by royalty and major success followed. In 1870 Worth became the sole proprietor of the business. At his shop, Worth fashioned completed creations which he then showed to clients on live models. Clients could then order their favorites according to their own specifications. This method is the origin of haute couture. Worth designed gowns which were works of art that implemented a perfect play of colors and textures created by meticulously chosen textiles and trims. The sheer volume of the textiles he employed on each dress is testimony to his respect and support of the textile industry. Worth's creative out

Robe à la Française 1770-90 probably French. Robe à la Française 86978

Wedding dress with orange blossom. Symbolism plays an important part in the decorations for a wedding. From the 19th century onwards a white wedding dress stood for virginity, purity, and innocence. Orange blossom brought happiness and chastity, and was considered indispensable according to contemporary etiquette. Brides, therefore, incorporated orange blossoms, either real or made of wax, in their hair,on their dress, or in their wedding bouquet. In this case orange blossoms made of wax adorn the gown.

Morning dress probably American 1860s View more. Morning dress. probably American. 1860s. cotton

Morning dress. Culture: American. Date: 1850-65. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Ball gown ca. 1872 House of Worth French Worth rarely scrutinized or adapted forms from the East; in this unusual example, he has emulated Middle Eastern enamels. More often, he was an instrument of a Western taste that was projected globally via imperialism. He is said to have created 250 dresses on commission from Empress Eugénie for her appearances at the opening of the Suez Canal in 1868. This gown was worn by Mrs. William De Forest Manice, the donor's grandmother, at both the French and English courts during the reigns of Napoleon III and Queen Victoria. When worn on such occasions, the dress had a detachable brocade train, since destroyed.. Ball gown. French. ca. 1872. silk

Dress 1804-14 probably American. Dress. probably American. 1804-14. cotton

Dolman ca. 1894 American or European A form of negilgée, this wrapper is related to the highly elaborated teagowns which became fashionable at-home wear during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. As the vogue for teagowns took hold, they became less like dressing gowns and more like evening dress, even as, in the opposite direction, evening dresses began to take on more of the frothy embellishments of teagowns. The elaborate finish and ornament of this wrapper reflects the ambiguity of this merging of the decorative effects of eveningwear and intimate apparel.. Dolman. American or European. ca. 1894. no medium available

Dress ca. 1775 French This is an example of one form of dress which became acceptable in the later part of the 18th century. The bodice is more like a jacket, known as a caraco. The informal sensibility about it is relative to the open robes and exposed petticoats of the period. The sleeves are known as sabot sleeves because they fit over the elbow like a sabot shoe, also known as a clog. Dress 159501

Ensemble. Culture: French. Date: ca. 1830.Not only is this banyan a good example of man's ornate leisure wear, but it also illustrates how fine dress silks from the previous century were recycled in the nineteenth century. This is evidenced in the style of the two pieces and the creases and piecing in the fabric, indicating it is from a former garment. Men were often depicted in portraits wearing banyans, for it made an illusion to a gentleman's high rank, general intellect, and social status. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Opera coat ca. 1898 French. Opera coat 107155

Dress ca. 1814 French. Dress 107991

Afternoon dress ca. 1895 American. Afternoon dress 174302

Walking dress 1870-75 American This is a nice example of an early 1870s bustle day dress worn for promenading and visiting. Skirt decoration in this period was often achieved by using two separate skirts, with an overskirt being the main source of decoration and the puffing for the bustle.The bustle silhouette, although primarily associated with the second half of the 19th century, originated in earlier fashions as a simple bump at the back of the dress, such as with late 17th-early 18th century mantuas and late 18th- early 19th century Empire dresses. The full-blown bustle silhouette had its first Victorian appearance in the late 1860s, which started as fullness in skirts moving to the back of the dress. This fullness was drawn up in ties for walking that created a fashionable puff. This trendsetting puff expanded and was then built up with supports from a variety of different things such as horsehair, metal hoops and down. Styles of this period were often taken from historical inspir

Skirt with trail, part of Jap, from greybee launched silk with pink roses. Running skirt with trail. From before slippery turned, deep folds laid up on the widened hips, behind two deep bellp pleats. Lined with taffy side.

Evening dress. Culture: American. Date: 1858-59. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Dress Made of Printed Fabric. The dress is made of cotton with a glazed finish produced in Europe. This kind of European fabric, which was often printed, was a less expensive alternative to chintz, a handpainted or stained calico cloth imported from India. The dress on view is adorned with panels of the same fabric with pleats folded into a hexagonal pattern.

Evening dress 1837-40 American. Evening dress 174866

Womans Dress (Robe à langlaise). France, 1785-1790. Costumes; principal attire (entire body). Silk twill and silk plain-weave stripes

Dress 1829 British. Dress 107956

Dress ca. 1835 American. Dress. American. ca. 1835. silk

Woman's Seaside Ensemble (Jacket, Bodice, and Skirt). France, 1864-1867. Costumes; ensembles. Cotton plain weave, with supplementary warps (ribbed), and cotton machine embroidery

of 5