Sack back, petticoat, stomacher

A woman's sack-back gown, petticoat and stomacher of cream silk with a figured and striped ground, brocaded with small floral sprigs in shades of green, blue, and pink. The sack back is open at the front with elbow-length sleeves with double, scalloped sleeve ruffles. The bodice and sleeves are lined with bleached linen. The back has two, double box pleats stitched at the neckline; the skirts are pleated into the waist seam at the front of the sack back. It is made of 6 widths of silk. The robings are trimmed with narrow ruching edged with a fringe of white silk gimp and coloured floss silk knots. A wide pleated strip of silk, edged with the same fringe, is arranged in a serpentine line on the skirt fronts. The sleeve ruffles are also edged with fringe.

The petticoat is made of five widths of silk, pleated at the waist and bound with linen tape ties. The sides of the petticoat are pleated to accommodate a square hoop. The front is decorated with a deep flounce of silk, edged and caught up with fringe, below which is a wide strip of pleated silk edged with fringe.

The stomacher is unlined and decorated with gathered and fringe-trimmed ruching and a bow of the same.

The sack back was altered in the late 19th century for fancy dress. A ruffle of cotton gauze was machine-sewn to the neck and the robings unpicked