Afternoon Dress: Day Bodice, Evening Bodice, and Skirt

From the shape of the sleeves and skirt to the fabric and trim, this dress embodies early 1860s ideals of elegance. Consisting of a skirt with two matching bodices, this ensemble would have been considered quite economical because it could be worn both for daytime activities and evening affairs. The day bodice, with a high neckline and long sleeves, is appropriately modest. The evening bodice, illustrated here, has a revealing, short sleeves, and is elaborately trimmed. The full sleeves create visual balance for the voluminous skirt.

Largely because of the invention of the cage crinoline, women’s skirts in the 1860s grew larger than at any other time since the eighteenth century. The crinoline, a lightweight support worn under the skirt, was constructed of a series of wire hoops suspended from a waistband by wide cotton bands.

The expanse of this skirt, which measures 180 inches in circumference at the hem, provides a perfect ground for the bold ribbon trim applied in a Greek key design. This stylish motif is rendered in magenta, the most fashionable color of the period.

The fabric of this dress is also remarkable. The crisp, silk taffeta is woven in a small black-and-white check. Superimposed on this is a floral pattern, an effect created by a process called chiné, in which the pattern is printed on the threads before the fabric is woven.