Day dress

A cascade of trimming adorns this woman's day outfit, reflecting the passion for passementerie decoration such as fringe, braid, gimp, ribbon, tassels and cord. Some of the most fashionable garments combined passementerie with applied bands of velvet, complementing the colour of the dress and adding rich textures. The fringe on this bodice is composed of strands of black hand-knotted silk forming openings into which 'poms' of brown chenille are inserted to create the tufted look. Identical fringed trimmings are also applied to the skirt flounces, and they must have swayed with the movement of the wearer, creating rippled effects.

Passmenterie dress trimmings were similar to those used on beds, windows and upholstery, and a fashionable woman must have looked very much at home when surrounded by tasselled valances and padded chairs embellished with fringe.