Robe à la française

This 'robe à la française' with a Watteau pleated back was probably worn in the Netherlands in the 1770's. It is made of a striped offwhite and yellow silk damast and lined with heavy linen. Aanalysis of the fabric has revealed that is probably made from Chinese silk woven for the European market in a wholly European design. According the the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and contemporary household records silk from the East Indies (usually meaning China) were often used for garments. They would have cost less than European silks and were of comparable quality. Since virtually all VOC Imports came on the market in Amsterdam, the silks would have been widely available for Dutch buyers.