Robe à la piédmontaise

A woman's robe à la piedmontese and petticoat, salmon pink satin, white, silver-gilt stripe, brocaded floral sprays in silver-gilt strip and shades of green wrapped with silver, salmon-pink silk. The robe is open at the front with shaped, elbow-length sleeves. The bodice is separate from the skirts, seamed at the waist. The bodice meets at the centre front, with a lacing band on inside of each front; it has a shaped, boned back reaching to a point at centre back. The sleeves are lined in linen; the bodice parts are lined with linen, then stitched together. The skirts are made of 6 widths of linen, flat pleated into the waist and curving at the hem of each side of the front. The hem is faced with pink silk ribbon. At the back, two double box pleats, separate from the bodice, extend from the centre back of the skirts. The are bound at the top with silk, decorated with silk ribbons and stitched the back neck of the bodice.

The petticoat is made of 2 widths of silk and pieced with plain salmon-pink silk.

The ensemble was probably made in the 1770s as a sack back (robe à la française) and petticoat. In the 1780s it was converted to a robe à la piedmontese. A new separate bodice was made from silk from the back of the petticoat. The original sack-back pleats retained and fastened to the back neck of the new bodice.

Both were altered for fancy dress in the late 19th century. 19 small metal rings were sewn in a semi-circle on the skirts, below the waist, for gathering over a bustle. The waist binding was removed from the petticoat and replaced with a drawstring casing.