Woman's Dress (Robe à la française) with Matching Stomacher and Petticoat

This gown, made of delicate floral silk, epitomizes Rococo taste. The serpentine trim and silk floss fringe emphasize the front edges of the open robe, which displays a matching triangular stomacher and petticoat. The shape of the gown--with its conical torso and wide skirt--reiterates the ideal feminine form of the time. This seemingly fragile gown would have been worn over rigid, boned stays and a hoop-petticoat.