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| Velvet gown with daytime bodice, Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895), Gibson House Museum (1997.111). |
There is a gem in the collection of nineteenth-century dress at the Gibson House Museum. It is a sumptuous purple velvet gown, richly colored and trimmed in velvet ribbon and silk fringe. A drape sweeps off the waist and gathers at the back in a dramatic bustle. The dress has two separate bodices: one for day wear (long-sleeved with a high collar) and one for evening wear, with a low, square neckline. The skirt is stiff from a horsehair lining, and metal stays are sewn directly into the bodice fabric.
Likely made in
the early 1870s, the dress is a pitch-perfect example of Victorian fashion from
that decade. The tightly corseted waist and prominent bustle create a
much-desired silhouette, one that shows off a more “natural” form in comparison
to the large hooped skirts of the 1860s. In dress, as in most other things, the
Victorians preferred a high level of specificity, and the two bodices signify
the expectation of different attire for day and evening.
