Description:
Woman's cape or cloak made from a twill weave wool plaid in blue, brown and two shades of green. The fabric was probably woven by William Wilson's firm in Bannockburn, Scotland. The garment consists of a shaped, circular collar, longer capelet or half cape (with one seam running diagonally on proper right side), and a full-length main cape, all made in the matching fabric. The main portion of the cloak is made up of 6 panels of plaid material pleated into a matching yoke. There is an 8.5" opening or slit on either side front of the garment for the wearer's arms to fit through; otherwise the garment acts as a layered cape. The inside of the gament is lined in a butternut-brown colored wool flannel. The back of the capelet is lined in a green plain weave wool. The collar and arm slit flaps are lined in a glazed, plain weave linen or cotton. The cloak is extremely full, measuring just over 137" at the hem circumference. The collar is about 7" deep; capelet is about 17-21" deep (deepest at CB); hem is 1.5-1.75" deep. Both the collar and capelet are cut on the straight grain of the fabric, but draped on the bias at the CB. The main garment is cut and draped entirely on the straight grain. This garment, which would have been made by an experienced dressmaker or tailor/tailoress, is an important example of a good and serviceable women's outerwear that would have been worn in early 19th-century Connecticut River Valley. Numerous period account books detailing clothesmaking from the Valley indicate the importance of these kinds of garments, which enveloped the wearer to protect dresses from the elements. Textile color and pattern, as well as a superfluous collar or cape, are the only nods to fashion these protective outer garments display.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2013.33 |
