Description:
Woman's two piece brown silk dress consisting of a bodice with peplum and a wide, full skirt. Bodice secures center front with 10 black buttons (several are replacements). Worn by an ancester of the donor's family in upstate New York, this dress represents the patronage of a skilled dressmaker by a wealthier woman. The garment is a good example of mid-1860s women's fashion, and the popularity of the brown-gold color known as "bismarck." The color was described in Godey's "Lady's Book and Magazine" in November 1867: "In dress goods, various shades of brown prevail; the beautiful Bismarcks, golden browns, and the graver shades suited to plainer tastes."

Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Cotton; Silk

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+V.001A

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.

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