Evening dress 1877–82 European With mechanized sewing becoming ubiquitous, as well as the Victorian penchant for machine-made trimmings such as braid, lace, and ribbons, women's dress became the foundation on which elaborate surface decoration was applied. This example was seen in its day as à la sirène, or mermaidlike, in outline. Its extended bodice, called the "cuirasse" since it encased a woman's torso like body armor, was the clearest nineteenth-century expression of the hourglass Evening dress. European. 1877–82. silk

---

Size: 1788px × 1952px
Photo credit: © MET/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: