Dress

In the late 19th century, some women rejected mainstream fashion. This figure hugging, princess line dress incorporates many features which dress reformers and feminists campaigned against on the grounds of health, safety and practicality. Its weight (about 2.5 kg), heavily boned bodice, sweeping train and internal construction of carefully placed tape ties to adjust the fullness of the skirt constricted the body and hampered movement.

Not everyone liked the popularity of large amounts of surface decoration. Women were compared to the heavily trimmed furnishings of their drawing rooms and by implication presented as commodities whose main role was to be decorative within the confines of the home.

The dress is made of silk satin trimmed with panels of machine embroidery, cotton machine lace and silk fringe trimming. It was worn by the donor's grandmother. It was made by C. Applin in Cork Street, Burlington Gardens, London. In 1882 they are registered as Applin & Taylor, milliners.