Skirt
Category
Costume
Date
1790 - 1810
Materials
Silk taffeta, silk lace.
Order this imageCollection
Springhill, County Londonderry
NT 603182
Caption
Although the Regency period (1795–1820) is often associated with decadence, women’s fashions witnessed an intriguing change – the most fashionable ladies in the country began to imitate the styles of some of the poorest, favouring higher waistlines and simple fabrics. The French Revolution ushered in a trend across Europe for unadorned materials, abandoning restrictive stays and voluminous skirts in favour of humble fabrics that gave greater comfort and movement. Made of taffeta silk, this dress’s powder blue tone and flowing shape allude to the new preference for softer colours and fabrics. This type of gown was commonly known as an ‘apron front’ or ‘bib front’, with tabs allowing the release of the front of the bodice. Unusually, this gown survives with two interchangeable bodices, one without the bib front. It was recorded as a nursing gown: breastfeeding one’s own child also became popular during this time. However, this was a style adopted by many fashionable women. Helen Antrobus
Summary
A woman's dress, consisting of a skirt and two separate matching bodices in pale blue silk taffeta with white silk lace trim. Refer to individual records for further details.
Provenance
Gift of Lord Clanwilliam
References
Antrobus and Slocombe 2025: Helen Antrobus and Emma Slocombe, 100 Things to Wear: Fashion from the collections of the National Trust, National Trust 2025, p. 96.