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Details

   

Red Faille Gown Trimmed with Satin
Unknown maker and place of origin, ca. 1807-1817.
Silverman/Rodgers Collection
KSUM 1983.1.29
Reproduction shirt and ruff.

The high-waisted neoclassical gowns of the early nineteenth century were not exclusively made of white cottons. The silk faille used in this gown is much stronger than cotton and is lined with linen. The type of fabric and darker color may indicate the use of the gown as a coat-dress, or pelisse, a style that attained great popularity by 1814 but was fastened along the center front. Like the gown next to it, this gown may have been dyed with cochineal.