Emily's White Dress
Subject
Clothing and Dress
Title
Emily's White Dress
Date
ca. 1835 - 1840
Description
A woman's dress in the 1830s had a slightly elevated waistline often emphasized by a wide inset band, with a wide neckline that could be draped with a kerchief, pelerine, or fischu, and very large sleeves, sometimes called gigot sleeves, to balance the circumference of the skirt. The donor information accompanying this dress suggests that it belonged to Emily Williams Harris (1807-1875), grandmother of the donor Franklin Cushman.
Made from a fine cotton window-pane check, the garment incorporates the large sleeves of the 1830s, but is loose-fitting with no defined waistline. The fullness of the dress is controlled at the shoulders, with a band sewn across the front on each side, and one across the upper back, each creating a yoke effect at the top of the bodice. The dress hangs freely down the front below these bands. This feature, combined with a long front closure, suggests that this dress was worn as a maternity gown and after pregnancy. This garment is similar to what is called a robe-de-chambre in the 1830s, a loose-fitting gown that could be worn without the constraints of a corset or numerous petticoats. The shape could accommodate pregnancy or be worn in the casual setting of a woman’s home as a wrapper.
Little contemporary information can be found about maternity and nursing clothes worn during the 19th century. The Workwoman's Guide, originally published in 1838, included instructions for "Nursing Petticoats... for the convenience of those mothers who nurse their infants, the petticoat body in front may be opened in various ways." Emily married William Jenkins Harris around 1835 and had her first child, Sarah Lockwood Harris, in 1837; her fourth and last child was born in 1845. Emily's sisters Susan and Abby also married and produced children during this time. This gown may have been worn by any of the sisters.
References
A Lady. The Workwoman's Guide. Facsimile reprint. Guilford [CT]: Opus Publications, Inc., 1986. Originally published London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., 1838.
Bradfield, Nancy. Costume in Detail. Women's dress 1730-1930. Boston: Plays Inc. 1968, 1975.
Made from a fine cotton window-pane check, the garment incorporates the large sleeves of the 1830s, but is loose-fitting with no defined waistline. The fullness of the dress is controlled at the shoulders, with a band sewn across the front on each side, and one across the upper back, each creating a yoke effect at the top of the bodice. The dress hangs freely down the front below these bands. This feature, combined with a long front closure, suggests that this dress was worn as a maternity gown and after pregnancy. This garment is similar to what is called a robe-de-chambre in the 1830s, a loose-fitting gown that could be worn without the constraints of a corset or numerous petticoats. The shape could accommodate pregnancy or be worn in the casual setting of a woman’s home as a wrapper.
Little contemporary information can be found about maternity and nursing clothes worn during the 19th century. The Workwoman's Guide, originally published in 1838, included instructions for "Nursing Petticoats... for the convenience of those mothers who nurse their infants, the petticoat body in front may be opened in various ways." Emily married William Jenkins Harris around 1835 and had her first child, Sarah Lockwood Harris, in 1837; her fourth and last child was born in 1845. Emily's sisters Susan and Abby also married and produced children during this time. This gown may have been worn by any of the sisters.
References
A Lady. The Workwoman's Guide. Facsimile reprint. Guilford [CT]: Opus Publications, Inc., 1986. Originally published London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., 1838.
Bradfield, Nancy. Costume in Detail. Women's dress 1730-1930. Boston: Plays Inc. 1968, 1975.
Source
Donor: Franklin Cushman
The Cushman Collection
The Cushman Collection
Identifier
URI 1952.63.45
Contributor
Blair Walker, MS '08
Citation
“Emily's White Dress,” Historic Textile and Costume Collection, accessed May 3, 2024, https://uritextilecollection.omeka.net/items/show/353.