c. 1760-1770

Woman's Dress (Robe à la française) with Attached Stomacher

By the mid-eighteenth century the robe á la française, or sacque, was the choice of fashionable European and American women for formal occasions. The flowing lines of this style underscored the elegance of the woman who wore it. The bodice fits tightly at the sides and in front-here it has an attached buttoned stomacher popular at the time-while the back has large pleats across the shoulders that fall gracefully into a short train, showing off the rich, expensive silk fabric. The sleeves are finished with tiered, scalloped flounces that would have echoed every graceful movement of the wearer's arms.