Images(2)

Bodice

Date1790-1805

MediumCotton, linen

DimensionsOL shoulder to hem, down center front 15 3/8 in.
Sleeve Length 24 5/8 in.
Bust 32 ¼ in.
Waist 29 5/8 in.

Credit LineGift of The Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA

Object number2023-143

DescriptionWoman’s bodice made of printed cotton with black ground and blue, green, yellow, and red floral design. Bodice has a center front closure intended to be pinned to fasten. Bodice has long, straight sleeves. Neckline is square at the back of the neck, then rounds in center front. Bodice center front extends down past waist. Bodice is lined with linen, and sleeves are partially lined. Stitching at center back waist suggests that there may have been a skirt attached.Label TextThe 1790s was a transitional period in women's fashion. Hips widened by panniers narrowed closer to the natural form, and the longer, conical torsos of the mid-18th century made way for the raised waistlines that defined the early 1800s. Bodices like these, with waistlines raised closer to the natural bust, may have been worn as individual garments with separate skirts or with skirts attached as a gown (as the ghosts of stitches on the back of this bodice suggest).ProvenancePrior to 1970, passed by descent to Katherine Jeffress [1908-1984] (Richmond, VA); 1970 given to the Valentine Museum (Richmond, VA); 2023-present given to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)