Cape

Art Historical Context

This elegant cape from the 1850s offers a glimpse into mid-th-century fashion, a time when women's outerwear blended practicality with refined style. Likely American or European in origin, it reflects the Victorian era's emphasis on modest yet sophisticated silhouettes, where capes served as versatile garments for travel, evening wear, or daily protection against the elements. Worn over crinolines and full skirts, such pieces added drama and warmth without compromising the era's ideals of femininity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, this artifact highlights the in...