Dress
ca. 1878
Medium
silk, cotton, metal
Classification
Dress
Culture
British
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mary Pierrepont Beckwith, 1969
Accession Number
C.I.69.14.11a, b
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegance of Victorian high society with this exquisite *Dress* by Madame Elise, crafted around 1878. Renowned British dressmaker Madame Elise specialized in luxurious garments for the elite, and this piece exemplifies the opulence of the era's fashion. Made from shimmering silk, soft cotton, and metallic accents—likely buttons or trims—it reflects the technical mastery of 19th-century couture, where hand-sewn details and fine fabrics created wearable art. In the late Victorian period, dresses like this embodied the era's emphasis on the bustle silhouette, hourglass figures, and ...