Engageantes

Art Historical Context

Step into the elegant world of Victorian fashion with *Engageantes*, a pair of silk cuffs crafted by an unknown British artist around 1870. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, these "engageantes"—detachable undersleeves or false cuffs—were a hallmark 19th-century women's attire. Acquired through the Irene Lewisohn Bequest 1974, they the refined craftsmanship of the era, blending practicality with opulent style. In the bustling social scene of 1870s Britain, engageantes served both aesthetic and functional purposes. Worn over bodice sleeves, they could be easily remov...