Jacket

Art Historical Context

This elegant silk jacket, crafted around 1890 by an unknown American artist, exemplifies the refined fashion of the Gilded Age in the United States. Dating to the late Victorian era, it reflects a period when women's outerwear began shifting from heavy bustles toward sleeker silhouettes, blending practicality with opulence. Silk, a luxurious and prized fabric, was handwoven or machined into lightweight yet durable forms, allowing for intricate draping and subtle sheen that caught the light in drawing rooms and promenades alike. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, th...