Pelerine

Art Historical Context

Step into the elegant world of 1870s American fashion with *Pelerine*, a exquisite silk cape from the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dating to around 1875, this garment exemplifies the refined accessories popular among women during the post-Civil War Victorian era. Crafted from luxurious silk, its shimmering texture and lightweight drape would have offered both style and modesty, often layered over dresses for daytime elegance or promenade wear. Pelerines like this one were short capes or shawl-collars that framed the shoulders and neck, a hallmark of mid-19th-century si...