Afternoon dress 1870 - 1874

This afternoon dress was made by the House of Worth, the 19th century Parisian fashion house founded by Charles Frederick Worth. Worth is widely considered the father of haute couture; he was the first to brand himself as a designer, and he dictated fashion through his seasonal collections. This dress tells us a lot about the social rituals of wealthy women of the time. The elaborate design, high-quality materials and skilled construction speak of conspicuous consumption and the pressures of high society. A historian might research etiquette manuals, fashion plates, and social chronicles of the period to understand how garments like this were worn, seen, and understood. The dress also provides insights into the labor practices and economic structures of the fashion industry at the time.