This stylish silk dress was worn in MontrÄal about 1882. It may have been made in MontrÄal but by this time many wealthy women travelled and did their shopping abroad and in the United States.
The use of two or more colours, or fabrics, was adopted in the 1870s and this dress shows how they, as well as several kinds of trimming, were used. The basqued bodice is fitted, lined, and boned. The back section extends into a fishtail. The bodice front is the same fabric as the back and has a complicated cut extending into a slashed and tabbed collar. The neck is filled in with a lace ruffle.
The skirt is gored and the overskirt, which is stitched to it, is open down the front. Note the braid medallions, with tassels. They are also on the front edges of the overskirt. The skirt is lined to stiffen it and there is a dust frill to protect the hem.
Dresses were kept fresh by airing and careful brushing. Dry cleaning as we know it, was still in its infancy but many domestic journals provided various methods for removing stains. Dress shields of cotton, chamois leather, and rubber had been in use since the 1830s.
