Girl's Dress, about 1840

Description:: The high waist, flat-pleating and wide neck on this dress indicate a very early 1840s date of construction. It is an example of girl's "good" clothing parallel to adult women's styles and not necessarily accommodating a child's body and needs. In particular, the wide neck would have been chilly and difficult to keep straight, and the high waist would have been less comfortable for movement. Similarly, the very thin fabric would not have been practical for a young girl.
Date Issued:: [1835 TO 1845]
Data Provider:: Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
Collection:: Digital Dress Collection
Place:: United States
Subject Topic:: Dresses, Girls' clothing, Children's clothing, Checker Pattern, and Women's clothing
Format:: clothing
Rights:: Images are copyright The Henry Ford. Web versions may be used for reference purposes only. If you would like a higher quality image please contact the Benson Ford Research Center.
URL:: http://digital.library.wayne.edu/item/wayne:EM02_88_0_1190_1