Dress with Hobble Skirt c. 1911 - 1912

This dress was made by Antoinetta Francisca Helena Mulder, and we can tell by the style that it dates to the early twentieth century. The lace and silk satin are beautiful, but also index the social conditions of the time. The lace, whether handmade or machine-made, evokes the immense labor required to produce such fine fabric. Consider the origins of the silk satin too, quite likely sourced from Asia, and woven under conditions of intense production. But it is the dress's design that speaks most clearly to the values of the period. The long, slender silhouette and the "hobble skirt" – so named because it restricted the wearer's stride – reflect the era's emphasis on decorum and constraint. Mulder’s creation is a striking illustration of how fashion can both reflect and reinforce the social and economic realities of its time. It is a design, but also a form of social commentary, challenging our assumptions about the line between fine art and craft.