Afternoon dress 1881 - 1885

Catherine Donovan, active in the late 19th century, created this afternoon dress, now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Garments like this one speak volumes about the social and cultural expectations of women during the Victorian era. The dress, with its delicate floral patterns and lace trimmings, presents an image of feminine refinement. Yet, these visual elements belie the physical constraints it imposed. Corsets, layers of fabric, and long skirts severely restricted women’s movement and emphasized an idealized, and largely unattainable, body shape. The garment embodies the era's complex relationship between beauty, class, and identity. The dress reflects the leisure and privilege of the upper and middle classes, while erasing the labor of those who produced it. This was a time when the burgeoning Industrial Revolution relied heavily on the labor of women and girls, often in harsh conditions, to produce textiles and garments for an increasingly consumer-driven society. This dress acts as a potent reminder of both the artistry and the restrictions that shaped women's lives.