Evening dress 1887 - 1889

This evening dress was made by the House of Worth, a Parisian fashion house that dressed European royalty and the upper class, from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. During this period, fashion was a key symbol of status and femininity was dictated by a rigid set of expectations. Dresses like these tell us a lot about gender, class, and power during that time. The cinched waist and heavy skirt, while beautiful, also speak to the constraints placed on women’s bodies and roles in society. The luxurious materials and intricate lace-work would have been indicators of wealth. It would have been worn at exclusive social events, reinforcing class divisions. The House of Worth was known for its elaborate designs and couture techniques. Dresses like this provided a canvas for women to perform their identities, while also reflecting the strict social norms they had to navigate. It's a story of beauty, but also of the complex and often restrictive forces that shaped women's lives.