Evening dress

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

After the body consciousness and transparent fabrics of the Empire style, fabrics took on more weight. At first, plain silks in vivid colors imitated the simple lines of musin dresses. It was not long, however, before the plain gown began to be accented with intricate contrasting applied decoration.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art