Ensemble

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The inflated sleeves of the mid-1830s, once expanded to their fullest capacity, collapsed and contracted by 1837. This dress is a typical example of this new shape with its sleeves narrowed and gathered at the shoulder. Here, however, it is shown with its coordinated cape, since the survival of a complete, matching ensemble from this date is highly unusual. The desired overall effect was of a bell-shape which the cape, with its triangulated shoulder, emphasized.

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