Wedding ensemble

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A rounded shoulderline that enhanced the length of the neck was prized through most of the nineteenth century. From the 1830s to the 1880s, it was accomplished by the lowered splayed stance of corset straps. The open neckline apparent in this wedding dress and the underbodice of this summer gown from the period suggests its romantic effect.

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