Robe à la française

Robe à la française

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gowns in the eighteenth century were supported by rounded side hoops of different extension and depth. A wider dress would have been narrower in profile. In the instance of a gown of less width, the depth of the hoops and the robe à la française construction would have consumed as much fabric as the planar version. In both instances, a woman so garbed had to pass sideways through a doorway. This gown has an ingenious drawstring arrangement at the sides that adjusts either to fit over a small pannier, or, when fully released, to accommodate one about four feet across, creating the illusion of a tiny waist.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Robe à la françaiseRobe à la françaiseRobe à la françaiseRobe à la françaiseRobe à la française

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.