Mantle

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The visite was an essential outerwear style of the 1880s. It was fashioned to accommodate the shape of the bustle while hiding little of the bustle's elaborate decoration. The muted coloration in intriguing variations makes this visite unique. The chenille trim mimics the upholstery and decorations used in furniture and dress of the period.

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