Dolman

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The dolman was an essential form of outerwear in 1880s fashion. The style was shaped to fit over the bustle silhouette prominent at the time without concealing the elaborate decorations of the back of the skirt. A unique feature on this dolman is the chenille loops, which actually look like caterpillars, as the French word would imply.

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