DISCOVERART

Probably France

Fragment of a Woman's Skirt Flounce

c. 1850
Silk, warp-faced pattern woven to shape, on plain weave foundation
49 × 106.8 cm (19.3 × 42 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

During the middle of the 1800s, European and American women’s fashion favored voluminous bell-shaped skirts worn with matching, tightly fitted bodices, which helped make the wearer’s waist appear slender in comparison to the full skirt below. Such skirts were often decorated with several tiers of gathered flounces that added volume to the already wide garments.

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