High-Waisted Dress

Moiré, or watered silk (with a rippled pattern) was made by folding the fabric lengthwise and running it through ribbed rollers (a finishing process called calendering), creating a sharp crease in the middle of each length of fabric. The woven pattern of vines and bouquets suggest a dating for the fabric in the 1760s. The dress was altered around 1796 in keeping with the prevailing fashion of a raised waist and long, close-fitting sleeves.