1910 Dress

Date: ca. 1910 - Material: Silk santung - Accession: 2001.191.1.138

Dress reformers had been working since the 1850s. Through many publications, they stridently attacked the use of tightly laced corsets, and by 1910 they had broken through. While mainstream fashionable dresses slowly became less restrictive after 1890, by 1910 fashionable undergarments began loosening up for the first time since the Empire period dresses of the early 1800s. This dress reflects those smooth, looser lines, permitting relatively free movement. With its monochrome lace and embroidered flowers, it reflects the simplicity and beauty valued by proponents of the Arts and Crafts movement of the period.

Donated to the University of Illinois Bevier Historic Costume Collection. Property transfer to the Illinois State Museum, 2001.