Original: 1843 Silk

Silk dress c.1843, in The Met

I do like it when I find a dress that challenges my assumptions of an era. For instance, I generally dislike 1840s attire, from the overall droopy aesthetic (having spent too long in the floofier 1850s) to the tight sleeves (which do not flatter me), to the way the bodice fullness is handled over the bust (which can get very awkward). This dress, however, has really lovely clean lines which show off the silken sheen to perfection.