Black Silk Bodice with Smocking

1893-1897
Label: Liberty and Co.
VC2001077

One clue to this bodice’s history is its extensive use of smocking. This technique was originally used in provincial dress. But as industrialization and overcrowding began to spread through Europe, and the fast paced modern urban life began to take its toll on city dwellers, many found themselves longing for the innocence they perceived in the life of the country peasant. By introducing the technique of smocking into urban fashions, women sought to bring the alleged innocence of rural communities into their modern, dreary lives.

This bodice was made by Liberty and Co. in London, one of the pioneers of the Aesthetic Dress Movement in England. This movement had its roots in the artistic dress the Pre-Raphaelite painters used for their models. Aesthetic Dress was intended to be less constricting, perhaps even worn without a corset. Indeed, this bodice’s cream cotton lining has no boning or support sewn inside.

Researched by Anne Silk '13 and Emily Leimkuhler '10