Empire dress
A straight gown of thin white cotton with a high waist – the fashion after the Revolution, inspired by classical statues.
After the French Revolution, panniers and stiff silks disappeared. Women dressed in straight gowns of white cotton meant to resemble classical statues, and Empress Joséphine made the style that of the court.
The fabric was so thin that women wore shawls, often Kashmir shawls, for warmth. In the 1820s the waist dropped again and sleeves grew large.
Materials: Cotton muslin or batiste, often Indian
Manufacture: Sewn by hand; the fine cotton was increasingly woven in Britain during the period.
The waist directly under the bust.
White or pale, thin, almost transparent fabric.
Short puffed sleeves and a narrow, straight skirt, sometimes with a train.