Sack-Back Gown (robe à la française)

Towards the end of the 18th century gowns were regularly made of cotton rather than silk. The imaginatively handworked cotton chintzes from India served as inspiration. This dress was worn in Friesland, where chintz was very popular. Even though gowns in this period were often embellished with decorative folding, the folded hexagons on the front of this dress are fairly unique.