Court Gown, c. 1760
Silver tissue woven with multi-colored foil flowers and trimmed with gold lace
European
“The art of French dress had become so luxurious that by the eighteenth-century all of the European courts adopted French styles—even the staunchest enemies of France. In 1756 an English commentator noted, “The French designers are at present esteemed the most happy in their inventions. The natural freeness of composition is really admirable, and suited to the purpose intended for without crowding things together, but display them with a careless air, beauty and delicacy, and no wonder that all the rest of the European nations take the French fashion of ornaments, for their rule and pattern to imitate.” (via: Arizona Costume Institute)
