Dress

Description

After archaeologists began excavating the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the mid-eighteenth century, the Western world became obsessed with classical architecture and design. Fashions inspired by ancient forms were described as à l’antique, a style characterized by high waistlines, tubular silhouettes reminiscent of columns, and lightweight fabrics that mimicked the drapery seen in ancient statues. Silver metallic embellishments decorate this dress, especially at the hem, which would have shimmered in candlelight. Frances Billopp wore this dress in the early years of her marriage to Reverend William Edward Wyatt, the rector of Old St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Baltimore.