Maine Memory Network

Historic Clothing Collection - Gauze evening dress with silk sash, ca. 1865 - Page 1 of 4

"Gauze evening dress with silk sash, ca. 1865 Contributed by Maine Historical Society Description An 1867 issue of Peterson's Magazine…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Outerwear 1900-1930

"… with a button tab detail yoke, patterned woven silk braid trimming and long tasseled silk neck ties; and a 1920s short straight fur lined…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1900-1910 - Page 2 of 3

"… quality turquoise silk pigeon bodice gown with a silk chiffon neckpiece; a white figured silk dress, with a standing collar and spreading cape-like…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1870-1890 - Page 1 of 4

"Many twist mills now switched to weaving broad silks, as did the Haskell Silk Company in 1883."

Historic Clothing Collection - Outerwear 1800-1830

"… green wadded cloak, pink silk lined with pink silk frills trimming the hood; and a slim full length beautifully quilted grayish figured silk coat…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1850-1870 - Page 1 of 4

"1855Maine Historical Society Silk was imported from Europe and expensive. For many women, a silk dress was an investment, a best dress for Sunday…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Early Twentieth Century

"… her couture quality wine velvet and cream figured silk double gigot sleeved dinner or opera dress, and her openwork cream silk and chiffon opera…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1890-1900 - Page 1 of 3

"The American broad silk industry became firmly established during the 1880s. By the 1890s a profusion of colored, affordable (but not cheap)…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Mourning Clothing

"Black silks or mourning crape were another class of, often unaffordable, mourning. Reasonably priced silk did not become widely available until the…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1900-1910 - Page 3 of 3

"… the silhouettes, as seen in a modest gold silk satin print dress with horizontally tucked sleeves and black piped detailing, and in Margaret A…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1890-1900 - Page 2 of 3

"… balloon-sleeved blouse of red figured dress silk, the silk type now affordable and readily available. Taffeta bodice by Miss L.K."

Historic Clothing Collection - 1830-1850 - Page 3 of 3

"1830-1850 Figured silk dress, ca. 1845Maine Historical Society Silk dresses in subdued colors of plain and woven patterns predominate the…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1850-1870 - Page 4 of 4

"… second, for bands of elaborate fringed and looped silk braid forming a pelerine effect on the bodice, which closes with matching large silk trimmed…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Outerwear 1830-1860

"… garments such as a black and brown watered silk tassel trimmed cape with a similarly trimmed shoulder cape; a wide dark brown wadded coat, with an…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1910-1920 - Page 1 of 2

"1910-1920 Haskell silk wedding dress, Westbrook, ca. 1912Maine Historical Society Post 1910, further simplification was influenced by the…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Outerwear 1870 to 1900

"… coat, made in Berlin, Germany with heavy corded silk, leg-of-mutton sleeves, and dense passementerie embellishment is a dramatic example of later…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1870-1890 - Page 4 of 4

"1870-1890 Watered silk ensemble, ca. 1888Maine Historical Society Women wore bustle supports of various shapes and sizes."

Historic Clothing Collection - 1850-1870 - Page 2 of 4

"Of the era, a gold/blue striped silk dress features pagoda sleeves (wide at the wrist), attached pelerine (small cape) trimmed with wide silk fringe…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1920-1930 - Page 1 of 3

"… competed with, and steadily displaced more costly silk, contributing to the decline of the American silk industry."

Historic Clothing Collection - Fabric Adaptive Reuse

"… Adaptive Reuse Slide Show In the past, when silk textiles were so expensive and new dresses required many yards of fabric, women were familiar…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1800-1830 - Page 2 of 2

"… dress-maker made woven striped pink (now faded) silk dress with a spencer-like (jacket) bodice, an apron front skirt, and sets of flaring double…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Eighteenth Century - Page 3 of 3

"This supplanted heretofore dominant French male silk and velvet fashions, suitable only for languid court life."

Historic Clothing Collection - 1920-1930 - Page 2 of 3

"… colored stockings became very important, with silk the most desirable, and cheaper rayon and mercerized cotton alternatives."

Historic Clothing Collection - 1800-1830 - Page 1 of 2

"Empire waist silk dress, Portland, ca. 1810Maine Historical Society Over the next years, stylistic and decorative details began to encroach on the…"