Woman's sack-back gown and petticoat of woven silk, made in English, 1760-1765. Woman's sack-back gown and petticoat of yellow and white woven silk, trimmed with white silk fly fringe. The silk has a yellow plain woven ground with a supplementary weft of

Woman's sack-back gown and petticoat of woven silk, made in English, 1760-1765. Woman's sack-back gown and petticoat of yellow and white woven silk, trimmed with white silk fly fringe. The silk has a yellow plain woven ground with a supplementary weft of white silk making the pattern, which is of floral trails including honeysuckle and rosebuds. The front of the gown is decorated on each of the open sides with a long strip of silk about four inches wide which has been tightly gathered along one edge and pinked and scalloped along the other. Both edges are left raw. The gathered band has been arranged in a serpentine scroll by twisting the band backwards and forwards down each front. This has been rearranged at some stage. Additional trimming in the form of a fly fringe and narrower bands of silk add to the decorative effect. The single ruffles on the sleeves and the waist seam at the front of the gown are typical of 1760s style. The narrowness of the front panels and the slight awkwardness of their join with the bodice may indicate that the seamstress was inexperienced in accommodating recent alterations in the style of the sack-back, adapting to a narrower hoop and the newly introduced waist seam.  Silk and linen, hand woven and hand sewn.