18th Century Fashion
Growing technology and new materials gave the middle class the opportunity to wear stylish fashion previously reserved for the aristocracy. Much like today, newspaper adverts, fashion dolls and engravings in fashion magazines offered women in even the most rural areas access to current styles that they could then copy for themselves.
Robe à la française, England c. 1765, © LACMA
Robe à l'Anglaise, British c.1725–50, Public Domain
Robe à la Polonaise, French c. 1780, Public Domain
Before the 1770's, most gowns were open front, requiring the use of an under skirt, and stomacher (a triangular shaped piece of fabric pinned to the front of the stays) trimmed to compliment the gown. There were three main dress styles in the 18th century. Robe à la française, better known as a sacque gown, robe à l’anglaise or English gown, and robe à la polonaise or Polish gown. Looking at these styles from the front, they look very similar, but when you turn them around you see their vast differences.
Usually saved for more formal occasions where 'full dress' was required, the sacque was not pleated to shape the back, but was left hanging loose in large box pleats on either side of the centre back and worn over wide panniers or side hoops. The English gown was constructed by stitching pleats down in a way that would mould the fabric to the wearers body. The Polish gown was similar to the English gown with a fitted back, but the over skirt could be looped up to reveal a decorative petticoat.