Maine Memory Network

Historic Clothing Collection - Wrappers, Teagowns & At Home Dresses

"Wrappers, Teagowns & At Home Dresses View the Wrappers, Tea Gowns & At Home Dresses Slide Show Wrapper is the traditional term used for the…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Organdy summer dress, ca. 1863 - Page 1 of 4

"Organdy summer dress, ca. 1863 Contributed by Maine Historical Society Description This simple, plain white, unadorned organdy summer…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Arcy Cary Bradford's gigot sleeve wedding dress, ca. 1829 - Page 1 of 2

"The beige silk dress features the fashionable gigot sleeve, which are lined with a glazed brown linen. There is a frill net at the cuff."

Historic Clothing Collection - White cotton dress with gigot sleeves, Portland, ca. 1828 - Page 1 of 2

"White cotton dress with gigot sleeves, Portland, ca. 1828 Contributed by Maine Historical Society Description By the mid-1820s…"

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 - The Maine Historical Society Historic Dress Collection - Page 1 of 2

"1880Maine Historical Society Narrative by Jacqueline Field, textile and dress historian Maine Historical Society’s Historic Dress Collection is an…"

Historic Clothing Collection - The Maine Historical Society Historic Dress Collection - Page 2 of 2

"To paraphrase prominent dress historian Anne M. Buck, when surviving specimens of dress are studied in the same way as other material evidence of…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Lace and fringe trimmed walking dress, ca. 1865 - Page 1 of 4

"Lace and fringe trimmed walking dress, ca. 1865 Contributed by Maine Historical Society Description After the Civil War…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Northern Threads: Two centuries of dress at Maine Historical Society - Page 2 of 3

"Northern Threads: Two centuries of dress at Maine Historical Society Why collect historic clothing? Clothing or dress study is a new discipline."

Historic Clothing Collection - Northern Threads: Two centuries of dress at Maine Historical Society - Page 1 of 3

"Northern Threads: Two centuries of dress at Maine Historical Society X Celebrating Maine Historical Society’s 200th anniversary (2022)…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Northern Threads: Two centuries of dress at Maine Historical Society - Page 3 of 3

"Adams (1855-1935) reportedly embroidered the dress herself, supported by evidence the embroidery was applied after the dress’ construction."

Lubec, Maine - Susie Calder: Lubec's Sardine Queen

"… gown for the ball? S: Well, Peacock’s bought my dress and my shoes and had my hair done. They paid for all that, and the bouquet – a dozen red…"

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

"For many women, a silk dress was an investment, a best dress for Sunday, or for special occasions. Looked after, often stored away as they moved past…"

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

"Two-piece dress and blouse, ca. 1912Maine Historical Society The other Martha Riley example is a cream-colored wool dress with a similarly tubular…"

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

"Another white organdie, a ball dress, with short frill sleeves, boat neck, and a wide green waist sash, features a flat front skirt that spreads…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Themed Image Galleries

"… and dress collection consists of middle class women's wear, primarily dresses. There are gaps in representation, but as the examples in the…"

Historic Clothing Collection - Eighteenth Century - Page 2 of 3

"By 1800 women enjoyed the relative freedom of loose, partly classically inspired short waisted gowns, notably made of cotton, fashion’s new favorite…"

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

"1907Maine Historical Society Made of sturdy linen, a straight skirted day dress features areas of bold crochet lace embellishing the skirt, the wide…"

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

"Most outstanding is a ca. 1905 long, body-fitting dress with white crescent embroidery, a three-quarter double skirt from the hips, and long…"

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

"1920-1930 Helen Little Hamm's drop waist dress, Kittery, ca. 1926Maine Historical Society Clothing of the early 1920s is characteristically…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1970-1980 - Page 2 of 3

"… in the collection were originally sold at Felix Dress Shop, specializing in "women's wearing apparel," which operated in Portland at 16 Forest Ave…"

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

"The dress also includes two large jet beaded medallions, holding a satin swag that is draped over the skirt's front."

Historic Clothing Collection - Fabric Adaptive Reuse

"… when silk textiles were so expensive and new dresses required many yards of fabric, women were familiar with the custom of either themselves or…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1950-1960 - Page 3 of 4

"Well-worn everyday dresses tend not to remain pristine, and are thus not saved, whereas the extreme and special occasion garments such as the…"