This dress demonstrates the clear cut, relatively simple silhouette characteristic of gowns of the 1840s. The fitted bodice, dipping to a shallow point at the centre front waist, and the full skirt, held out by a number of petticoats, are untrimmed, while the narrow sleeves have only a band of matching fabric, edged with a frill, above the elbow to alleviate their plain line. Such simplicity of design was the perfect vehicle to show off the wide range of patterned fabrics that rapid advances in textile technology had made available. The matching shoulder cape adds to the demure quality of this dress, and may reflect the contemporary romantic interest in past fashions; in this case the deep collars and kerchiefs worn by women during the Stuart Period.