Title: 
Headings: 

Content: 13]
17th century[edit]
Holland, as a center of textile production, was a particularly noted area of innovation in dress fashion during the 17th Century.[7] In Spain and Portugal, women wore stomachers[7]while in England and France, dresses became more "naturally" shaped.[7] Lace and slashing were popular decorations.[7] Skirts were full, with regular folds and the overskirt allowed the display of an underskirt of contrasting fabric.[7] Necklines became lower as well.[7] Embroidery that reflected scientific discoveries, such as newly discovered animals and plants were popular.[14] In the British Colonies, multi-piece dresses were also popular, though less luxurious.[15] Wealthy women living in the Spanish or Dutch colonies in the Americas copied the fashions that were popular from their homelands. [ 16]
The three-piece dress, which had a bodice, petticoat and gown, was popular until the last 25 years of the century, in which the mantua, or a one-piece gown, became more popular.[17] Corsetsbecame more important in dresses by the 1680s. [ 18]
Working women, and women in slavery in the Americas, used simple patterns to create shifts, wool or linen petticoats and gowns and cotton dresses.[19] The bottoms of the skirts could be tucked into the waistband when a woman was near a cooking or heating fire. [ 19]
18th century[edit]
Illustration of 18th century French women
Large, triangular silhouettes were favored during the 18th century, skirts were wide and supported by hoop underskirts. [ 20][21]One-piece gowns remained popular until the middle of the century.[22] During the 1760s in France, hoop petticoats were reduced in size.[23] Lighter colors and lighter fabrics were also favored.[24] In Colonial America, women most often wore a gown and petticoat, in which the skirt of the gown opened to reveal the petticoatunderneath.[25] Women also had riding habitswhich consisted of the petticoat, jacket and a waistcoat. [ 25]
French fashion regarding dresses became very fast-changing during the later part of the 18th century.[26] Throughout this period, the length of fashionable dresses varied only slightly, between ankle-length and floor-sweeping.[2] Between 1740 and 1770, the robe à la françaisewas very popular with upper-class women.[27] In France, the Empire stylebecame popular after the French Revolution.[28] This more simple style was also favored by Josephine Bonaparte,[28]wife of Napoleon. Other popular styles during the revolution included tunic dresses and the negligée à la patriot,which featured the red, white and blue colors of the flag. [ 29]
19th century[edit]
Empiredress, 1800–1805, cotton and linen, Metropolitan Museum of Art(New York City)
Women's dresses in the 19th century began to be classified by the time of day or purpose of the dress.[30] High-waisted dresses were popular until around 1830. [ 30]
Early nineteenth century dresses in Russia were influenced by Classicismand were made of thin fabrics, with some semi-transparent.[31] Elizabeth Vigée Le Brunwore these types of dresses with a short skirt (reaching to her ankles) when she lived in Russia between 1785 and 1801[31]and many Russian women copied her style.[31] By the 1840s, Russian women were turning to what was in fashion in Europe. [ 32]
Europeans styles in dresses increased dramatically to the hoopskirtand crinoline-supported styles of the 1860s,[33]then fullness was draped and drawn to the back.[34] Dresses had a "day" bodice with a high necklineand long sleeves, and an "evening" bodice with a low neckline (decollete) and very short sleeves.