This eye-catching, hot pink, white and black/brown silk stomacher is part of the Price Family
textile collection at The Bostonian Society/Old State House (www.bostonhistory.org).
It was most likely worn by Miss Elizabeth Price (oldest daughter of Elizabeth
Bull Price (1718-1780). The style indicates a date range of c. 1765-1775 and the
fetching piece was probably purchased and worn in Britain. Stomachers at this
time were beginning to lose their popularity (and utility). Generally, they
were worn until about 1775, when edge to edge gown closure became the norm.
This stomacher underscores that the aesthetic was shifting away from the
elaborate heavily embroidered botanical patterns, adorned with silk and
metallic threads, of the Rococo period. Thin, shiny, lighter silks of the early
Neoclassical period began to predominate. Even the trim is delicate. Miss Bull’s stomacher was
probably associated with matching trim from the dress fabric, or a similar,
compatible textile.
 |
| Detail reveals patterns of wear and age; frayed and shredded silk |
According to
costume historian, Professor Mary Doering, of George Mason
University/Smithsonian Associates: “During the 1760s, many fashionable
dresses were made in a monochromatic style, where the emphasis was on surface
ornamentation rather than complementary textile or embroidery patterns.”
The novelty striped silks, such as this one, became popular in the 1770s. A look
at the reverse reveals the frequent hasty stitching of the trim.
No doubt Miss Price commanded considerable attention in an
ensemble of a similar style and pattern to the stomacher!
Thank you to Patricia Gilrein, Collections Manager, The Bostonian Society for her assistance with the stomacher.
For additional information, see:
From Baby Caps to Mourning Rings
Visiting with Elizabeth Bull’s Wedding Dress, 1731-1735+
How does a stomacher work? What is it?
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