This is one of my favourite dresses from the Kyoto Costume Institute collection! I even made an attempt to draw it, but I think it is preferable to show you the original version.
Robe à l’anglaise with black and wine-coloured decoration and fichu at neck, 1790s.
A fichu was a thin draped material which covered the shoulders and neck, sometimes tucked into the stomacher or crossed over the breasts. In the 19th century, after cashmere was brought to Western Europe, the fichu was replaced with large shawls.
