This black velveteen gown was likely purchased by a Maine woman during a Boston vacation or shopping trip. The dressmaker was M.M. Conlan of Boston, Massachusetts.

This mature lady’s dinner gown features a raised waistline popular from 1911-1913 and columnar skirt that hints of the less restrictive styles favored by the dress reform movement.

Reflective metallic and glossy materials took on new life as a feature of evening dress when electric lighting was introduced. By this time department stores often provided a special room with electric light so that customers could check how yardage, garment colors and trimmings appeared.