Dress of hand embroidered and trimmed silk, French, ca. 1865 Dress of green/blue silk with lace collar, hand embroidered in black silk (satin stitch and French knots) enhanced with steel beads and trimmed with black taffeta and black silk and steel bead braid. Wide skirts were a focal feature of fashion during this period. By 1865 the fullness of the skirt had receded towards the back of the garment creating a flatter front. Women wore crinoline petticoats made of steel hoops under their dresses to give them this distinctive shape. Lightweight dress fabrics such as silk and muslin were popular as they draped gracefully over the crinoline cage.