Ensemble. Culture: American or European. Date: ca. 1855.Equipped with two interchangeable bodices, this outfit might seem to anticipate career dressing or even women becoming sensible about fashion. Not in the realm of practicality, however, is the swelling bell shaped skirt, with multiple layers of stiff petticoats hidden underneath and tiers of organza decorating the surface. Research in the Woodman Thompson collection of Dated Fashion Plates has confirmed the date; the country of origin is much more difficult because with the proliferation of fashion plates, ideas and textiles were carried far and fast. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.