Evening ensemble 1910. French. Silk & metal. Elegant at-home wear was an essential part of an upper class wardrobe at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The tea gown, a structured and boned one-piece dress, was the first manifestation of a trend toward more comfortable attire for wearing in the presence of one's intimates. This ensemble, while elaborate, is significantly less restricting than a tea gown, yet, by the teens, was considered modest enough to be seen in. | THE MET