European American

With the advent of the increasingly exaggerated bustle silhouette in the mid-1870s and mid-1880s, mantles like this one were designed to accommodate the added volume at the back of the skirt. The relatively unstructured nature of this dolman mantle makes reference to Turkish robes called doloman, and hints at the riches of such Near Eastern origins. While paying tribute to North African caftan trim, the caterpillar or snake chenille-yarn fringe around the neck, cuffs, hem, and front opening also relates to the trim on the lambrequin, or valance, in the illustration at right.