This ensemble characterises fashionable evening wear for women in the late 1870s. The elbow-length sleeves and square neckline show that it was probably not a ball gown, but worn for dinner or the opera. By the late 1870s the profile of the skirt had narrowed considerably. The back draped over a bustle, and on evening dresses extended into a train. Cloaks and mantles were still worn for warmth outdoors, but their shape had slimmed down considerably after the 1860s, so as to follow the contour of the dress underneath. Those worn with evening dress were often trimmed with feathers, braid and beaded embroidery.