Empire silhouette: History and Key Facts

Empire silhouette, Empire line, Empire waist or just Empire is a style in clothing in which the dress has a fitted bodice ending just below the bust, giving a high-waisted appearance, and a gathered skirt which is long and loosely fitting but skims the body rather than being supported by voluminous petticoats.

While the style goes back to the late 18th century, the term "Empire silhouette" arose over a century later in early 20th-century Britain; here the word empire refers to the period of the First French Empire (1804–1815). The word "empire" is pronounced with a special quasi-French pronunciation in American fashion history but not in Commonwealth English. It was never used to describe the waistline at the time of its first use and is applied anachronistically to historical styles.

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