.. into the mid 1860’s. Historians suggest this might be because women’s roles were changing post Civil War in America. It might also have to do with availability of delicate fabrics and laces and trims in a post-war recovery. One might also guess the flaps and overlayers might have been made from scraps of other dresses to make an old dress seem new after the ravages of war.
(Sketch & extant gown: left 1856, right 1866 – VERY similar at first glance, but construction method and overlays and use of trims are quite different between pre and post Civil War garments)