Polonaise (dress)
As polonaise (also robe à la polonaise , French for "dress in Polish style") different styles of women's clothes were referred to.
First polonaise (approx. 1772–1780)
The oldest is a modification of the robe à l'anglaise , which differs from that in that the dress skirt is gathered up at the back with the help of two strings or ribbons. Usually the ribbons were attached to the inside of the waistline and pulled through loops on the inside of the skirt so that the gathering could be strengthened or weakened by shortening or lengthening the ribbons. There are also specimens in which the cords are attached to the waistline with one end on the outside and the other on the inside. In this case, no height adjustment is possible. The gathering in two places creates an optical tripartite division of the skirt , which is said to be responsible for the naming, since in 1772 , when the polonaise came into fashion, the partitions of Poland began. The back bulging of the skirt was partly emphasized by a padding called cul de Paris .
Second polonaise (approx. 1794–96)
At the end of 1794 a style of dress came into fashion that had only the name in common with the previous polonaise. The dress falls smoothly without supports or ruffles, is wide open at the front and is held together by a belt-like insert at the front a little above the natural waistline. The sleeves are long, tight and reach the wrist. Since this polonaise is open at the front, another dress had to be worn underneath. The neckline was covered by a bulging fichu .
Third polonaise (approx. 1870–80)
At the time of the first tour in the 1870s, similar to the time of the first polonaise, the back of the skirts was puffed up and gathered. There was talk of a return of the cul de Paris and certain types of gathering similar to the first polonaise were called polonaise.