In a departure from the more florid, exuberantly colored, weighty brocades of the mid-18th century, this panel of striped silk reflects the shift in taste towards the neoclassical at the end of the century. Furnishings and modes of dress were modeled after classical antiquity, with an emphasis on light colors and simple, geometric patterns. Marble white—the color of antique Greek and Roman sculptures—was extremely fashionable, especially for women's attire. In this example of a luxurious dress silk, a stark ivory faille ground is contrasted with regularly-spaced satin stripes that are patterned in the chiné technique, otherwise known as ikat, in which the weft threads are tied and dyed in a specific pattern before they are woven, creating blurred edges. Each stripe has a black meandering band that encloses alternating half-moons of pale blue and apricot and red. This silk was once part of an elegant dress; multiple panels are available.