This dress is made from an expensive and much sought after material in the eighteenth century. Chintz, a colourful cotton fabric decorated with exotic flower patterns and with a glazed finish, was originally a VOC trading commodity between India and Europe. This fine cotton was so expensive because of the time consuming and complex process of weaving, hand painting and later printing. This dress may be identified as a robe à l'anglaise by the narrow pleats stitched in the back of the bodice which mould it to the body and then release the fullness of the material into the skirt. Small prints were very fashionable around 1780. This type of dress often falls open to reveal a matching chintz or fine silk underskirt, but in this particular case the skirt is integrated into the dress. In addition the skirt could be lifted by the use of hooks and eyes that are sewn in the linen lining. Is this an informal indoor dress, or is it suitable to be worn outside? The dress probably belonged to Baroness Louisa Carolina van Alderwerelt (1755-1783), who lived at the Ambachtsherenhuis in Heenvliet in Voorne-Putten, Zuid-Holland. The dress was discovered here in 1942, rescued from scissors or dressing-up box and carefully preserved after her early death.