From the Museum of Fine Arts Web site.
A dress with skirts like this may challenge girls wearing them for the first time. This dress with its expanse of pleated white material and the bulky coiffure above are not meant to be worn by a woman of ordinary means.
This is a translation of the complete caption from mimic-of-modes.blogspot.com that goes with this print: "Robe à la Versailloise: it is from Versailles that these gowns appeared for the first time. The name of the place where they were born has become their proper name: they are as comfortable as they are agreeable, and unite elegance and simplicity; the front is nearly the same as those of the polonaises, but the back is scalloped at the bottom in three falls of drapery, trimmed with a very high flounce with a head of a different color.
The sides of the waist are trimmed with two ribbon cockade bows, where the tassels and pearl strands escape; the falls of drapery must be indicated by bows or tassels.
The petticoat is very pleated in the back and only has trimming in the front. The sabot cuffs entirely cover the sleeves, their lower ends having little manchettes or bonshommes; the head of the sabot cuffs must match that of the flounce, and be trimmed with several rows of pearls.
Hair in a racine droite; two curls on the ear; the chignon unattached, held in by a ribbon bow at the back; rose hat, composed of a simple, box-pleated papillon forming the brim, a string of pearls interlaced with bouquets, serving as a band around the crown of the high-backed hat."
Keywords: 1778, LeClerc, French, high straight coiffure, ribboned floral hat, elbow length full sleeves, puffed cloth ornaments, cuffs, panniers, over-skirt, bows, ruching, tassels, flounces, maxi-length skirt, bracelets, jeweled skirt ornament, shoes, parasol