Lot Essay
The Rational Dress Society stated in its first issue of its Gazette in 1888 that it was opposed to cloaks that restricted the movement of arms. This principle seems to have been followed by Liberty's in the design of their cloaks. See "Simply Stunning, The Pre-Raphaelite Art of Dressing", Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museums, 1996, catalogue number 13 for a similar example.