Upper Body 1780 to 1790 Published December 15, 2012 at 579 × 522 in Shifting Garment Styles, 1750-1790: What Research and Sketching Have in Common Upper Body Garments 1780 to 1790. Note the significant shrinkage in the amount of gowns worn compared to short gowns and jackets. Interestingly, notice how bed gown as a term becomes less used. Runaway Clothing Database, Rebecca Fifield.