Hi Bjarne!
I've recently done a c1776 robe anglaise, which is ~20 years before your dress,
so take my references with a grain of salt.
>From a brief flip though my documentation binder, it seems very common to have
>side-back seams in the skirt - which fall approximately mid-way between the
>side seam and the CB area.
(Center back seams for the skirt were unusual, but I did find one example.) It
is my conjecture that the standard skirt construction was 5 fabric widths: 2
for the front and side and one full width for the center back.
Here are the useful sources I had:
1) The closed robe in _Fitting and Proper_ has 2 side/side-back seams on each
side of the skirt between the CB and the seam where on an open robe the front
opening would start. Note, this dress, unlike yours, has the CB of the bodice
in one piece with the CB skirt panel.
2) The open robe anglaise on page 24 of _Fitting and Proper_ also has 2 seams
in the skirt between the CF opening and the CB. Again, note that this dress,
unlike yours, has the CB of the bodice in one piece with the CB skirt panel.
3) 1770-85 Polonaise gown on page 37 of _Patterns of Fashion_ - has separate CB
bodice and skirt panels. This is the only instance I found with a CB seam in
the skirt.
4) None of the robe anglaise with separate back bodice and back skirt panels
(for the 1776 era) in _Costume in Detail_ have center back seams - Bradfield's
seam line notations imply that their construction is the same 5 panel skirt
construction described above.
5) The 1775-85 dress on page 40 of _Patterns of Fashion_ also has the 5 panel
construction without CB skirt seam.
Hope this helps,
-s
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