Mantuas became stylish in the seventeenth century. A Mantua was a loose gown worn over a petticoat and open down the front. Although this standard dictionary definition brings to mind the image of a dressing gown, the Mantua was nothing of the sort. The style may have begun as a casual garment, but Mantuas were usually made of sumptuous material such as damask or brocade and worn for dressy occasions. 

A Mantua was unboned, but it wasn't unfitted. In other words, there were no stays. The construction was quite tricky. The Mantua was constructed from a single length of material, with few, if any, cuts. Our image of dressmaking is cutting out a variety of pieces from the fabric, some small, then sewing those pieces together. Mantua-making was not at all like this. 

One of the things that identifies a true Mantua is that it did not have a separate skirt and top. The material was one continuous piece from shoulder to floor. Mantuas fitted the figure, yet had a very full skirt. This was accomplished by shaping the material to the body with a series of deep, outward-facing stitched-down pleats that flared below the waistline. 

This single-piece construction with few irreversible actions meant that gowns could be altered for changes in fashion, weight, and ownership. A skilled Mantua maker could, literally, disassemble a Mantua and remake it into a new garment, saving the expensive material. 

Depending on the current style and the Mantua-maker's method of construction, the rich fabric might be longer in the back, almost forming a train. The Mantua was not closed at the front (usually just caught at the waist, sometimes belted), exposing the shirt or the lightweight petticoat, which was often of silk. This allowed interesting and attractive contrasts in colour and fabric. It also permitted more freedom of movement.

A stomacher was often worn with a Mantua. This was an elaborate, decorated, ornamental piece, shaped in a V to help create the illusion of a slim waist.