Liberty of London, founded in 1875 by Arthur Lasenby Liberty to sell the Asian ornaments popularized by the Aesthetic movement, soon began offering fabrics, furniture, china, and other decorative arts in Eastern, European historical, and Arts and Crafts styles. In 1884 Liberty began selling dresses in the so-called artistic, or "reform," style. In contrast to the tight-waisted, heavily decorated, and boldly colored clothing that was then fashionable, the Liberty gowns featured flowing, historically inspired lines and delicate pastel tints of blue, greenish yellow, gold, and coral, which became known as "Liberty colors." By the turn of the century, these soft colors and less constrained styles were widely adopted for the picturesque tea gowns that were worn for late afternoon "at-home" entertaining. This Liberty tea gown, lightly boned at the high waist, incorporates printed silk scarves from India to form an airy confection of drapery, ruffles, gathers, and lace that epitomizes Edwardian luxury and elegance. H. Kristina Haugland, from Philadelphia Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collections (1995), p. 98.