Empire silhouette, Empire line, Empire waist or just Empire is a style in clothing in which the dress has a fitted bodice ending just below the bust, giving a high-waisted appearance, and a gathered skirt which is long and loosely fitting but skims the body rather than being supported by voluminous petticoats. The outline is especially flattering to pear shapes wishing to disguise the stomach area or emphasize the bust. The shape of the dress also helps to lengthen the body's appearance.
Evening gown, from 1811
French lady in 1808; the style was often accompanied by a shawl or similar wrap, or a short "Spencer" jacket, as the dresses were light and left much uncovered.
Portrait of Thérésa Tallien by Jean-Bernard Duvivier (1806) with Empire waist Brooklyn Museum
A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards.
Skirt
Sumerian man wearing a kaunakes, c. 3000 BC
Statue of Ramaat, an official from Giza wearing a pleated Egyptian kilt, c. 2250 BC
Drawing of a girl's skirt made of wool yarn found in a Bronze Age tomb in Borum Eshøj, Denmark