Textiles and Stuff

Description

This is a Vjctorian dress dating from the 1870s. It comes in several parts, first of all the under dress made of a firm cotton with a gathered waist and short sleeves and fastening down the back with linen buttons, the front half of the skirt being made of a ribbed fabric and a section of the same fabric 15 inches deep at the hem at the back. Then separate from this are the bodice, which fastens down the front with hooks and hand sewn eyelets, the skirt, fastening with hooks and eyes and the bustle effect which is fastened with a linen button and buttonhole on a tape. The cotton skirt which is trained, consists of tiers of gathered stiff frills, trimmed with a blue bias cut strip which has been folded to create the deeper shade of blue. The bodice is waisted and has elegant pagoda sleeves, again trimmed in the same manner as the skirt, with a narrower frill, decorated in blue. The detachable panniers or bustle effect is in two parts mounted on a tape and also trimmed with frills and blue folded bias.

The dress has been photographed on a size 12 model (US size 8) with a crinoline petticoat, which is not for sale. This model is rather larger in the waist than the dress which is why the bodice does not fasten round the waist and the skirt and panniers are also too small to fasten.

As to damage - there are a couple of horizontal slits in the ribbed fabric of the skirt and two darns in the lowest frill of the skirt which are hardly noticeable.. There is some damage to the bodice at the waist at the front, and also some small brown marks on the back of the skirt which can be seen in the photographs.

This is a most attractive and unusual dress (though it must have been the laundress’s nightmare!) and the skirt frills fall beautifully. A real collector’s item.

This item will be sent fully insured and post free.