Blue Civil War Era Dress

From the seller:

1860's Blue & Black Promenade Ensemble: What a striking color combination. This civil war era dress was beautifully constructed. The bust is 32, the waist is 21, the skirt length in front is 47 and the skirt around the bottom measures 170. The black silk is suppose to line up from the bodice to the skirt. If I had a little smaller dress form it would have done so. The dress was purchased from a museum collection and has the following no. inside the bodice. 47.168-2 It was donated to the museum between 1950 and 1960. The condition of the bodice is poor. There is much splitting of silk , three lost buttons, the seams have let loose in places and there is wear and holes and some age discoloration. The lining is in excellent condition. The skirt is in fair condition. There are two seams that have let loose and will need to be sewn back. I have safety pinned them together to photograph them. One black silk banding needs to be attached at the top of the skirt. There are spots on the back of the skirt and the front of the skirt. See photos. The waist band is worn and needs stabilizing. The fabric has some discoloration but is in sound condition. There are spots and wear at the hem line. With all its problems I still love it. I recently took it to the Harrington House Museum for a lecture on American fashion. It looked beautiful with a black chantilly shawl.

From Me:

This must have been quite the beauty in it's day! The colors are simple but the contrast is striking.