Monday, January 7, 2013

The Water Dress Edwardian Era









From the seller:


This is an authentic antique dress in amazing condition!

All of the intricate parts, the beading, lace and sash attachment, boning, closures and hems were all sewn completely by hand. The delightful uneven stitches underneath are completely endearing. The dress is so beautiful and professionally created one would never guess that so much of it was patiently and expertly sewn by hand.


The large sections of the dress were put together by sewing machine, which of course existed at that time. However you can still see on top of many of those stitches, the hand basting in light colored thread which preceded the final construction.

It is made of a lustrous heavy gauge brocade material. Since it is hand made there is no label so I am not sure if it is a silk, taffeta, or cotton.

There are hook and eye closures. It has a satin waistband which I pinned to the dress as it is missing the hook to close it.
From what I can tell there is only 1 hook and eye and the one hook mentioned above missing in total.

Of course, as with any dress from this period the bodice is boned like a corset- fabulous!
It has exquisite lace which is somewhat yellowed from age which of course is to be expected from a dress this old and only adds to its charm.

It is completely hand beaded - (there are just a few missing in only one spot and is hardly noticeable.)
These are all in wonderful condition.

There are no stains, major damage or repairs. It came from a smoke free home.

I can just picture the seamstress who either made this dress for herself or presented the catalog of dress designs of the year to the lady of the house and was so commissioned to create the latest style selected.

Sizes in inches as follows:


Shoulder: 15
Bust line: 34
Waist: 29
Sleeve from shoulder: 17 to the end of the lace (it is a 3/4 sleeve)
Length of skirt from waist to floor 38



In general, I would say this could fit a woman size 2-4, or 5, possibly 6 or 7 (size small)


It also would fit a child size 10, 12, 14 or 16.


However, Please go by the measurements to be accurate.




This is a museum quality piece! It is amazing that it lasted this long in this excellent condition.

Vintage Clothing Terms of Sale: Vintage clothing is worn/pre-loved and has sometimes been in storage for a number of years. If I launder or dry clean it will be noted, otherwise ultimate laundering or dry cleaning, before wearing, is the buyer’s responsibility. I will describe any flaws that I notice and indicate any repairs that need to be made. All vintage clothing is bound to have a trivial flaw here or there. I may miss something super minor that does not effect the overall look of the piece in any way. If you have any questions, please ask before purchasing.

Since this is such a valuable piece, for your security, shipping in the USA will include insurance.

As always, I will combine orders to discount shipping, so check out my other auctions!



From Me:



This fashion plate is from the 1910-1913 collection at the Met. The dress in the fashion plate on the left looks almost exactly like this dress. Pretty amazing! And doesn't this dress look like "water". Very very beautiful.

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