Pretty Purple Mid to Late 1860's Dress

From the sellers:

Here we are offering a lovely mid 1860’s one piece lilac colored dress made from a silk/wool blend with an iridescent quality. This dress is a combination of both machine and hand sewing, typical of many from the period. It features self fabric trim gathered at the cuffs and above the hem and finished with a band of purple silk ribbon. Self fabric piping is found at the collar, armsyces and waist. Tan polished cotton lines both the bodice and skirt. Closure is down the center front using 8 cloth covered buttons; one is now missing and the others are in fragile condition. I would rate the overall condition of the rest of dress as fair to good. There are a few splits in the skirt but nothing bad. There are several repairs a the edge of the hem that each measure about 3 inches long. There is a long separation at the back of the neck and some wear on the sleeves in several spots. The biggest issue however is the underarm areas; both have considerable splitting as can be seen in our photos. Under the ruffle above the hem there is 12 inches of dress fabric which could be carefully removed and used to make repairs if the new owner desired to do so; when displayed it would be covered by the ruffle so would not be seen. Despite its issues, it still displays nicely and makes a nice study piece as well as it shows no alterations. We provide the following measurements for reference purposes only as we do not sell it as wearable. Bust 32, Waist 24, Front Length 51, Back Length 56 and Hem Circumference 112.


From Me:

I'm having Easter egg flashbacks just looking at the color of this dress....