Monday, November 25, 2013

Mid 1860's Dress










From the seller:

This auction is for an original Lady's Day Dress from the Civil War period. Before anyone gets riled about the dates, I know 1866 is after the war, but the general look of the dress is consistent with Civil War era style. Its fabric is a Jewel-like Teal Blue. The dress is untrimmed but for the buttons which close it at center front. The lower half of the closure has original hooks and eyes as well as functioning buttons. The skirt is gored with no pleats anywhere. I love this style! It is beautifully engineered and the fabric is wonderfully pieced to make the silk go farther; very economically minded of the original wearer! French fashion at this time was flirting with the style of the First Empire. Waists shortened and skirts lost their pleats. You'll find Empire-like puffs appear at the tops of sleeves and the word "Empire" began to attach itself to fashionable styles. This dress's arm holes and waist are piped. It has a small stand-up collar. The sleeves are very narrow 2-piece coat sleeves. Unlike earlier in the decade, these do not stick out to the side to visually continue the line of the sloping shoulder. They're cut to stick out at the back to keep from interfering with the proportions of the huge hemline. The dress is shown with original collar, brooch, belt, buckle and under-sleeves which are not included.

Condition is structurally fair to good. It is strong enough to be displayed and still looks amazing. In addition to some repairs and discoloration, damaged portions of the bodice have been patched on both sides. A small part of the skirt's waistband at center back was replaced with brown cotton. There is some loose stitching and there is still some damage under the arms which is mostly hidden when displayed. One of the lower buttonholes is torn.

Measurements are: The bust is 36 inches & the waist measures 24 inches. The length of the skirt is 38 inches in front and 52 inches at the back. The hem measures 180 inches around.



From Me:

I love the patches!

No comments:

Post a Comment