Saturday, November 16, 2013

Turn of the Century Bodice









From the seller:

What a breath of fresh air this must have been from the stark black clothing that prevailed for so long in the Victorian age.

This is a stunning blue- blue- blue- silk print hankerchief blouse from 1890-1900.




It has three cut steel accents that gather and sculpt the silk. The bottom of the blouse has a carved mother of pearl tie fastener.




It looks like a wonderfully loose and comfortable blouse that is made to disguise the tight stays that lie underneath. (After all a woman has to have proprierties!)



The white silk of the sleeves has some issues (It looks like Madame set her arms on the table) but it would be oh so easy to replace- because the silk is not set into the sleeve but straightly sewn onto polished cotton that is beneath the blue handkerchief cap. The cuffs are not set in either, and could be re attached easily.




The lining is in excellent condition with no rips nor tears and the silk itself, has no rips nor tears.




Notice the back of the blouse how it forms a peak in the middle of the back. The ribbon forming the peak is perfectly matched ribbon.




This is such a pretty color, and such unusual construction... worthy of any collection.

Bust- 31"

waist-22"

sleeve length-25"




This is from the huge collection of antique clothing and accessories that belonged to my mother and grandmother. In my listings you will find items from 1850-1980.

Like antique clothing? This collection of dresses and accessories is vast I hope you keep watching.

If you have 5 or less positive feedback, please email before you bid, as I recently have had several winning bidders who felt paying was an option and not a commitment.


From Me:

....

Anyone who has been on this blog for more than...eh, a day will know how wrong the seller is. The Victorians LOVED color. From ridiculous plaids to bright pinks, oranges, and greens. Mauve was turned into a dye for a reason - it produced an array of bright purples! I know this is hard for some people to accept but, really, most people didn't have color cameras until the mid 20th Century. That doesn't mean that no one wore color until then. Just because the dress looks black in the black and white photo doesn't mean it was.

Anyway, the bodice. This shirtwaist is probably from around 1897/8.

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