Late 1830's Aqua Blue and White Print Dress

From the seller:

An enchanting 1840’s aqua blue figural print wool dress. The photos do not do this dress justice as the color fades out from the camera flash. The color of the dress shows up best in the close up photos. The family name of Kingsbury is stitched inside the bodice. The bodice has a fan pleated front and pointed front waist line. The sleeves have a short over sleeve that is trimmed with thin bands of blue braiding. The sleeve cuffs are trimmed in the same manner. The bodice is lined with cotton and has a back hook and eye closure. The neck center front bodice, armscyes and waist are piped. The skirt is unlined except for the edge of the hemline that is lined with a band of cotton. The dress is in very good condition. There is a small area of light underarm discoloration, a few scattered small pea size holes in the skirt and one 3 ½ inch age mark on the side of the skirt. A very pretty display dress. Bust 30 Waist 24 Skirt length 38.


From Me:

I know exactly why the seller thinks this is 1840's. However, the upper bodice treatment is very in line with gowns from about 1838. By that point, the waistline had dropped, sleeves were looking like...sleeves, and skirts were getting quite voluminous. To see several fashion plates from 1838 that show dresses with similar elements to this dress, check out Charmaine Zoe's flickr set.