Another Lovely Submission from Simon

From Simon:

I have another dress for your site. I promised myself that i wasn't going to buy any more dresses, but this one is my idea of perfection, so win i saw it for sale i couldn't help myself....

The dress is amazing. Some antique garments have quite a contemporary feel, and i think this is one of them. It dates to around the mid 1880s, at the height of the second bustle period - she has a whopper! The fabric is silk, with velvet on the collar and cuffs and jet beading trim. I love the appliquéd beading on the back of the neck, it looks like a trilobite.

All the bones are in place in the bodice, and still in their casings. The skirt is lined with waxed cotton, and has three built in hoops. These are coming out of their channels and have put holes in the skirt. The temptation is to remove them, but i'm a firm believer in leaving things as i find them.

I don't know if this is a mourning dress, or just a black dress. The inner seams on the skirt are have bright yellow binding, which feels a bit naughty if it is a mourning outfit.

The skirt is like origami - its awesome.

Whoever owned the dress was very slender, which made finding a mannequin impossible, or extortionate - so i had a go at making my own, and a bustle. I haven't sewn for about twenty years so its a bit ropey, but it does the job and gives a good authentic shape i think.

The bust measures 33.5 and the waist 24.5.

I've attached lots of photos, though i think they don't really do it justice.

From Me:

Thank you so much for sharing! I'm sorry it took me a while to post - I'm finally back from traveling for a while. :-) This gown is completely fabulous. I agree - mid 1880's.