Late Natural Form Era Young Miss Dress

From Simon:

I have another dress for you. I've been pining for one of these summer dresses ever since i got outbid on one a couple of years ago (the one that got away!) so i pounced when i saw this one. Unfortunately, i didn't check the measurements and its a girls/teenagers dress, it doesn't quite fit any of my forms and the bustle isn't pronounced enough for my taste. Turns out i'm a size queen….

So, i'm going to sell it on ,but thought i'd share first.

The dress is one piece, with an attached pleated apron and a delicate blue floral print. It buttons up the back and is very lightweight cotton. There's allowance for a small bustle ,so i'm wondering if this dates it to the early or late 80s, or if its because its a young persons style - children's fashion isn't really my area?? More so than usual the piece is really evocative, not sure if its because of the smaller proportions, or i'm having a funny turn..

There are four fabric pieces attached to the back waistband - i initially thought they must tie in a bow but i tried it and it looked awful, they're not quite long enough.

Measurements are - waist 23, bust 31.5 and length from bottom of band to hem 31.



From Me:

The fashion plates above are from 1881 and 1882.   I believe this is from the early 1880's as the apron front wasn't fashionable by the late 1880's.