Teen's Era Silk Dress

From the seller:

Up for sale is a great antique silk dress. I believe it is 1880s- probably 1880s. It is an awesome dress, but has damages and needs some TLC. It is in too delicate of condition to be worn, but would be fine for display purposes or to rework. It has a bustle in the back to wear the proper cage undergarment. It also has a built in corset with boning and a belt around the waist (inside also) to hold it all in. The fabric is silk and has two prints on it. It is kind of shiny and shows the second print by the way the silk was woven. The sleeves have very intricate, handmade lace and there are small black button type embellishments as well. The damages include a lot of shredding of the layer in between the inside lining and the outside. The V portion on the bust and back is also torn and I have them tucked in the way that it would have been. There are also damages to the silk itself, where it is shredded and has some small holes. The decolletage area is also torn. I found this is a barn in Northern VT in a box full of clothing, so it has not been stored properly at all. The whole back has hook and eyes clasps on the silk and on the inside lining. The mannequin in the photos is about a size 4, so I would say it is pretty close to that. The dress is not wearable as is, but is still a great piece of history! Please feel free to contact me with any questions and make sure to check out my other 1000+ listings!

From Me:

Although the v-waistline is unusual for the time period, the rest of the dress is classic 1914.

Fashion Plate from The Delineator Magazine, 1914

April 1914 Issue of McCall’s Magazine

The skirt of the green dress in the top fashion plate and the skirt in the mauve floral dress are both very similar to the skirt of the extant dress.  The sleeves, the neckline, and the details - other than the pointed waistline- are all very in keeping with the mid Teen's era looks.