1860's Plaid Wrapper Dress

From the seller:

c.1870's SILK TAFFETA PLAID LADIES GOWN FOR STUDY MUSEUM DE-ACCESSIONED

Offering an exceptional late 1870's lady's gown plaid silk taffeta gown, machine sewn and mostly hand sewn. Gown was de-accessioned from the Rochester historical museum in New York state. The gown still retains it's original Museum ID catalog tag, inside as well as string tags.

A fetching 1870’s era brown, black, and dark cream plaid silk taffeta gown. The bodice is piped at armscyes at drop shoulder. The gown is fully lined with a green cotton. Original front black velvet covered button closures and velvet collar and cuffs. Velvet also embellishes either side of fronyt closure and at hem line. The long slender fitted arms are decorated with black velvet cuffs. The skirt is embellished with a hidden slit pocket.

CONDITION: The gown is in poor/fair for study condition. There is no underarm discoloration stains and some damage to the fabric on both armscyes as well as shoulder area.

The skirt is in very fair/poor condition. Lots of scattered splitting along the brown plaid design. Wear top edges of bottom hem as well as scattered holes and splits in skirt with some water stains as shown in photos.




MEASUREMENTS:

Bust 36", Sleeve length 18", Length from shoulder to front hem 50-1/2", Shoulder to back hem 53-1/2", Shoulders across back 18-1/2".

Skirt circumference 115".

In fair/poor, presentable condition and a great display gown for study or display. A beautiful display only gown and not to be worn.

A superb hard to come by dress of 140+ years of graceful life.

This is a wonderful piece to add to an early collection.


From Me:

I can see why the seller thinks it's 1870's but I believe it's really late 1860's.

There is this blue cotton print one from about 1868 that has the straight front, 1860's curved sleeves, but a lot of volume to the back. There is this blue cotton one with blue silk trims at the Met that is unhelpfully classified as "1865-1875". Here's another print one which unhelpfully says "mid -19th century".

Because of the sleeves, the popularity of the wrapper in the 1860's, and cut of the dress (the bustle era starts in the late 1860's), I'm putting this in the late 1860's.