Picture Heavy Post! A Worth-y Wedding Gown, Edwardian Style!

From the seller:

This gorgeous Worth wedding gown is made from a very heavy ivory silk satin. It has a boned bodice with puffled 3/4 sleeves, pleated tulle overlay, ruched tulle neck insert and undersleeves. The back is decoratd at the waist with 3 bows and satin bands. The skirt is trimmed with tulle swags and puffs, it has clusters of wax flowers, the center back insert with a tulle draped long train backed with 5 organdy ruffles. It has a GORGEOUS petticat decorated with lace on net and bands of chiffon puffs. It has the matching wax flower tiara. Signature Worth woven on the petersham. The bodice has a little wear to the lining on the shoulders, the tulle is torn on the sleeves, very light underarm stains, might be missing a little tulle trim around the top edge of the bodice below the neck insert. It meaures 36 inches around the bust, waist is 24. The skirt has some tulle damage, minor tears in the lining below the waistband, ruffle on the lining is loose for quite a bit, a couple of the wax flowers need to be secured, the lining is overall excellent as well as the organdy ruffles, some ruffles are loose, there's a water stain about the size of 2 quarters on one of the organza ruffles. skirt has a very tiny mark that looks like a pen point mark. It measures 24 inches around the waist and is 42 inches long in front falling to a long, wide train. The petticoat is trimmed with beautiful cream embroidered lace with bands of silk chiffon puffs. It's 24 inches around the waist and is 40 inches long. It has a wide tissue silk pleated ruffle under the lace with a ruched ruffle around the edge, the ruffle is loose for a bit, otherwise the petticoat is excellent.

From Me:

I am drooling near the petticoat - not on it because it is an antique. The petticoat is simply gorgeous! I need one just like it!

1905 Fashion Plate

This Wedding Dress is from about 1905. You can tell from the tiered ribbons in the back (if you click on the link in the caption under the fashion plate, you can zoom in on the fashion plate and see the back detail in the upper left - it has the three tiered thing in the back as well), the shape of the sleeves, and the "are we done with the high neck thing yet?" sheer cover around the neck.

You can also tell why Worth was going down hill at this point. It looks like a costume. There is just something about the orange blossom placement, the use of the lace, and the net that makes it look like a fancy dress and not a wedding gown. It's too stiff, too formal - there isn't enough of the fluidity and lace, the almost rococo placement we typically associate with Edwardian era. The Belle Époque typically would have tiers of lace, not net, with orange blossoms holding up the tiers, if the orange blossoms were even present. Instead, it looks like Worth was still stuck in the dresses-as-part-of-the-upholstery era of the Bustle period. It's just too rigid, too stark for the fluidity and curve loving typical of the Edwardian Era.