1930's Fancy Dress in the 18th C style

 

From the seller:

Item specifics

Brand

Handmade

Size Type

Regular

Occasion

Evening

Color

Ivory

Decade

1890s

Style

Ball Gown

Original/Reproduction

Original

Material

100% Silk

Look

Victorian

Country/Region of Manufacture

Unknown

Item description from the seller

Stunning and very rare Georgian/Victorian Authentic Silk & tule Antique Ball Gown.

Champagne/Ivory in color, damask print. It is from 1830’s-1870’s or earlier.

Gorgeous cascade of tule/lace down the front and arms.

Beautiful example of an elegant gown from its time.

There are 3 small tears in the gown as shown in the pictures, they can be fixed. But in excellent shape being as old as it is.

I would consider this a museum quality piece even with the minor tears in the silk.

This dress has 8 eyelets hooks.

Amazing shape and fullness in the rear as of the fashion time period.

Has two small weights sewn in the dress.

Feel free to message me with any questions.

From Me:

Hello everyone!  This one is rather different simply because it's clearly a fancy dress outfit.  It's pretty clearly mid-20th C with those tulle ruffles but whether it's 1930's or even 1950's isn't as clear.  I'm keeping it in the 1930's for now because the 1930's were all about the ruffles.

Above are just a couple of examples of 1930's Fancy Dress trying to recreate the late 18th C fashions.   

And examples of 1930's ruffles:

Late 1890's Fancy Dress

From the seller:

This beautiful Victorian gown is made from an iridescent silk taffeta that changes from olive green to purple and fuchsia. It has a metallic embroidered silk brocade collar, yoke and cuffs. The cuffs and back has beaded and pearled trim (beads are good, some pearls missing). It hooks down the front and has 2 detached large bows backed in the metallic brocade that I think goes on the shoulders. It's missing some trim in front, probably more of the beadwork. It's lined in olive green worst3ed with velvet around the hem. The center back of the dress has a double box pleat. The shoulders and underarm of the dress has some shattering and minor splits around the waist. It measures 34 inches around the bust, waist is 24, across the back shoulder is 8 3/4 inches and is 56 inches long in front.

From Me:

There was probably a lot more trim on this dress that was later taken off. I'm pretty sure this was meant to be an Elizabethan look fancy dress. However, there are still a lot of elements that scream late 1890's. The way the "partlet" was done for one. The high neck with the white brocade over the base of the dress is a very 1890's thing to do. The big shoulder bows:

1897 Fashion Plate

1897 Fashion Plate

See? Big shoulder bows or ruffles began to replace the Leg-o-Mutton sleeves we are so used to seeing. The sweep of the skirt is also very 1890's although exaggerated since it is a Fancy Dress. The Elizabethan styles was very popular in the late Victorian/Edwardian era. You'll see Elizabethan styled a lot if you look through both the books (Fancy Dresses Described; Or, What to Wear at Fancy Balls was a popular periodical for a number of years) and through the extant outfits, you'll see a ton of Elizabethan (or Shakespearean) inspired outfits. Because that style was so popular, many 16th Century extant gowns were lost during the Late Victorian/Edwardian period. A lot. We have a sleeve left of one outfit, part of a gown of another. People destroyed tons of outfits that had survived for hundreds of years to that point just to wear them to a fancy dress ball. All that history, all that potential research material, gone because someone wanted to be lazy and not make their own outfit but wear a "real" one, destroying it. This is why you never, ever wear antique outfits. Ever.

Happy Halloween, 1920's style!

From the seller:

This is a vintage taffeta and organza 1920's 1930's woman's Halloween witch costume. It is amazing and in such beautiful condition. These costumes are quite rare and so very hard to find.
This dress consist of black taffeta which is embellished with organza orange flowers around the skirt, full collar that can be worn up or down and a silk rope that crosses the bust line and ties at the back of the waist. The underlining is the blouse of orange organza fabric which closes with eye hooks and snaps.
There is a long bib type tail that hangs down the front from the blouse. I am not quite sure how this attaches to the rest of the dress but it doesn't take away from the look or how the dress fits.

Label: The Mitchell Dress

Condition: I would have to say good to excellent. The dress is definitely in wearable condition. There are a few pin hole spots here and there on the taffeta but not noticeable unless you are looking for them. The organza is in amazing condition with only one area that I can see, which is under the left armpit where I see some fabric separation. (view photo) This is a very small area and I believe can be reinforced. Other than that this costume dress is in amazing condition for it's age and again quite a rare find.

-Measurements-

Taffeta Dress:

Bust- 38"
Waist- 28"
Hips- free
Bodice- 16"
Length- 43" (shoulder to hemline)
Collar width- 7.50"
Armhole Opening- 19"

Orange Organza Lining:

Bust- 38"
Waist- 26"
Shoulder to shoulder- 15"
Bodice- 16" (shoulder to waist)
Sleeve length- 12.50"
Sleeve opening - 12" around
Armhole opening- 16.50" around




From Me:



I've been obsessed with 1920's Halloween costumes lately. They are either just too cute or just too weird to our eyes. I hope everyone had a frightfully delightful Halloween - I had to go to class (grad school) so I didn't get to do much more than dress up today.

Another Regency Bodice Redone in the Victorian or Edwardian Era

From the seller:

This auction is for an original lady's ball gown bodice from the Empire period. It is made of brown silk taffeta. It is trimmed with fine ivory colored silk ribbon at the sleeves and neckline. It is lined with off-white cotton. The back is very narrow and the front crosses over and is secured, presumably by sewing it back in the day. Here, I have pinned it closed. There would have been a separate decorative front which would have covered the lining. The remains of the open-robe style skirt are still present at the high waist. Internally, you can see there was a set of ties to help secure the dress to the figure like a petersham did in the Victorian period. On the outside, you can see the beautiful silk cord and tassels are still present. Originally purchased from England.

Condition: No significant damage. The skirt was obviously cut away.

Measurements are: The bust measures 34 inches, The high waist measures 27 inches. 8.5 inches across the back.

From Me:

That waist tie again - so very Victorian/Edwardian. Also, the trim isn't period for the 1800's - but it is for the entire second half of the 19th century going well into the 20th century. The tassle rope was also added much later.

This was an apron front dress at some point in it's life.

1802 Fashion Plate