Natural Form Era Wedding Gown

From the seller:

1880 SATIN FLORAL BROCADE BUSTLE ONE PIECE TRAINED GOWN  MUSEUM DE-ACCESSIONED

This is an attractive reception gown of the 1880's period, that a mid to upper class woman would wear. A regal ivory/cream satin having gold and cream metallic floral brocade panel 1 PIECE in construction bustled trained gown. Together with the gown original pair of silk shoes.

Recently de-accessioned from the Metropolitan Museum of Art,  New York , New York.
Shadows or light on fabric is just sunshine spots.

The bodice is lined with tan cotton and fabric covered stays.  Has some small underarm damage and discoloration only on inside lining.  Bodice lining is very good.  Bodice  has some shredding on arms and front. One cuff needs to be reattached. Petersham and waist band has a stamped previous owners name "Mrs. H. Rhodes, Providence, R.I.


CONDITION:
The skirt closes by hooks and loops at the back and gathers with pleats in the back for a nice fall. Two side aprons, rear puff and kick pleats at hem line accents the skirt nicely. The waist band has some damage. Back of the skirt has a seam opening of 2" opening at waist band, any easy fix. Some small rips in the folds of the train. This can be tucked to conceal. 
The skirt is lined with a cream polished cotton and gauze.   Lining of skirt and train is in good condition. The skirt's brocade material is in very good condition, except for a brown stain that is pictured.
The silk shoes are in poor condition with the silk having started to shred on the toes and heels.
Condition: The gown is in fair to good condition. 
BODICE:  Bust 29-1/2",Waist 21", Sleeve Length 10-1/2"
Shoulder to waist 18",
Across shoulder 12"   Shoulder  to front hemline  55"
SKIRT: Front skirt length 38-1/2" Back length 100", waist 21" .


From Me:

1876 Fashion Plate

This is from the late First Bustle/early Natural Form era. The Met appeared to have a few gowns that looked like this and they are all listed as "1870s".  Based on the colors, the style, the materials, and the fact there are matching shoes saved with this dress, I'm pretty sure it was a wedding gown.

Stunning Edwardian Wedding Dress

From the seller:

Dieses Nachmittags- oder Empfangskleid ist ein Traum aus Battenburg-Spitze, Seide, Tüll und Dekorations-Quasten. Hergestellt und getragen wurde das zweiteilige antike Kleid um das Jahr 1904 in den Vereinigten Staaten. Das Kleid stammt aus einem amerikanischen Museum. Die Museumsinventurnummern am Taillenband des Rockes und am Oberteil weisen darauf hin. Das Kleid ist überaus verspielt und aufwendig gefertigt. Mit der Battenburg-Spitze sind kleinere und größere Blättermotive gestaltet. Hoher Stehkragen. Dreiviertel lange Ärmel, die mit Tüll verziert sind. Hängende Zierelemente am Oberteil und am Rock aus Seide. Quasten runden diese Dekoration ab. Beim Gehen sollten sich alle diese Zierelemente bewegen und so dem Kleid „Lebendigkeit“ verleihen. Der Rock läuft in einer Schleppe aus. Sehr guter Erhaltungszustand. Der Tüll wirkt leicht angestaubt. Das Unterfutter des Rockes ist wohl erneuert worden. Kleinste Risse in der Spitze. Die Dekoration ist nicht inbegriffen.
Bust: ~ 80 cm
Waist: ~ 58 cm
Front Length: ~ 140 cm
Back Length: ~ 170 cm

From Google Translate:

This afternoon or reception dress is a dream of Battenburg lace, silk, tulle and tulle. The second-tiered dress was produced and worn around the year 1904 in the United States. The dress comes from an American museum. The museum's record numbers on the waistband of the skirt and on the top indicate this. The dress is extremely playful and elaborately crafted. The Battenburg lace features smaller and larger leaves. High stand-up collar. Three-quarter long sleeves decorated with tulle. Hanging decorative elements on the top and skirt of silk. Tassels complete this decoration. When walking, all these decorative elements should move and give the dress "liveliness". The skirt runs in a train. Very good condition. The tulle is slightly dusty. The lining of the skirt has probably been renewed. Smallest tears in the tip. The decoration is not included.
Bust: ~ 80 cm
Waist: ~ 58 cm
Front Length: ~ 140 cm
Back Length: ~ 170 cm

From Me:

So this dress was up at Augusta Auctions back in November. It reminds of a dress here that is probably from about 1903/1904. The faux bolero style was completely out of vogue by the time 1905 rolls around. The reason I believe this is a wedding gown are the amazing braids and rosettes on it.

Turn of the Century Lace Gown

From the seller:
EDWARDIAN WEDDING GOWN
Label: none

Description:
Off-white Battenburg lace 2-piece wedding gown from the early 1900s
The bodice has a ruffled silk chiffon yoke and ruffles on the sleeve cuffs
Attached velveteen pleated cummerbund
Lined in silk and muslin inside with stays
Hooks and eyes in center front
The trained skirt is lined in silk with rows of ruffles around the hem
Attached to the ruffles is a crinoline and lace ruffle
This is a great restoration project, or use the fabric for other projects
Condition:

Sold as is...The lace has some broken connecting threads here and there especially around the bottom, but generally in very good condition
All of the silk has shattered and must be removed
The bottom ruffles and silk chiffon pieces are salvageable
Measurements:

These measurements are taken flat with a flexible measuring tape...You have to be smaller than the measurements to allow room for ease:

There is no size tag, fits an xxs
Shoulder to shoulder: 13 inches
Sleeve length: 22 inches
Bust: 30 inches
Waist: 22 inches
Hip: 40 inches
Skirt length center front: 41 inches
Skirt length center back: 55 inches
Remember, vintage is NOT new...This is previously worn and will show minor wear...I have inspected and mentioned any noticeable or detracting flaws, noting whether this garment is wearable or not...If not, it can still be appreciated and used for fabric, pattern or construction study...This is sold As Found...Repairing flaws, cleaning, spot removal and pressing is the responsibility of the buyer, as I don't want to damage the garment.

From Me:

Although this is a wedding dress, I'm pretty sure, it's a few years older than the seller believes. The fluff around the neckline meant to make the shoulders look big, make me think this one is from about 1897/1898.

1897 Fashion Plate

The silk of the underdress is completely shattered but, like all old textiles, it still tells us much. The hem is pretty well preserved even if the skirt itself is not. There are a ton of ruffles along the hem meaning this dress was to stand out a bit from the wearer. The lace overdress would have been expensive as well as the silk taffeta. The colors and the general expense do make it out to be more of a wedding gown than a simple fancy ball gown - also the high neckline would be more appropriate for a wedding.

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.