1860's (?) Undersleeves

From the seller:

Vintage probably 20s brown net dress sleeves. Has a silk cuff with snap closure. The tops have fanciful orange wool embroidered flower with cotton ecru squiggles. Also see our other great items, we gladly combine shipping. Buyer notifies in three days, pays shipping.

Very good vintage condition.

The wrist is 6 1/4" snapped closed, 16.5" long. The top part is 12" (gathered).


From Me:

I doubt these are from the 1920's. The shape looks like hundreds of other undersleeves I've seen for the 1860's. These were worn beneath the flared part of the sleeve and connected to the fitted upper part.

Two fabulous mid Teens era summer dresses

From the seller:

A nice group of 1912-1915 lace tea dresses. The first dress id made of net lace and trimmed with ivory satin bands. The front and back of the bodice and the skirt hemline are decorated with organdy floral appliqués. The front of the bodice is trimmed with white satin decorative buttons. The dress is lined with a layer of net lace and has a side hook and eye closure. The dress is in good condition. There is some age discoloration on the front of the skirt. Bust 34 Waist 28 Skirt length 36. The second dress is made of dotted and floral patterned lace. The bodice is designed with a bolero styles jacket and the waist is trimmed with a white silk belt. The skirt is designed with two tiers. The bodice and skirt are lined with net lace. The dress is in good condition. There are no hooks or eyes on the inside net lining. The dress is in clean condition. Bust 31 Waist 26 Skirt length 38.

From Me:

Just fabulous! I think I need an Easter dress like this but with a pink slip beneath it...

1890's Brown Bodice and Skirt

From the seller:

This auction is for a majestic, true antique 1800's ladies corset jacket with matching hoop skirt....in excellent, wearable condition!

Straight from a most prestigious Vermont estate with family tree provenance. Beautiful weight deep bronze silk taffeta ensemble with elegant ruched trim, pleating, decorative bows and high wired collar. Ruffled neckline and bodice front. A total of nine fine corset stays sewn within the fully lined bodice.

Beautiful highly puffed sleeves with tapered wrists. Expertly V pleated jacket back. Bustle back dropped V with gathered bow on jacket back. Closes with early hook and eye closure up the bodice front. The matching crinoline hoop skirt flows beautifully with it's draping front panel. It is fully lined in polished cotton with a banded lower hemline dust ruffle. Early button closure in back with large pleating to accommodate a wire cage bustle . Just a most majestic 1880's Victorian dress for serious collectors. The only flaws to note is that the lining on either side of the hook & eyes needs restoration or reinforcement as it has weakened and torn...this is the polished cotton lining...not the dress fabric!

This gorgeous set measures as follows:

Jacket

Bust: 32 inches

Waist: 24 inches

Underarm to sleeve end: 18 inches

Underarm to waist: 9 inches

Skirt

Waist: 24 inches

Side seam: 44 inches

A must see antique dress~!


From Me:

The hoop skirt doesn't match. It looks completely out of place. Also NOT A BUSTLE. The large point in the back should have been a clue that this can't accommodate a bustle. Hook and eye closures have been around since at least the 1400's (probably earlier! I just haven't investigated further than that) so I have no idea what the seller means about "early" either. I think the ancient Egyptians had buttons. Probably the Babylonians too.

And it's 1890's. Those sleeves give that away.

1840's Dress remade into the 1860's

From the seller:

This auction is for a most magnificent genuine 1860's Civil War era dress. This elegant antique dress is hand sewn with the most beautiful changeable silk fabric. Floral patterned blue to cinnamon silk in excellent condition. Fully lined in polished cotton. Sweeping pagoda sleeves with striking 1.25 inch wide striped blue & cinnamon silk ribbon. Cartridge pleating found just off the shoulders and below the waist offering the typical fullness needed for hoop skirts and bustle. The underskirts edge offers a blue ribbon dust ruffle whose condition is near perfect telling us the dress was most likely for special occasions and worn very little.. Very early hook and eye closure up the front bodice with 5 sewn in very early corset stays for shaping. In excellent, wearable condition. The only flaw I can find is underarm discoloration...see magnified photos below. This is a beauty!

This authentic 1800's dress measures as follows:

Bust: 30 inches

Waist: 22 inches

Underarm to sleeve end: 21 inches

Underarm to hemline: 52 inches

For serious antique clothing collectors or Civil Reinactment attendees....this genuine 1860's dress is a must have for your collection....the colors are glorious!



Please note...if there is no serious interest in this item I will exercise my right to end the auction early to protect my investment.

From Me:

Okay, so...if you look at the bodice you can tell it really really wants to be longer. The way the shoulders are sloped and that lovely pleating of the sleeves right at the armscye also indicate all one thing - 1840's. Someone just chopped off the elongated waistline and repleated the skirt to the bodice making it more appropriate for the early 1860's. The sleeves were probably redone in the 1850's.

1870's Wrapper Dress with OMG!ORANGE Paisley

From the seller:

This auction is for a most magnificent genuine 1860's Civil War era dress. This elegant antique dress is sewn of the most exquisite wool fabric with paisley pattern. fabric. The wool is in excellent condition with absolutely no moth damage, wear or stains found. Fully lined in polished cotton. Ever so soft deep chocolate brown silk velvet collar, pockets, sleeve cuffs, belt with matching silk velvet over wooden buttons. The lower dress skirt offers the typical fullness needed for hoop skirts and bustle. The fullness found in this wrapper style princess style dress suggests this may have been a maternity dress. Can be worn as a dress by a larger size women of today's era. Sweeping longer back which was often found in the early 1860's. Bustle back. Very early hooks found along lower front closure...these are original...see photos below. Buttons are decorative and other original 1860's hooks & eyes were replaced with early 1900's snaps for closure up the dress front. In excellent, wearable condition. The only flaw I can find is a hint of fraying neck lining edge with some slight age yellowing and stains of upper back bodice lining....this is lining only! Please see magnified photos below. The near pristine dust ruffle suggests that this dress was barely worn, if ever, outside. Typical Civil War period piping found around upper sleeve/shoulder area. This is a beauty and a very rare find in this condition!

This authentic 1800's dress measures as follows:

Bust: 40 inches

Waist: 38 inches

Underarm to sleeve end: 19 inches

Underarm to hemline: 49.5 inches

For serious antique clothing collectors or Civil Reinactment attendees....this genuine 1860's dress is a must have for your collection....the paisley colors and design are glorious!





Please note...if there is no serious interest in this item I will exercise my right to end the auction early to protect my investment.

From Me:

It's from the early 1870's and not the Civil War. The seller has the belt at the wrong location (notice the huge gap between the buttons right at the lower ribs? That's where the belt should go). It may well have been a maternity dress but it's also a nice wrapper dress.

Post WWI Wedding Gown

From the seller:

1918 Bridal Ensemble -5 items

No Reserve!





#1-Chiffon and Lace Wedding Gown Circa 1918

#2-Wax flower Veil

#3- Long separate chiffon and satin train

#4-Satin shoes

#5- Hosiery




An antique ivory creme silk charmeuse gown inset with panels of chiffon, with applique on net lace. This ensemble comes with a separate chiffon and satin train-at 9' long!. The headpiece is embellished with white wax flowers and delicate lace. The small satin shoes and delicate rich silk hose add the finishing touch.




All sizes are approximate




Dress size: Bodice -34", Waist-26", the front length is 51"

Veil: 33", 8" diameter headpiece

Train: Total length is 9'3", the first 37" is made of the see through chiffon and the remaining is chiffon and satin, three snaps on top for attaching

Shoes: 9" long




Condition:

Overall-Please note that this dress has some problems, however I feel the wonderful design would make a great example. Also, the veil and train are quite strong making them very usable.




Dress-very fragile, holes in the chiffon, some stains, lining is shattered (see photo)




Veil-wax flowers some florets are slightly broken, netting and lace is in very good shape




Train-some staining, small holes in chiffon, satin is in good shape, overall the fabric feels very strong




Shoes-satin is worn with small wear spots




Hosiery-small holes




*Please note that I have additional photo's available upon request.










From Me:

This is so terribly lovely. I hope whoever won this auction knows better than to "re-use" the pieces. It's very much a late teens into the early 1920's dress - probably right at 1918-1919.