Original Dresses
Last Update March 3, 2002
This dress was for sale on ebay by a seller who kindly allowed me to use his photos and discriptions. This is such an interesting gown. The little pieces on the shoulders makes me think they did not have quite enough material to do the back bodice! Nice to see such an old dress in such good condition.
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| The garment featured in this auction is an incredible and rare woman’s gown dating from the late 1820’s-mid 1830's. This piece is not only a hard to find type of clothing but also a particularly large size for the period. It is of course entirely handsewn and though the stitches are not especially fine they were done by a competent hand. The fabric appears to be a silk/wool blend of some type. The dress is lined only in the bodice with a coarse type of muslin and at the hem with a checked cotton. The dress features a raised waistline and the full gigot sleeves so popular at the time.The sleeves are one piece in construction and piping runs the length of the sleeve seam from under the arm to the cuff. Piping can also be found at the waist and armsyces. The neckline is fairly wide and open as was typical of the period and the dress would have been worn over a chemisette. There are no closures present nor does it appear to have ever had any, leading us to believe it was probably pinned. The skirt is very full cut and tightly gathered at the waist and has a pocket of striped cotton in the right side. As previously stated this piece is larger than most seen from this period, measuring 40” at the bust, 36” at the waist, 16” across the shoulders, sleeve length of 23”, overall length of 54” and a hem circumference of 142”. The overall condition of this piece is really very good when you consider its age and the fact that this was not a garment belonging to a well to do member of society. The underarms are solid though there are substantial perspiration marks. The fabric overall seems a bit fragile, when held to the light you can see that it is beginning to separate. There are numerous tiny holes scattered throughout as would come from moths or other insects though again, you don’t really see this until you hold it up to the light and then they are obvious. There is a separation on the back of the right sleeve between the elbow and the cuff which measures 3 1/2”and has been whip stitched together, I don’t know how long ago this was done, the thread appears to have some age but it was certainly a “quick fix” and looks more like some just wanted to stabilize it. There is a smaller open separation on the back of the left sleeve which measures about 1 1/2” and another of similar size on the back of the skirt just below the waist. There could perhaps be another one or two hidden somewhere in the folds but I have not been able to find them if they exist. I purchased this piece a couple of years ago from a dealer in central Ohio and it may well have come from this region. |