For Your Consideration
An Antique Mid-Victorian Acid Green Coloured Two Piece Taffeta Bustle Day or Afternoon Gown /
Dress dated to 1877-1879 – Size S – for repair and display
Description
Apologies for using a life model for this dress, but the images were
taken before I had a mannequin. Apologies also for the shadows in the photos. They were taken on a very sunny day.
This two piece bustle gown is
frilly and complex in its construction. It is composed of a
trained skirt and a matching cuirass bodice (please see the last photos of fashion
plates showing similar gowns
from 1877-78 – this also shows the correct silhouette and I found a similar coloured gown from 1879 – see last plate on the right).
The gown is made of
acid green coloured taffeta with a machine-made blonde Guipure lace (the Victorians referred to it as Spanish lace).
The day bodice is adorned with a ruched fold-over front with lace trim. The 3/4 length sleeves
have broad frilly cuffs with a
lace ruffle attached to them (the lace on the right sleeve is missing). The bodice has
an internal waist tie with which it was secured around the waist. It is lined with
cream/white coloured cotton and is fully boned. The bodice closes with hooks and eyes on the front.
The skirt has a darker green taffeta internal shell with a polished cotton lining upon which the various pleated trims, the ruching etc were mounted.
The skirt has a simulated ruched apron-style front, knife-pleated ruffles throughout and a bustle back with a lovely 17″ long round train. The skirt
closes on the back with a hook and eye (later replacement) on the back. The skirt back seam is open underneath the bustle (something which I have not seen before) and has small woollen tape attached to it which has been moved and once would have been used to tie and pull back the skirt into the correct
bustle-back shape. I strongly suspect that the skirt was once larger (i.e. more open at the back), as this was more fashionable a couple of years earlier and as the silhouette become more narrow, the tapes were shortened in line with the new fashion. The skirt has dark green polished cotton attached to the inside of the hem to protect it and the train is lined with dark green cotton and has a broad strip of pleated and starched lace attached to the inside of its hem. The skirt still has its original deep hidden internal pocket.
The dress is predominantly hand sewn. The only machined seams are the long seams on the bodice. The white perspiration protection pads on the bodice are more modern of course.
The
dress is designed to be worn over a back bustle. The dress is shown over a bustle frame that is not
included in this sale, but bustles and bustle frames can often be found on
website.
The dress is probably a modern size UK 10 (EU 34-36, US 8) (but please check the measurements to be certain) and its measurements are as follows (measured when lying flat):
Length of bodice: 24″ (front), 29″(back)
Bust: 17″-17.5″ (ca. 34″-35″ all around)
Waist: 13″ (ca. 26″ all around) (note this is a wasp waist, so a waist corset ought to be worn)
Width at shoulder: 13.5″-14″
Length of sleeves: 17″
Length of skirt : 40″ (front); 57″ (back)
Width at waist: 13″ (26″ all around)
Width at hem: 37″ (74 “all around – without the train, just the regular skirt hem)
The
dress is in need of some repair, but is structurally sound. The major problems are faded areas (the fabric looks yellow rather than green) on the bodice (shoulders, arms and front) and one side and bustle of the skirt, a large mouse? hole in the bustle fabric on the back and the loose and torn lace strips (particularly around the collar)(see photos). There are also very small breaks in the taffeta on top of the left arm and left shoulder (storage related) (see photo). The fold-over ruched section on the front and the bodice needs to have hooks and eyes attached to them again (someone removed them) to fasten the fold-over section to left front side of the bodice – I pinned it for the photos.
The gown is in very clean condition, but I have to
mention the significant underarm stains on the bodice, small light brown stains on the right shoulder, a large stain on the hem of the train of the skirt and soiling on the inside hem of the train on
the skirt, where it would have dragged across the ground (see photos).
Postage
The dress weighs 1.3kg. Packaging and postage WITH INSURANCE AND TRACKING
to the UK via Airmail will cost £12.90, within Europe via Airmail £12.90
(15,10 Euro), overseas via Airmail £17.90 (ca. US$ 28.50).
I will gladly combine items for shipping and always refund excess shipping costs.
Payment
I accept PayPal and International bank transfer, but preferably in Euro. Please await my invoice before making a payment.
Terms & Conditions
All
sales are final. I go to great lengths to describe each item and
take as many photographs as possible. Please make sure that
you have read the description and studied the photos BEFORE you place
your bid. Please note that all items above £20 will be sent via Registered Mail.
Returns are only accepted in cases where the item was found to be grossly misrepresented. Items must be returned within 3 days of receipt.
Please, do not hesitate to email me or for more photos.
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