Clothing, Dress - Blue & Beige Cotton Stripe with a Floral Pattern
1840 – 1845 (Date manufactured/created)
Cotton, Braid
This dress is made up of an intricately patterned cotton in blue and beige florals, accompanied by beige and white stripes, dotted in blue. These increasingly busy textiles became a common fabric selection in the 1840s. The wide, bell shaped skirt and long ruched bodice would be acceptably on trend for much of the decade. This skirt is cartridge pleated to achieve the suitable width, and faced 9" deep. The bodice is shirred with four lines of gathering thread. The bodice lining is shaped by two small darts to match. The neckline is modestly high. The bodice closes center front with 11 small hooks and eyes.
The sleeves, having been much deflated since the late 1830s, are capped. The sleeve cap is overlaid with a decorative triangle, trimmed with thin white ribbon and a button. The wrist is gathered to a cuff closed with a single white button. The sleeves are unlined. The armscye, bodice hemline and neckline are piped.
Modern alterations have been done with a machine, sewing the bodice and skirt together with brown tape and two lines of white stitching. A second line of eyes has been added at center front closure. It has been further altered at the closure with two sets of snaps on the right front bodice panel. It seems as if a placket has also been made offset center front. A portion of the original stitches have been taken out, then the fabric pressed back further, and topstitched it in place with a machine. Beforehand it seems as if the skirt and bodice were sewn together loosely by hand. The skirt's original closure is unclear.
Condition: good. OL 49".
The sleeves, having been much deflated since the late 1830s, are capped. The sleeve cap is overlaid with a decorative triangle, trimmed with thin white ribbon and a button. The wrist is gathered to a cuff closed with a single white button. The sleeves are unlined. The armscye, bodice hemline and neckline are piped.
Modern alterations have been done with a machine, sewing the bodice and skirt together with brown tape and two lines of white stitching. A second line of eyes has been added at center front closure. It has been further altered at the closure with two sets of snaps on the right front bodice panel. It seems as if a placket has also been made offset center front. A portion of the original stitches have been taken out, then the fabric pressed back further, and topstitched it in place with a machine. Beforehand it seems as if the skirt and bodice were sewn together loosely by hand. The skirt's original closure is unclear.
Condition: good. OL 49".
81.336