The
popular ladies magazines of the day all promoted the idea that no
lady's wardrobe was complete without at least one black dress. With the
sophisticated yet subtle design of this fabric, I think this dress fits
the bill very nicely!
This is a reproduction
of a Civil War/Victorian 1860's era tea or afternoon dress. This dress
is newly sewn by me and is constructed from authentic period patterns
(based on actual garments from the period). This two piece dress would
be perfectly for church on Sunday, an afternoon tea, or a stroll around
the shops.
The fabric is a beautiful paisley design in
deep gray on black. The bodice is trimmed with black fringe. The dress
is shown on a dress form with a bust measurement of 49 inches and a
waist measurement of 42 inches. The dress is displayed over a 6-bone
hoopskirt, which is not included. The skirt measures 43 1/2 inches at
the center front from waist to the hem. This dress is unhemmed,
and is slightly longer in the back to give a more graceful appearance.
This is a period correct method for hemming a dress of this type as it
allows the skirt to fall gracefully over the hips and not ride up in
the back. The skirt has a generous 176 inch sweep.
The bodice closes with
hand sewn hooks and eyes. The buttons on this dress are a vintage
looking silver toned buttons with a center black "stone". The collar is
basted in so that it can be easily removed if it should require
bleaching, but is fastened very securely so that you don't have to
worry about it coming off. The bodice is lined with 100% cotton muslin.
****** Only 100% cotton has
been used to give breathability to the fabric in hot weather. All
fabric was pre-washed before this outfit was made so that no shrinkage
should occur.
