~ Civil War Afternoon/Tea Dress ~ SASS ~

This is a beautiful 2 piece afternoon/tea dress in a beautiful polka dot design. The Victorians loved geometrics for apparel, and polka dots were no exception! This dress truly demonstrates the ingenuity of Americans in achieving the look they wanted without waste, as the clever design of this bodice is one piece, but achieves the look of two pieces through the use of trim.

The fabric is a 100% cotton in a in a soft shade of golden beige (almost pale yellow) with tan dots. The bodice is accented with black velvet ribbon and mother of pearl and gold look buttons. The sleeves are pagoda style and are accented with the same velvet ribbon as the rest of the bodice. The back has a small peplum, which is accented by two buttons. The top edge of the bodice is edged in black cotton lace to further highlight the design.

The dress is shown on a dress form with a bust measurement of 40 inches and a waist measurement of 34 inches. This is for a very snug fit. If a less snug fit is desired, then your measurements should be a smaller than this. The dress is displayed over a 6-bone hoopskirt, which is not included. The skirt measures 42 1/2 inches at the center front from waist to the hem. This skirt 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 skirt fastens in the center back with a hook and bar closure.

This dress has many hours of hand stitching, as all of the ribbon is stitched to the dress by hand.

The bodice closes with individually hand-sewn period correct hook and eye closures and is fully lined in 100% cotton muslin, which wears very well and helps to keep the lines smooth over many washes and wearings.

*** 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.

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