~ Elegant Civil War / Victorian 2 Piece Dress ~ ~

You are bidding on 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 unique pink and white stripe. This dress features a beautiful swallow tail peplum in the rear which is lined with the same fabric as the dress. The dress is accented with two white tassels at the front, and button and tassel trim on the coat sleeves. Be sure to check out the set of these coat sleeves. Setting them at the correct angle is very important not only to the appearance of the dress, but also to the comfort and wearability of the garment. Correctly set coat sleeves will not bind up and restrict your movements. The dress is shown on a dress form with a bust measurement of 47 inches and a waist measurement of 42 inches. The dress is displayed over a 6-bone hoopskirt, which is not included. The skirt measures 42 1/2 inches at the center front. 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 238 inch sweep. The skirt closes in the center back with a hook and bar closure.

The bodice closes with hand sewn hooks and eyes. The buttons on this dress are beautiful engraved pewter look buttons. 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. It is the a narrow collar as this is the most popular (and frequently seen) size of the period. 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. All stitching that is visible (sleeve hems, neck and hem bindings) is done by HAND. There is never any visible machine stitching on my dresses.

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