Clothing, Victorian and Civil War

Bodice: Bust measures - 28 1/2"; Waist - 22"; sleeve - 20"; Shoulder to Shoulder - 10". Skirt: Waist - 24"; Length - 34"

Silk taffeta stripe (1 inch wide tan and 3/4" wide dark brown).

The "front" of the skirt is ruched with 3 layers of pleating making up the hemline (2 striped, 1 glazed dark brown cotton). Back of skirt has no ruching. There is a pocket hidden on the right-hand side of the skirt. I suspect this outfit was a Tablier Gown. The apron is probably long gone. There is an opening about 3 inches wide below the closure on the back of the skirt. The taffeta does not cover all the way to the cotton waistband. It ends an inch or so below it. This would have been covered with the tablier apron. There is a pretty Bow or waist tie with the gown. It is 2 pieces connected by a stitch. Each is 32" long. It was probably folded into a bow or rosette and draped off the back.

The jacket has a ruched dark brown taffeta bib front with small stand-up collar. It buttons down the back with the prettiest buttons I have seen for awhile. They are 2 layers of bone with carved mother of pearl inlay depicting stylized fleur de lis carvings. There are 11 buttons in all; 10 are in perfect shape, 1 is missing 1 piece of its inlay. The sleeves end in a brown taffeta half cuff (only on front), pleating and 2 inch wide net lace. The jacket has no boning. Both jacket and skirt are lined in a glazed cotton.

The gown is made from rich wine burgundy coloured silk satin & stunning shimmering floral brocade. Dazzling peach & pink flowers create the springful brocade panel to the front of the skirt. Two pieces with a high neck and ribbon frill additions to the bodice center at front.

Fastens with hook and eye closeures and is boned, as well as lined in waxed/polished cotton. The burgundy fabric is ruffled along all the edges, and has a dramatic train. Figured and fitted sleeves. The skirt at front is meant to be short enough to show the ruffling of a petticoat or underslip.

Bust 32", Waist 22", Length at Front 48", Length at Back 77".

Late Civil War era to post War 1860's era summer bathrobe / wrapper / dressing gown in a lightweight white cotton with a self-patterned figured stripe. The fabric is not textured like a pique or Marseilles, it's flat with aslight sheen, like a dimity.

There is black soutache trim around the hem and down the front, on the two functional pockets on the front, and on the cuffs of the sleeves, which has been hand-applied -a very laborious procedure. The soutache was originally black but has turneda dark sepia color with age. The item is completely hand-sewn, with some of the seams flat-felled. The armscyes are piped. There is a small, delicate applied color of very fine net that feeels like silk net rather than cotton.

The wrapper is unlined. The front closure consists of five original brass hooks and eyes on the bodice. As was common with wrappers, the bottom portion was apparently meant to be worn open. However, a later owner added modern hooks and eyes to the rest of the front opening, to enable it to be worn closed.. The skirt is wide enough to be worn over a hoop.

The construction of the hem at the back is interesting. A triangle -shaped gusset-type piece has been inset to give it slightly more flare, and another piece has been added to the hem to add about 2 inches in length at the back to make it hang better over a hoop.

Overall condition is excellent. The white cotton fashion fabric is strudy and clean. The soutache has worked loose at the top of one of hte pockets, but this owuld be a very simple restoration job and it's has frayed in a couple of places but not so as to imapair the appearance of the garment.

The wool is a fine brown. The buttons are black silk covered but much of the fabric has worn off of them. The lining is a deep brown cotton twill with a cream cotton twill inside the sleeves. All stitching is in black thread except for finishing stitches that wrap the raw edges on inside center back seam.

Approx measurements: 18" between shoulders, 46" around underarms, 46" waist, 21-1/2" from shoulder to front cutaway hem, 34" from shoulder to back tail hem. Sleeves are 25-1/2" on outside. Cuffs are almost 12" around. Front cutaway hem is 16-1/2" across. Lapels are 3-1/2" at widest. Center back collar is 1-3/4" tall. Buttons on the back are 4-1/4" apart at their centers. Tails or skirts are each 12-1/2" wide at bottom. Has coat style sleeves with 2 seams running lengthwise. Shoulder seams are lowered into the back. Side back seams arch from below shoulder seams at armscyes to button placement where tails or skirts begin. Each tail has a large pocket inside. One is lined in an off white glazed cotton. The other is lined in a whimsical printed gingham check in 2 browns and white.

The embroidery is tambour work, totaling over 14 feet or 178" in length x 8" high of a stylized floral motif.

The pleating around the waist is typical for this period and is gathered or "cartridge" style gathers and then it is hand attached with the tiniest stitches to the waist band. There is a slash side pocket. The skirt might have had hooks originally, but it now has a milk glass button (quite old looking) and a hand done button hole. It has 3 knife pleats above the embroidered hem.