#0355 $1,350
Post Civil War day dress, c.1867
This fine summer dress from the post Civil War period retains the heartfelt simplicity of the earlier Romantic period, while anticipating the bustle styles of the late Victorian age.
The dress is fashioned from lightweight cotton voile printed with brown and ivory stripes. There are three separate pieces: the bodice, an underskirt, and a draped overskirt. The draping ingeniously plays with the direction of the stripes. The pieces are all unlined.
The unboned bodice closes in front with small cut-steel buttons, which are all there. Both skirts close in back with hooks. The graphic design makes use of self bands of horizontal stripes—no other decoration is necessary. The neckline and armholes are outlined with narrow corded self piping.
The condition is very good and all original. The dress, which displays beautifully, has a few minor flaws. There are a few scattered small mends and age spots on the bodice and overskirt. The garment is structurally sound with no underarm damage.
The bodice measures: 36" bust, 23 1/2" waist, 24 1/2" from the neckline to the end of the sleeve, and 15 1/2" from the shoulder to the hem.
The underskirt has a 25" waist and is 40" long at the center front (longer in back).
The overskirt has a 25" waist and is 23 1/2" long at the center front.
