#1596 $375
Cotton print day dress, c.1867
When I discovered this post Civil War dress, it was love at first sight. There is something endearing about the crisp black and white print.
Our dress has the sloping shoulders; cartridge skirt pleating; and the corded seams popular during the Civil War. The full skirt (longer in back) anticipates the coming move to the bustle style.
The two-piece dress is fashioned from white corded weave cotton. The charming black printed paisleys are surrounded with groupings of tiny dots. The bodice closes in front with mother-of-pearl buttons. The skirt closes in back with hooks.
One minor problem: the absence of the scalloped edges on the bodice as well as the original black braid trim that finished the skirt hem. Even without the trim, the dress makes a commanding statement.
If you are patient and enjoy a good project, you can replace the trim, thereby increasing retail value from $375 to about $480. Everything else about the dress is period correct.
The condition is almost excellent. The dress, which is sturdy and clean, is missing its trim.
It measures: 35" bust, 24" waist, 21" sleeve length, and 43" skirt-front length.
