Cream Lace and Bullion Bodice

Overview: The bodice which has 3/4 length sleeves is made of cotton lace and decorated with wool and bullion trim.

Construction: The outer bodice, made from lace, is backed with very fine silk chiffon. The 3/4" wide cream wool trim is not finished (it was cut raw). There is a deep unlined lace flange over the shoulder. The bodice has a square neckline that is filled with the same wool strip application that comprises the collar. These horizontal wool strips are 1/4" wide and are machine stitched on each edge to the silk chiffon base. At the bottom of the yoke there are 15 small bullion rosettes. The collar has 4 bones, at the sides and each side of the back closing. The top edge of the collar has 44 bullion rosettes (2 are missing). It closes at center back with four small hooks and loops. The bodice closes at center back also, with small hooks on the proper left and bars on the proper right side of the outer bodice. There is an inner bodice made of cream silk taffeta. The inner bodice has a square neck that aligns with the wool-striped yoke of the outer bodice. The inner bodice has 9 feather bones and an inner waist belt (measuring 31") that is attached to the center front bone. The inner bodice closes with alternating hooks and eyes. The bodice comes to a shallow "V" at the bottom edge of the front. The measurement from the bottom of the collar to the bottom of the front is 19 1/2"; the center back from the bottom of the collar to the bottom of the back measures 17". The elbow-length over sleeves are made from unlined lace and have a strip of 3/4" wide wool trim and scalloped lace at the hem. The under sleeves are made of the very fine silk chiffon and are lined with silk taffeta. The chiffon has 5 horizontal pintucks running around the elbow level, and below that it is gathered into a semi-fitted lower sleeve made of lace backed with chiffon. This lower sleeve is also edged with wool and scalloped lace.

Damage: The silk chiffon is generally disintegrating and the collar is badly deteriorating due to dependence on the China silk for structure. The taffeta lining is also shattering at the back neck area.