Constructon and Trim

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There are six pieces with this garment, two bodices, two sashes, and two partial skirts. They are primarily constructed from pink silk jacquard.

Bodice #1

This long sleeved pink silk jacquard and net bodice closes at center back with 13 hooks and bars. The bottom edge of the blouse is raw. It has the appearance that whatever was below the waist was cut off. Portions of the bottom edge are hand overcast. The bodice is lined in a lightweight off-white cotton. On the interior, the yoke portion of the bodice is lined in cream China silk. The bodice is shaped in front and back by princess seams. The interior seams are french seams. Lightly padded, crescent shaped eggs have been stitched into the body of the blouse at bust level near the armscye.

In the front and back, the yoke does not extend past the princess seam. The bodice's yoke is created from cream netting that has been stitched into 1/4" tucks. In the back this portion extends to shoulder blade level. Below this, a portion of the pink silk has also been manipulated into 1/4" tucks. The upper portion of the yoke in the front of the bodice also features the tucked netting. At bust level, there are two bands of 1" wide rose colored velvet that cross and form a y- shape. A piece of pink silk serves as the ground for a cream piece of lace below the bustline. In both front and back, the net and trim have simply been tacked onto the interior lining and the raw edges are left exposed. There is some indication in the form of stitching lines that mar the velvet and cross through the net of the yoke that something was originally stitched to create a v-shape in front and to cover these raw edges.

The bodice has a high stand collar that is approximately 3" wide. It is constructed of the tucked netting and lined with China silk. It is trimmed on the exterior near the tops edge with a 1/2" wide band of rose colored velveteen topped with a narrow rose colored piece of soutache. The very top edge of the collar is a trimmed with a pink and cream colored twisted braid and a narrow width of tightly pleated silk chiffon. On the interior there is a 1/4" wide plastic bone at center front that is cracked near its base. On the right side of center back and at the shoulder seams are 1/8" wide bones in a braided casing that run from the top edge of the collar into the bodice. The bone at center back terminates at the bottom edge of the yoke. The bones that run from the neck down into the shoulder seams terminate at the armscye.

The sleeves are fully lined in the same China silk that lines the yoke of the bodice. The base of the sleeve is constructed of the tucked net also found at the yoke. It fits the arm closely below the elbow and the hem is trimmed with a 1/2" wide band of rose colored velveteen and a narrow width of rose colored soutache. Mounted on top of the net sleeve above the elbow is a portion of the pink silk jacquard. It encircles the underarm portion of the sleeve and its scalloped edges leave an approximately 2 1/2" wide gap over the top of the arm from armscye to elbow. This gap is filled with a narrow width of the rose colored velveteen. An approximately 1 1/4" wide portion of the tucked netting is seen in the remaining space. Rose colored soutache has been stitched into round medallions and these have been place in each of the four scallops on either side of the silk over-sleeve. There are four medallions on each side. Another piece of soutache acts as a loop over the top of the arm and connects the medallions on one side to the other like a frog closure.

Blouse

The foundation of this blouse is in the pink silk jacquard that is used throughout the pieces in this assortment of garments. It is overlaid with an ecru gauze woven silk. As it exists now, the blouse has little shaping with the only seams being the side seams. There is a portion of a narrow belt of the pink silk jacquard in the interior near the right side in the back. This 7" long bias remnant has two male snaps and could have been used to control some of the fullness of the blouse. The blouse opens with 11 snaps at the right shoulder, down the front of the right sleeve, and under the right arm. The neckline of the blouse is trimmed in a raspberry colored velveteen. Below this is a 2 1/4" band of the pink silk jacquard has been left exposed. The lower edge of the neckline is trimmed with a golden colored fringed braid. The braid serves to hide the raw edge of the gauze woven silk which overlays the rest of the bodice. The sleeves are of a simple one piece construction with the back of the sleeve slightly longer than the front at the hem. The gauze layer is finished with the same braid found at the neckline.

The lower edge of the bodice has been significantly altered. The edge of the gauze is simply left raw, but most of the pink silk jacquard is hand overcast. There is some indication on the pink silk jacquard foundation that at one point there was some type of trim running vertically on the front and back of the garment; the perforations from the machine stitching are still visible.

Shaped Belt

This shaped belt is created on a base of buckram and dips slightly below the waist in a shallow V at center front. A piece of the pink jacquard cut on the bias has been draped over the foundation and has been hand tacked in place on the backside of the belt. Mounted on the exterior, on top of the silk, is a 1 ½” wide band of rose colored velvet cut on the bias. There are no closures on the belt and while the ends are not left raw, they are simply finished with a hand overcast. There are numerous hanging threads on the interior of the belt that may indicate it was affixed to another portion of the gown originally.

Sash

This 5 ¼” wide pink silk jacquard sash has been created by turning the bottom and top edges towards the interior. There is a side seam in the silk and the edges of this seam have not been finished. The sash is fastened on the opposite side with four snaps. The edge with the female snaps has been reinforced on the interior with a strip of plain weave cotton. An approximately 3 1/4” wide band of bias ecru colored silk is mounted on top of the silk jacquard. It is attached at the seam with the snaps.

Skirt Remnant #1

This piece is the remnant of a skirt made from the pink silk jacquard. It is a seven panel skirt with a 10 ½” long placket opening at center back. This placket is closed with six hooks and bars. There is no longer a waistband on the skirt. The top edge is raw and some of the panels are hand overcast. The panel to the right of the center back opening has had a facing applied to finish the top edge. This panel also has two silver snaps on the exterior. The bottom edge of the skirt has been cut and the raw edge finished with a hand overcast. The overall length of the skirt measures 24 ½” at center front.

Many of the seams on the interior are finished by turning the raw edges under and machine stitching, but a few are french seams. There is considerable discoloration and staining on the back of the skirt near the waist.

Skirt Remnant #2

This tube of fabric is approximately 60" wide and 18 1/4" long and is constructed from pink silk jacquard. The remnant is composed of three widths of fabric with the selvedges utilized in the seams. It is entirely handsewn. The top edge is raw although a 1/4" is folded to the interior. The bottom edge has a 4 1/2" wide hem. There is considerable discoloration and soil along the hemline.