Overview: This cream bodice, c. 1900. is made from silk satin with rows of horizontal pintucking alternating with rows of plain satin on the back and rows of horizontal pintucking alternating with rows of gathers over narrow cording on the front.
Construction: The bodice of heavy silk has a yoke and lower section center front and two-piece back which closes with nine, mother of pearl, 3/8 inch buttons, two of which are on the collar. The horizontal hand buttonholes are made on a 1 inch piece of folded silk and stitched behind center back to create a concealed placket. The shoulder seams fall to the back at the corded armsceye. The bottom edge is gathered to a 1 inch linen waistband with the fullness concentrated at center front and either side of the center back opening. The waistband closes with a hook and bar. The bodice is not flatlined or lined; however there is a slightly gathered, unfinished ruffle, 6" long, made of linen attached to the inside of the front yoke seam to act as a bust enhancer.
The entire yoke is covered with hand-stitched horizontal pin-tucks. The lower section of the front alternates bands of flat pin-tucks and small cords with the silk ruched over them. The width of these sections ranges from 1 1/2" - 2". The interior seams of these sections are hand overcast. The back has pintucked sections that are 1 3/4" wide. The unadorned area between these sections is 1 1/4" wide. There are two hooks facing down on either side of center back.
The 3/4 sleeve is approximately 23" in circumference. The fullness is controlled at the armscye with four rows of hand gathering spaced 1/4" apart. There are three rows of gathering visible above the cuff. The cuff consists of a pin-tucked section with a gathered bias fold of the silk on either side. A band of facing 3/4" wide hides raw edges and stitches on the inside of the sleeve at the bottom. A sleeve header made of silk taffeta with pinked edges is stitched into the armscye at the cap.
The bodice has a 2 1/4" high stand, boned collar covered in pin-tucks. The collar opens at center back and has a 3/8 inch bone on the button side. The center front bones are 3/4" from center at the neckline and 1 1/4" from center at the top edge. These bones are 1/4" as are the bones at the side. On the inside of the right side of the collar there are two buttonholed loops to fasten the collar. The top edge of the collar is trimmed with a yellow ribbon (3/16" visible) and a light green ribbon above this (1/4" visible).
Damage: The bodice is very fragile. At the neck center front, the fabric is deteriorating and has pulled away from the collar. Throughout the bodice, the tiny hand stitches have caused the silk to weaken and tear. The underarm area has deteriorated in both armholes. Some of the hand gathering on the sleeves has come undone. The bone in the left side of the collar is missing, but the casing remains. The right side of the waistband at center back has one hook, but the corresponding loop is missing. Several of the buttonholes have torn through the edge.
