Black and Red Beaded Bodice

Overview: The red wool bodice is covered with vertical rows of jet beaded trim to create a striped pattern. The heavy silk crepe sleeves have been given a matelasse treatment, creating a raised wavy shiny stripe with a nubby ground.

Construction: The bodice opens center front with 15 hooks and eyes (which alternate hook/eye on each side). The center front is a very shaped line, curving over the bust and straightening below. The bodice is flat lined to a black cotton sateen. The front is one piece with two under bust darts. The back is 6 pieces with a center back and two curving side back pieces. There are 10 steel bones covered with red or yellow casings, and one bone is missing from the proper left side seam so there would have been 11. The bottom edge of the bodice has been faced with a 3/4" bias strip of black faille. The interior seam allowances have been hand overcast. The armscyes have been bound with a silver tape. The round neckline has been bound with black bias faille. The bodice has a gentle point at the front and back waist. Center front is 14 1/2" long while center back is 16" long. The sleeves are two-piece and the undersleeve has been pieced at about elbow level. The sleeves are set into the armhole naturally in the front, but are set rather far into the body at the back. The fullness of the sleeve cap has been pleated into the armscye. The sleeve is close fitted to the arm and has a 3/4" slit at the wrist. The hem of the sleeve has been faced with black satin.

Trim: The bodice has been covered with black jet beaded trim which creates the appearance of stripes. The bead trim has been manufactured and hand-stitched to the bodice. The trim flows vertically from the shoulder down to the waist in both front and back. The lines are spaced 1/2" apart at the shoulder and the space goes to nothing at the waist. Attached to the waistline is additional beaded trim with seed beads running along either side of larger, square beads.

Provenance: The bodice was donated by Samantha Maynard to the Costar Archive in the Department of Dramatic Art at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in December 2004.

Damage: The condition of the bodice is fairly good. Some of the thread holding the beads in place has started to deteriorate. One bone missing.