Blue Moire-print Ensemble

Overview: This gown is made of silk that is printed with a blue and white "watered" moire pattern.

Construction: The bodice has a pointed front and back. It is flat-lined to brown cotton. The seam allowances are all very neatly finished. There is one more front dart in the cotton than in the outer silk layer. There are bones on every seam plus each side of center front, totaling 13 bones (whalebone) and there is a partial or short whalebone (now un-cased) at center back below the waist, on top of another longer bone. The bodice closes at center front with 18 alternating hooks and eyes. There is a partial inner waistband. There is significant bust padding stitched into the cotton flat-lining. The front yoke is covered with ruched cream crinkled silk crepe. Remnants of cream silk chiffon and lace indicate that perhaps the yoke was edged in a chiffon ruffle and/or lace. This lace and chiffon ruffle continues over the shoulder and down the back armscye. There is a small, turn-down collar that is interfaced and seems that it was originally covered with the cream silk crepe and edged in a crepe ruffle. The waist of the bodice is adorned with two rows of silk moire ribbon, with additional ribbon bows at the back waist. The full upper sleeve is gathered into the armscye and has two rows of gathering stitches about the elbow, creating a small puff below the elbow. There is a lower sleeve which is fitted and also has remnants of a chiffon ruffle and lace that match what is seen on the yoke. At the wrist, there is a disintegrating ruffle of cream silk crepe and a ribbon bow that matches the ribbon around the waist. The skirt is lined with cream cotton. The skirt front panel wraps around to the side back and has a side front and side seam dart on each side. The back panel has several deep pleats facing center back. The skirt closes with a placket at center back though there are no closures remaining. Just below the placket is a piece of (worn out) elastic to act as a stay for the fullness of the cotton pleats; the cotton layer is a drop lining, not flat-lined to the silk. The silk layer is hemmed separately and two self-fabric bias ruffles are machine chain-stitched onto the silk. The bottom ruffle is 2.75" wide and has a self-fabric 1/4" bound hem. There is also a 5.5" wide bias ruffle, bound similarly on the top and bottom edges, and is stitched onto the skirt along the center of the ruffle. The top half of this ruffle is occasionally tacked to the skirt by hand. The cotton lining has a bias stiffened interfacing at the hem ranging from 6" at the front to 7.5" at the back. On the outside of the cotton hem, there is a 3.5" facing of the blue "moire" silk, and the hem is bound with a 1/4" bias brown velvet.

Damage: Fragile and deteriorating. The yoke is disintegrating and the top collar fabric is mostly disintegrated. There are remnants of lace and chiffon on the yoke and sleeves. Some of the bodice ribbons are coming off. The skirt waistband has been separated from the back left skirt panel and the pleats have been released. The silk is also ripped at the right back waist.

Tags: Has been studied and reproduced by MFA candidate