Details

COLEM:1945.166

Colchester Collections

dress, bodice

Dress of patterned red wool twill comprising of a bodice, skirt and two undersleeves. c.1850-1860. Bodice: Wool twill printed with red background with multicoloured pattern of foliage. High round neckline with no collar. Neck and chest decorated with two thin rows of black lace and one row of appliqued dark red silk velvet ribbon. With dark red velvet bow where ribbon meets each other at the front. Pagoda sleeves with red velvet bows one the forearm and openings trimmed with same ribbon. Ends of sleeves lined with red silk. Centre front fastening of 16 metal hooks (2 missing) and 6 metal eyes (8 missing) and three thread loops. One very large metal hook and eye at the waist. Bodice is fitted at waist and extends just below the hips. Double layered effect at bottom of bodice, each trimmed with velvet ribbon and meeting at a point at centre back. The top layer has a notch in each side. Upper inside lined with two types of cotton, lower inside lined with red silk. With six bones. All hand stitched. Undersleeves: Same fabric. They are from above the elbow to the wrist. Gathered seam at elbow. The cuffs are fitted and are each fastened by two dark red silk covered buttons and thread loops. Lined with cream glazed cotton. The top hems are elasticated to keep them up. Skirt: Same fabric. Black silk waistband that carries on into ties, with slots.The skirt is heavily pleated onto the waist band, with four sections of bow pleating at the back and knife edge pleats at the front that mirror each other from the centre. Watch pocket left of centre front waist. Larger pocket on left side skirt. Lined with a heavy cotton. With a red woolen tape around the hem, added later when hem had started to wear.

1850 - 1860

Victorian

bodice, centre back length: 610.00 mm
bodice, waist 660.00 mm
skirt, centre front length: 1050.00 mm

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