Dress and Petticoat
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Lovinia White
Clothing MakerMade by
Unknown
Dateabout 1833
MediumDress: hand-stitched and machine-stitched silk and cotton, with enameled metal hooks and eyes
Bodice: hand-stitched silk and cotton, with brass eyes
Petticoat: Hand-stitched silk and cotton, with wool wadding and wool hem tape
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (length x width): 50 x 27in. (127 x 68.6cm)
Hem (circumference): 95 1/4in. (241.9cm)
ClassificationsCostume
Credit LineConnecticut Museum of Culture and History collection
Object number1959.25.3a-c
DescriptionA: Blue-gray silk day dress, with leg-o'-mutton sleeves, wide neckline, and full skirt. The dress bodice is decorated across the front from shoulder to shoulder with a gathered strip of self-fabric, controlled by a loop of the silk at center front, about two inches below the neckline edge. The top of the sleeves are pleated into a triangular piece of the silk. This triangular piece is piped, along with the armscye, the neckline edge, and the curved side back seams. The skirt is set into the waistband with knife pleats across the front and sides; it is cartridge pleated at center back. The bodice is lined with plain-woven undyed cotton. The skirt is lined with glazed pink cotton. The wrist openings and hem are edged in fine black silk cording. The center back opening is nineteen inches long and closes with black enameled hooks and eyes (not original.)
The dress was altered for a costume, as the waistband is set on by machine stitching. Also, the back of the bodice was lengthened. The side back panels are faux--a construction technique frequently used after about 1835 until about 1840--and lengthening the bodice resulted in revealing how they were appliqued in place.
B: This 1820s bodice (of the same fabric as dress ".a") was cut off at the waistline. The sleeves are very long, narrow at the wrist and full at the shoulder, being pleated into the armscye. The neckline is wide; it is finished with a self-fabric binding and piping. The armscye is piped. The center back opening has a few remaining brass eyes, but no hooks. The bodice front is fitted with two vertical darts. The bodice is lined with plain-woven white cotton; the sleeves are lined with brown plain-woven cotton to the wrists, which are lined with pink glazed cotton.
C: Quilted petticoat of the same silk as the dress and bodice. It is most likely that this petticoat was made from the skirt cut off of bodice ".b". It is waded with white wool, backed with pale pink glazed cotton, and quilted with a diamond grid pattern for 11 1/2 inches above the hem, and with parallel diagonal lines above this. There are two horizontal tucks taken in the center of the petticoat, which would make it that much more stiff, to help hold the dress skirt out in the fashionable bell shape. The petticoat silk is set into a three-inch brown cotton waist yoke, which is bound along the top edge with self-fabric. The petticoat closes with two white ceramic button set on the waist yoke. The hem of is bound with ecru twill-woven wool tape, which is a common hem finish for dresses in the 1850s and 1860s.
The dress was altered for a costume, as the waistband is set on by machine stitching. Also, the back of the bodice was lengthened. The side back panels are faux--a construction technique frequently used after about 1835 until about 1840--and lengthening the bodice resulted in revealing how they were appliqued in place.
B: This 1820s bodice (of the same fabric as dress ".a") was cut off at the waistline. The sleeves are very long, narrow at the wrist and full at the shoulder, being pleated into the armscye. The neckline is wide; it is finished with a self-fabric binding and piping. The armscye is piped. The center back opening has a few remaining brass eyes, but no hooks. The bodice front is fitted with two vertical darts. The bodice is lined with plain-woven white cotton; the sleeves are lined with brown plain-woven cotton to the wrists, which are lined with pink glazed cotton.
C: Quilted petticoat of the same silk as the dress and bodice. It is most likely that this petticoat was made from the skirt cut off of bodice ".b". It is waded with white wool, backed with pale pink glazed cotton, and quilted with a diamond grid pattern for 11 1/2 inches above the hem, and with parallel diagonal lines above this. There are two horizontal tucks taken in the center of the petticoat, which would make it that much more stiff, to help hold the dress skirt out in the fashionable bell shape. The petticoat silk is set into a three-inch brown cotton waist yoke, which is bound along the top edge with self-fabric. The petticoat closes with two white ceramic button set on the waist yoke. The hem of is bound with ecru twill-woven wool tape, which is a common hem finish for dresses in the 1850s and 1860s.
Status
Not on view
Object/Object
