Dress Bodice
Original OwnerOriginally owned by a member of the
Wadsworth family
American
Clothing MakerMade by
Unknown
Dateabout 1883
MediumMachine-stitched cotton, with machine-made silk lace, machine-made cotton lace, and shell buttons
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (center back length x width between shoulders): 29 1/2 x 14 3/4in. (74.9 x 37.5cm)
ClassificationsCostume
Credit LineGift of Elsie Schmalz
DescriptionWoman's dress bodice of pale pink cotton sateen printed with sprays of carnations in darker shades of pink, with green foliage. The bodice has a high, round neckline with a 1 1/8-inch-wide standing band collar edged along the inside with a ruffle of machine-made, bobbin-type lace. The lace is swirled into a rosette at the front edge of the proper left side of the collar. The center front opening fastens with seventeen shell buttons. The bodice extends below the hips and is straight across the front, while the back is rounded and made very full by pleats set into the seams below waist level so that it can fit over the skirt bustle. The narrow, two-piece sleeves are set smoothly into the armscye, which is at the natural shoulder height. The wrist openings have ruffles of machine-made silk lace, which may not be original to the bodice. The bodice is fitted with two long darts on each side of the front (the two darts closest to the center have been taken out), while the back is constructed of six pattern pieces to achieve a close fit. The seam allowances are unfinished. The bodice is lined with cream-colored (or very pale pink) twill-woven cotton.
Object number1999.157.3
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