1997.35.9a, c

Wedding Dress, 1870-1872

White silk faille, white silk satin, white cotton twill, tan polished cotton, white starched net

Scale: 1 box = 1"

The bodice is flatlined with twill, apart from the unlined triangular inset under the arm, the

peplum, which is lined with polished cotton, and the center back tab, which is self-lined. All

edges of the peplum hang free. Each dart is boned, and the right side of the front is boned for

9.25" from the bottom. The buttons (white, heavily corded) are placed on the edge of the left

front, and have a very narrow faille placket from the top edge to 3.5" from the bottom. A

trapezoidal piece with five eyes is sewn into the front dart on the left side; the corresponding

hooked piece has been cut off. The neckline is finished with narrow piping in satin, the armscye

(from mark to mark over the shoulder) with narrow faille piping, and the bottom edge with ¼"

satin piping. The trim is a 1.5" wide bias strip of faille covered down the center with a 1" bias

strip of satin, with gathering stitches ¼" from each edge; the whole is slipstitched to the bodice

and sleeves between the dashed lines. On the peplum, the trim is sewn to go over the edge of the

fabric slightly, and it breaks at the level of the pleating in order to start again on the other side, as

the top of the peplum hangs down. The shoulder seam is marked on the sleeve.

The waistband of the skirt is made of a folded piece of faille, to which the skirt is whipped; the

eye is on top and the hook on the underside. The whole skirt is flatlined with polished cotton, and

backed with starched net from the hem to the dashed line. It is finished at the bottom with a ½"

faille piping. The skirt opens in the seam left of center front.