#SOLD1018 --- Bustledress.com

item number #SOLD1018

1850's FANCY Iridescent plaid Dinner Dress with Netting under sleeves
There are some dresses you say wow, and others you say WOW WOW! Well, you can guess which one applies here! This stunning dress dates to the late 1850's- early 60's, a very fancy dinner one piece dinner dress in a very reasonable size 10-11! If you collect early pieces like this one, you may know, plaid silk taffeta dresses were much sought after and enjoyed intense popularity for a long time. They displayed one's wealth as it took more fabric to properly match up the pattern. This unbelievable fabric is actually plaids, but designed into an optical illusion of stripes. There are also brocaded stripes with a novelty black silk-satin flocking (like they flocked felt fur "beaver" hats) intermittently pressed into the warp threads. There's a rich vibrance of colors woven in this fine fabric, and it looks better in person, deeper blues, less burnished copper. Hot reds, cool, cobalt blues, periwinkle blue, lilac shot with red, copper shot with red and blue shot with copper, and all the shot colors have a burnished copper-gold shimmering hue as it moves. The bodice has a folded fan effect in front with brass hook and eye inner closures, finely ruched shoulders and gathers at the waist. The back has the exaggerated "V" and straight waist. There's dropped shoulders with thin self piping, serrated edged cap sleeves with black taffeta knife pleated over fitted sleeves that widen (slightly) at black silk moire' wrists with a double row of knife pleating between the moire' (another desirable trait of the period) and attached white pleated netting under sleeves. At the skirt waist, there's full cartridge pleating (by hand.) Skirt's full, with the same black moire' ruching sandwiched between two rows of the fine knife pleating.

The innards are made of white glazed cottony linen in the bodice, and heavy gray glazed cotton in the skirt, with a thick wool hem protector. WOW!

Condition:

Although there are a few things to mention here, I feel that it doesn't add up to much- it just sounds like more than it is. This dress is generally structurally sound and in much better condition than I usually see them. Since I'm picky, let me mention them. Around the back of the neck piping trim, there's a 1/4" separation of the warp brocade (wearing I believe). On one side hidden in the fan folds is an area about the size of half a toothpick (but thinner) of light wearing from folds. On the opposite side, there's a 1/4" round nearly invisible tea? spot with a few more surrounding it smaller than a match head. (Told you I'm being picky!) There's also a very tiny (slightly lighter than match head) oval shaped lighter spot near the waist. Both underarms have faint lightened discoloration, two small, well-done period repairs (See photos) with a few match head sized areas of wear holes on the fine brocade warp, and a 1/4" period mend on the cap sleeve underarm. On the back, there's perhaps two minor almost wearing holes (smaller than a match head) and almost imperceptible stitching from when the dress was let out. On one sleeve is a 1/4" fine period mend on an outer sleeve (between two squares), but I feel it's pretty minor. Both sleeves have slightly lightened yellowish perspiration staining in small stripes on inside arm creases. There's a few very minor (less than 1/4") spots of black silk taffeta missing from wrist ruching. Netting under sleeves (with the exception of very faint age mellowing) (with one tea colored spot the size of a pinhead) is perfect. Skirt looks great with only a match head sized hole hidden in the folds, with two wear spots next to it a little larger than pinheads. There's also a few strings and tailor's tacks still attached. The novelty silk-satin flocking is worn off intermittently allover, but it truly looks to be part of the pattern, and is not distracting at all.

The bodice innards are yellowed with age mellowing, I see a 1/16" hole on the back (also evidence here that the back was let out) and a 1" light blue watery stain on the lower waist (see photos). There are small, darkened, watery underarm stains. One of the brass hooks has the latch snapped off. On the inside skirt, I saw a few very small tannish age spots and a few bites out of the hem protector. As you can see- this is mostly nitpicky stuff that's on almost all these antique dresses.

This item is sold and no longer available.

For ordering, go to "Order this item" toward bottom of page.

Unsure about size? Go to the Measurements.page

Estimated Current size Approx.:

Unsure about size? Go to the Measurements.page

Size	Shoulders	Bust	Waist	Estimated Length from top of shoulder tip to bottom of hem	Estimated Wear-ability	Estimated Underarm condition	Maker's Tags/ Marks	Estimated condition rating	Estimated overall condition scale of 1-10
Large (10-11)	17."	38."	29."	56."	Terrific.	Stains/mends/wear.	None.	EXCELLENT.	9

This item is sold and no longer available.

Our Explanation of item's grading terms:

MINT;	NEAR MINT;	EXCELLENT;	VERY GOOD;	GOOD;	FAIR;	POOR;
Like brand new.	No noticeable stains or tears (or VERY tiny or FAINT), a gentle touch of wear.	Light wear, minimal faint stain or two, less than 1." Nothing distracting.	Used gently, minor spots or wear. Sound structure. Nothing visually detracting.	Used, but still has life, spotting, wear or fraying. Visual problems but structure sound.	Used, so-so condition but usable, heavy spotting, fraying, still useful for the creative.	Heavily used, stained, worn or split, a pattern, project, or a cutter.

Bustledress.com, ITEM DETAILS PAGE, Victorian Gowns- Bustle Dresses, Antique Gowns, Vintage clothing, Corsets.

Email: bonnet@interx.net