Welcome to a Bustledress.com Article Page
Category: 2009 USA Best Victorian Ball Gown In the WORLD by Contest on 05-15-2009
USA Entry 21.) Dress: 1886 Butterfly Ball gown
Category: Best Victorian Ball Gown In the WORLD
This 1886 ball gown was inspired by a combination of two fashion plates which Lady Leigh helped put together for me. The gown is done in a shimmery, lavender peu de soi edged with white appliques dotted with pearls. The underskirt is a fabulous purple lace from France with a leaf and flower design all sewn with tiny purple pearls. Carefully placed on the folds of the over skirt is a silver butterfly. I've worn this gown to the ball at the SASS convention, and to a local Victorian Ball.
USA Entry 10.) Dress: 1885 Ball Gown
Category: Best Victorian Ball Gown
Seamstress: Catawba Kate
I made this 1885 ball gown for a SASS Regional banquet/ball in Georgia. The bodice, over skirt and train are a sage and purple flowered brocade with a lavender beaded trim. The butterfly train and the over skirt are edged in sage colored satin ruffles. The bodice is also trimmed in the lavender beaded trim and edged with a purple ruffle. The skirt is a purple satin trimmed with ruffles and 4 inch long purple beads. What I particularly like about this dress is that I've made it into an ensemble. In the second picture, you can see I've removed the butterfly train and am left with the over skirt. Not shown is a satin, sage colored skirt with an organza overlay to wear with the dress for other occasions.
USA Entry 8.) Dress: 1879 Vain Peacock Masquerade Ballgown
Category: Best Victorian Ball Gown
I made this dress to wear to the SASS Yesteryear Masquerade Ball. The dress is made of Chinese Silk with self fabric ruching around the hem of the skirt. There are 452 peacock feathers that I hand-stitched to the four foot train, 213 Czechoslovakian crystals set on the front of the bodice and the skirt and a marabou ostrich feather boa stitched to the neckline of the bodice. I covered the shoes with the Chinese Silk and attached 50 peacock feathers to the back of each shoe. The mask was made by a mask artist in New Orleans, and was covered in the Chinese Silk, and of course more peacock feathers. I strutted into the ball as The Vain Peacock.
USA Entry 5.) Dress: 1874 Ivory silk embroidered w/ivory roses with coral dupioni silk
Category: Best Victorian Ball Gown In the WORLD
Ivory and Coral were two of the Victorian ladies favorite jewelry pieces, which was the inspiration for this gown. The ivory silk is embroidered with ivory roses and the contrasting coral silk seemed to be the perfect fabric for the trim. The dress is trimmed with handmade silk roses made from the coral silk along with ivory silk pleats and Venetian lace w/roses. This dress has danced at SASS events and cruised the Inner Passageway of Alaska on the Empress of the North.
USA Entry 4.) Dress: 1876 Victorian Der Bazar Ball Gown
Category: Most Beautiful Bustle Dress In the WORLD
Category: Best Victorian Ball Gown In the WORLD
This is a ballgown inspired from 1876 Der Bazar. Every detail of the entire ensemble is from that year: from the hair style, to the jewelry, to the accessories, to the petticoat. The petticoat is an 1876 reproduction pattern from LaMode Illustree,' a sister publication. It is made of ivory taffeta and row after row of ivory taffeta ruffles covered with ivory crystal pleated lace edged with ivory satin ribbon. It's quite heavy! The dress is ivory silk satin with cobalt blue moire' pleats and red velvet ribbon. I even used an antique pleating tool to make the pleats. The gloves are antique kid leather with Czech blue glass buttons, and the antique red enameled watch has its original matching watch pin. There is even a matching fan chatelaine and fan to complete the look. By Lady La Salle
